# Key Points from IRC Discussion

• The Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) from Open Source Ecology was discussed alongside the SKDB (skill database) project, highlighting tensions in open-source collaboration for distributed manufacturing technologies.

• Participants shared DIY biology techniques, specifically methods for purifying agarose from grocery store agar-agar using acetone for electrophoresis experiments, noting significant cost savings compared to commercial sources ($1-2/gram).

• An engineer described developing ultra-precise inkjet printing technology currently capable of 500nm-2 micron resolution with theoretical potential to reach 10nm, suggesting nanoscale manufacturing could be viable by 2020.

• A substantial debate occurred around whole brain emulation ethics, particularly contrasting destructive uploading (scanning sliced brain tissue) versus non-destructive methods, with some participants characterizing destructive approaches as a "death cult."

• The group discussed the state of brain simulation, noting successful nematode simulations (302 neurons) while debating what level of abstraction would be necessary for human brain simulation, referencing the Blue Brain Project.

• Military technology applications were debated, including the naval railgun program and its potential non-military applications such as transcontinental ballistic flights, alongside ethical concerns about defense industry work.