# Key Points from IRC Log

• Hugo de Garis was announced to be speaking at the 3rd conference by the French Transhumanist Association in January, with likely live broadcast and recordings (http://www.transhumanistes.com)

• Discussion of the Mind Uploading Research Group (MURG) project focused on nematode (C. elegans) brain uploading using laser-based scanning approaches, with participants examining archived electron micrographs from http://minduploading.org/research.html

• Conversation about connectomics research, including Sebastian Seung's work on brain reconstruction through edge detection of cell membranes, with mention of software tools for analyzing brain images to identify synapses and trace neural branches

• Participants discussed computational neuroscience resources, including the NEURON software package for neural modeling, with recommendations to watch Henry Markram's video on cognitive computing

• A bioinformatics tool called j5 was shared (http://j5.jbei.org), described as "a web-based software tool which automates the design of scar-less multipart DNA assembly protocols including SLIC, Gibson, CPEC, and Golden Gate"

• Discussion highlighted the need for more transhumanist mechanical engineers and coders (rather than just "algorithmic wankers") to produce actual working code and systems, as well as neuroscientists to substantiate claims about mind uploading