# Key Points from IRC Discussions

• Funding dynamics in transhumanist organizations were discussed, with SENS Foundation receiving a recent $500k donation and questions raised about SIAI's (Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence) research output despite significant funding, particularly criticizing their focus on "AI friendliness" as producing "empty verbiage."

• A debate emerged on prioritization of research efforts, with some arguing that longevity research should take precedence over space exploration, while an alternative perspective suggested undersea exploration might be more practical than space colonization due to water's superior radiation shielding properties.

• Peter Diamandis' Abundance Index team is developing a metric to track global progress toward meeting essential human needs including water, energy, food, education, healthcare, and freedom, with a planned launch at the end of February.

• Technical discussions covered Markov chains and Monte Carlo methods in machine learning, specifically how they're used to estimate expectations of probability distributions, with references to ensemble MCMC methods and "baby Rudin" (Principles of Mathematical Analysis) as a key text.

• Microfluidic technologies were explored for applications in DNA synthesis, with interest in developing systems using droplet technologies and picoliter arrays for photomasked DNA synthesis, though finding experts in patterning microfluidic devices was noted as challenging.

• Participants discussed nootropics and their regulatory challenges in the US, particularly how racetams cannot be legally labeled for human consumption as they don't fit into FDA categories, alongside research on flavonoids from blueberries and cocoa showing potential cognitive benefits through mechanisms like CREB phosphorylation and BDNF production.