# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• The conversation highlighted exponential progress in genome sequencing technology, with participants discussing Oxford Nanopore's advancements and expressing concern about maintaining accessible mirrors of genomic databases like NCBI.

• Participants explored various neuromodulation technologies, comparing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and ultrasound stimulation, noting ultrasound's superior targeting precision (2mm versus TMS's 1cm resolution).

• Research on ultrasound neural stimulation was shared, covering both low-power applications for neural modulation and high-power applications that successfully removed an inoperable brain tumor.

• The group discussed biohacking through magnetic implants, with one user planning to conduct finite element simulations of magnet implants in flesh, while others discussed practical considerations like interactions with laboratory magnetic stirrers.

• A significant portion of the conversation addressed the poor organization of scientific literature collections, with participants proposing systems to better index papers with proper metadata rather than just storing PDFs.

• Participants criticized the current scientific publishing ecosystem where commercial entities control access to research metadata, suggesting alternatives like a "Science Liberation Front" to make research more accessible.

• Technical discussions covered web scraping tools for academic research, comparing PhantomJS, PythonWebKit, Python-Hulahop, and KHTMLPart, with detailed instructions on installation and implementation.

• DIY chemistry safety was debated, including practical advice about building homemade fume hoods and explosion prevention through proper air dilution for home experiments.