# Key Points from IRC Discussions

• Participants debated why advanced post-organic entities (in the context of UFOs) might use erratic movement patterns and bright lights when interacting with humans, suggesting it could be for entertainment purposes rather than reflecting technological necessity.

• Several upcoming neurotechnology conferences were highlighted, including the 4th International Conference on Neuroprosthetic Devices (ICNPD-2012), IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Conference (EMBC 2012), and Neural Interfaces Conference (NIC) 2012.

• Developers discussed cross-platform compatibility challenges for Nanoengineer software, particularly focusing on OSX 10.6/10.7 issues related to the clang/llvm compiler transition and Ubuntu package distribution requirements.

• Academic publishing reform was addressed, with reference to Harvard University Library's statement that the current system is unsustainable, noting how commercial publishers like Elsevier and Springer implement differential pricing based on institutions' perceived ability to pay.

• A novel programming language concept was described featuring a specialized IDE allowing users to point with one hand and type with the other, prompting discussion about chording keyboards as potential solutions for one-handed typing with full character coverage.

• Technical discussions covered microfluidics projects, dataflow programming languages (specifically Puredata), and music technology including MIDI/OSC sequencers, digital-analog synthesizers, and hardware modification challenges.