# IRC Log Summary - May 18, 2012

* A discussion about Planetary Resources (asteroid mining company) included economic analysis suggesting the venture may be financially untenable - requiring mining of 47 million tonnes of asteroid material with typical platinum concentration of 140 PPM to achieve 50% ROI for near-Earth asteroids.

* Despite economic challenges, participants noted that Planetary Resources serves as a focal point for optimism in space exploration, with one participant comparing billionaire investment in the company to "the geeky equivalent of owning a football club."

* A link was shared to an article on Chronopause.com discussing whether personal identity survives cryopreservation, with participants expressing skepticism about philosophical arguments concerning "personal identity."

* A €40 billion open research publishing venture was mentioned, with participants noting that traditional academic publishers like Elsevier appear to be "squirming" in response to open access initiatives.

* A solar sintering project was shared (http://www.markuskayser.com/work/solarsinter/) demonstrating the use of solar energy for manufacturing.

* The Shangri-La Diet was discussed (http://www.astrocyte-design.com/shangri-la-diet/index.html) with participants seeking theories to explain its reported effectiveness.