# Summary of IRC Conversation

* A Kickstarter project for a lucid dreaming device called "NeuroDreamer" was shared (http://www.neurodreamer.com/), prompting discussion about the effectiveness of LED-based sleep masks for inducing lucid dreams.

* Discussion about open-source medical devices was sparked by an Economist article (http://www.economist.com/node/21556098), with mention of Karen Sandler's advocacy for open-source pacemakers and concerns about security of closed-source medical implants.

* A detailed technical conversation about genetic engineering in E. coli covered how to connect metabolic pathways by inserting novel genes that code for enzymes to modify molecules, with discussion of the challenges in transfection techniques.

* Laboratory equipment was discussed, particularly spectrophotometers (including "Nanodrop" devices) for measuring DNA/protein concentration, with anecdotes about labs that refuse to use them despite their importance.

* Security concerns were raised about medical data, with the observation that "a complete medical record is worth more on the black market than a credit card number," highlighting vulnerabilities in hospital systems still running outdated operating systems.

* There was brief mention of a competition offering $1 million to reduce DNA preparation time for sequencing from 8 hours to 4 hours, though details were limited.