# Summary of IRC Log from June 20, 2012

* Discussion about modafinil and military-grade stimulants that can reduce the need for sleep, with references to studies showing how fighter pilots maintained performance for 37-40 hours without sleep using controlled doses.

* Kanzure shared a collection of longevity research papers (http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/longevity/) during a conversation about extending lifespan versus extending waking hours.

* Several open-source CAD software options with NURBS capabilities were discussed, including OpenCascade, BrlCAD, FreeCAD, HeeksCAD, and ShapeSmith (an Erlang-based web environment using OpenCascade with JSON and WebGL).

* A DIY biotech bootcamp was announced at BossLab in Boston, organized by someone named Avery, charging $200 per person for a two-day workshop.

* Participants discussed the Manchester-based MadLab (biohackerspace) and its claimed 30,000 members, questioning their recruitment strategy.

* A link was shared to a Harvard project developing "pop-up flying robots" using micro-scaffolding and origami-like folding techniques to create small flying devices.

* Kanzure shared a link about rendering circuit schematics in the cloud using RabbitMQ and PhantomJS, though noted the drawback of requiring a browser for rendering.