# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Participants discussed the limitations of open-source CAD tools for hardware design, specifically noting that Linux CAD programs lack proper NURBS support except through OpenCASCADE, which suffers from poor code organization and maintenance issues.

• A technical project to improve CAD tools was mentioned, with kanzure working on rewriting ESOLID (a NURBS CAD tool from a PhD thesis) in Python and creating a Cython wrapper to port functionality gradually.

• Resources on advanced CAD techniques were shared, including a NURBS primer and papers on surface-surface intersection algorithms, along with discussion of the Python OpenCascade wrapper project called pycado for parametric modeling.

• The conversation touched on SKDB (a hardware package management system) architecture challenges, noting that without proper CAD integration and verification systems, it remains limited in practical applications.

• A scientific study was shared about glucose deprivation activating a feedback loop that kills cancer cells, noting cancer cells' heightened glucose requirements compared to normal cells.

• Technical discussions included Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for estimating intractable integrals, with applications in physics, gene expression networks, and phylogenetics.

• Participants shared practical information about magnesium supplementation protocols, specifically using magnesium citrate prepared by dissolving MgO in lemon juice.

• Workplace safety concerns were highlighted, including statistics about machinery-related injuries (18,000 amputations, lacerations, and other injuries plus 800+ deaths annually) and the long-term health effects of machinery vibrations.