# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Researchers discussed gene editing technologies, specifically comparing TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) with zinc finger nucleases, indicating ongoing interest in advanced genetic modification techniques.

• Industrial automation was explored through discussion of KUKA robotics and Tecnomatix software for factory simulation, with participants debating the practicality of setting up automated manufacturing facilities.

• A quantified self tracking system called "meetlog" (http://quantifiedself.com/2011/08/bryan-bishop-on-meetlog/) was shared, which helps users track personal meetings and conversations to improve idea management and networking.

• Participants discussed SKDB, a package management system for physical objects, highlighting challenges in CAD integration and the difficulty of specifying machine capabilities for automated manufacturing reasoning.

• The community expressed criticism of Ray Kurzweil's passive approach to transhumanism, characterizing it as waiting for solutions rather than taking direct action to solve problems.

• A philosophical debate occurred about attitudes toward rule-breakers, with references to the Just-world fallacy and discussion about whether destructive behavior might result from correctable birth defects due to malnutrition.