# Key Points from IRC Log

• A Python library called "careful-requests" was developed to support multiple versions of the requests library, addressing compatibility issues in software development (https://github.com/kanzure/careful-requests).

• Participants discussed a significant advancement in genetic engineering where a bacterial immune system is being used to engineer human DNA in human cells, as reported by Ars Technica.

• The conversation revealed specialized knowledge about cannabis strains, noting that those with a cannabinol:THC ratio of <1:20 may enhance concentration and suppress appetite, though these are uncommon commercially.

• Users shared information about academic publishing infrastructure, including OCLC (a member-owned cooperative dominating library cataloging) and EZProxy (remote access software used by ~2000 schools), highlighting the technical systems behind scholarly content access.

• A 2012 study on transcranial ultrasound for treating chronic pain was shared (http://www.quantumconsciousness.org/documents/TUSinpress2.pdf), representing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation technologies.

• The group discussed methods for accessing paywalled academic papers, including a tool called "paperbot" that uses Zotero translators and proxy access, revealing the technical approaches used by researchers to overcome access barriers.

• Participants compared reference management tools, recommending open-source Zotero over Mendeley for organizing research papers and PDFs, emphasizing the importance of local search functionality and open-source solutions.