# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• A controversial weight loss device called AspireAssist was discussed, which involves a surgically implanted tube that allows users to pump out 30% of their stomach contents after meals, representing an unusual approach to medical weight management.

• Detailed technical conversation about bioreactor design for E. coli cultures covered dissolved oxygen measurement, using CO2 sensing as a proxy for O2 consumption, pH monitoring, and temperature control, demonstrating the channel's focus on practical DIY biotechnology.

• Several biotech startups were critically evaluated, including Benchling (criticized for marketing itself as the "GitHub of biology" without implementing actual Git functionality) and Axio (dismissed for making unoriginal claims about revolutionizing mental performance through EEG).

• Innovative medical technologies were highlighted, including EnChroma glasses for color blindness correction through selective spectral filtration, and the LifeCradle organ transport system that extends heart preservation from 4 to 24 hours, addressing the problem that 70% of donated hearts go unused.

• A user observed a possible correlation between productivity and weather conditions, noting increased coding during thunderstorms, and referenced research suggesting high humidity levels may reduce concentration and cognitive performance.

• Participants critically noted the trend of companies in the transhumanist and biotech spaces using buzzwords like "hacker" and "disruptive" in their marketing to appear innovative without delivering substantive technological advances.