# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Participants debated hardware approaches for lab automation, contrasting microcontrollers like Arduino (good for simple tasks) with full Linux computers like Raspberry Pi (better for package management and development workflows), revealing a cultural divide between embedded programming and modern software development practices.

• Brain stimulation technologies were discussed, with ultrasound being recommended over tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation), accompanied by resource links to papers on both technologies.

• A DIY virtual retinal display project was shared involving a hacked DLP projector with an MSP430 microcontroller, successfully playing video content at small scale (8cm wide), with additional discussion about building VRD systems using components like TI pico projectors and RGB lasers.

• The White House announced a policy directing federal agencies with over $100M in R&D expenditures to make federally-funded research publicly available within 12 months of publication, responding to a petition about open access to scientific research.

• Technical limitations of Google Glass were critically examined, including concerns about its cloud-based API, high price point ($1500), limited offline capabilities, and challenges for implementing useful facial recognition that would need to identify people outside one's social network.

• A new "Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences" was mentioned, founded by tech leaders including Sergey Brin and Mark Zuckerberg to recognize research aimed at curing diseases and extending human life.

• Participants critically assessed transhumanist figures and ideas, including Ray Kurzweil's prediction accuracy (estimated at 35% by one analysis) and philosophical thought experiments like "Roko's Basilisk" from the LessWrong community.