# Summary of IRC Log from March 13, 2013

* A paper on brain-computer interfaces was shared via paperbot, specifically from the IOP (Institute of Physics) journal of neural engineering (http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/9/5/056007/pdf/1741-2552_9_5_056007.pdf), along with several other related papers from the same journal.

* A user inquired about dissolved oxygen meters, noting they seemed expensive at £100+, suggesting interest in DIY alternatives or more affordable options for scientific measurement.

* East Bay DIYbio meeting notes were shared, highlighting their need for graphic design help and guidance on navigating city/county/state regulations around hackerspaces and biotech activities.

* A discussion about financial advisors took place, with one user reporting their advisor achieved a 24.36% return in 2012, though they expected more typical returns of 8-9% in normal years.

* Users noted that Geoffrey Hinton had joined Google, with the observation that Google now employs approximately 80% of the top natural language processing and machine learning researchers.

* A philosophical discussion emerged about the merits of seeking permission from authorities for DIY biology activities, with one user arguing that asking permission gives "a dangerous and misleading sense of authority to exactly the worst people."