# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Log (October 4, 2014)

• A discussion about cell-free fetal DNA testing took place, with concerns raised about the high cost ($3,000) of these tests for detecting conditions like Down syndrome, and questions about whether existing inhibin A tests are sufficiently effective alternatives.

• A link was shared to a blog post about a timing attack vulnerability that could be used to unmask Google users, demonstrating a security concern in widely-used authentication systems.

• A conversation about the Ebola epidemic included suggestions for isolation tanks as potential healthcare solutions, though participants noted that basic hygiene supplies would likely be more useful than advanced technical solutions in affected regions.

• A novel brain-computer interface concept was discussed, inspired by sensory substitution technology where blind people "see" with their tongues, proposing to apply similar principles to create haptic feedback for sexual devices that exploit neural plasticity.

• An interesting physics principle was explained regarding why full-scale helicopters cannot use electric motors like small models do - as an object scales up, lift increases with the square of size while weight increases with the cube, requiring higher power density propulsion systems for full-size aircraft.