# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Participants discussed renewable energy storage technologies, specifically flow batteries using quinones as organic compounds, sharing BBC articles about recent advances in this battery technology.

• The conversation explored human brain evolution, highlighting research showing that human cognitive abilities may result from specific neural connectivity patterns rather than just neuron count, with evidence that gene coexpression connectivity evolved much faster in humans than other primates.

• Researchers debated the genetic basis for human cognitive advantages, suggesting approximately 200 genes might be responsible for the cognitive gap between humans and apes, with discussion about the ethical implications of potentially "uplifting" ape intelligence through genetic modification.

• Technical details about laser microphone construction were shared, including recommendations for beam splitters from suppliers like Edmund Optics and Thorlabs, along with alternative approaches using TOSlink splitters.

• The group compared long-term data storage technologies, including microfilm (stable for millennia), HD-Rosetta nickel discs (using focused ion beam technology), and laser-etched crystal storage, with cost calculations showing significant price differences between methods.

• A comprehensive resource on neural network simulators was shared (https://grey.colorado.edu/emergent/index.php/Comparison_of_Neural_Network_Simulators), along with SVN repository access information.

• Participants criticized academic publishing models, particularly questioning Nature's claim that publishing costs run at £20,000–30,000 per paper.