# Key Points from ##hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (Dec 19, 2014)

• The challenges of open-source hardware were discussed, with participants sharing an article explaining why open hardware faces more significant barriers than open software, highlighting a fundamental issue in the transhumanist technology ecosystem.

• Myo armband's release of raw EMG data access through their SDK was noted as a positive development for biohackers and researchers, representing a shift toward greater data transparency in consumer biometric devices.

• A significant security vulnerability called "Misfortune Cookie" affecting 12 million routers was discussed, demonstrating ongoing concerns about infrastructure security in increasingly connected technological systems.

• Participants debated AI development approaches, criticizing the assumption that intelligence would simply "emerge" from scaling up simple systems, with skepticism about deep learning as a complete solution and arguments that successful AGI would require multiple integrated cognitive modes.

• The conversation examined evolutionary approaches to AI, including Thomas Ray's Tierra simulation and the MOSES system, with debate about whether evolution itself could be considered a "silver bullet" algorithm for intelligence development.

• A paper titled "Machine Learning: The High-Interest Credit Card of Technical Debt" was shared, highlighting how machine learning systems accumulate hidden technical costs through complex data dependencies that become difficult to track and manage.

• Participants critiqued scientific publishing practices after Elsevier retracted 16 papers due to fake peer reviews, questioning whether traditional academic papers remain the optimal medium for scientific communication despite available digital alternatives.