# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• University education economics revealed a stark disparity, with students paying approximately $104 per hour of class time while instructors receive only a small fraction of this revenue, highlighting inefficiencies in academic compensation structures.

• The NEPTUNE underwater communications network was discussed as a significant marine technology infrastructure, consisting of 900km of cable off Vancouver's shore connecting experiment platforms and mobile rovers for oceanic research.

• DIY advanced microscopy projects were shared, including a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) capable of visualizing individual atoms and an Atomic Force Microscope, demonstrating how cutting-edge scientific tools are becoming accessible to hobbyists.

• A DNA analysis technique called "Convex Lens-induced Confinement" (CLiC) was highlighted for its ability to extend DNA molecules in nanogrooves as narrow as 27nm without breaking them, representing an advancement in genomic analysis methods.

• Participants debated AI ethics and MIRI's approach to "friendly AI," questioning whether human brains themselves are ethics-constrained and if imposing ethical constraints on AI systems is conceptually sound or potentially manipulative.

• The startup myTomorrows and the Goldwater Institute's "Right To Try" legislation were discussed as initiatives to help patients access experimental drugs, representing efforts to reform medical treatment access for terminally ill patients.

• Accessible nanotechnology methods were shared, including a technique for creating graphene using a DVD/Blu-ray burner, demonstrating how advanced materials production is becoming available through repurposed consumer technology.