# Key Points from Transhumanist IRC Discussions

• Python and R were identified as optimal programming languages for biologists, providing access to optimized libraries without requiring the low-level expertise demanded by C++, with one expert emphasizing that code serves as "transmissable mathematics" in science, making papers with accompanying code more likely to be cited.

• Discussions on biological computing included sharing research on DNA digital storage technology (referenced in "Next-Generation Digital Information Storage in DNA") and oligodeoxynucleotide purification techniques, highlighting the community's interest in biological data systems.

• Cryopreservation was debated with focus on technical challenges of preserving complex brains, with participants noting a successful experiment where dog kidneys were frozen, thawed, and implanted, with some dogs surviving to die of natural causes later.

• The community critiqued the elitist tone of some science writers who cater to the "intellectually oppressed genius scientist" demographic, specifically criticizing John Brockman's "third culture" concept.

• Participants suggested that bioengineering humans for non-Earth environments ("venusforming humans") might be more practical than terraforming planets, noting that many transhumanists avoid biological approaches despite potential enhancements like spider-silk skin.

• Nootropics and cognitive enhancement were discussed, with participants debating the merits of substances like Modafinil for cognitive performance.