# Key Points from Transhumanist and DIY Science IRC Discussion

• Researchers explored computational chemistry approaches for designing supramolecular complexes for photoinduced charge separation, with discussions about quantum simulation of biological systems like photosynthesis, noting that density functional theory (DFT) computational costs scale with the second power of atoms for memory and third power for CPU time.

• The group debated molecular nanotechnology challenges, particularly theoretical analysis of carbon-carbon dimer placement tools for diamond mechanosynthesis, identifying computational limitations as a significant barrier to progress.

• A Nature paper on "Human-level control through deep reinforcement learning" sparked discussion about defining complexity in machine learning algorithms as 1/λ where λ is the regularization parameter.

• Innovative microfluidic technology using capillary-tuned solenoid microvalve suction was discussed as a controllable driving force for manipulating microfluidic systems with picoliter precision, with related conversations about electromicrofluidic systems combining spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis.

• An extensive debate contrasted institutional versus DIY science approaches, arguing that established institutions resist DIY methods because they threaten traditional power structures, despite potentially reducing research costs significantly.

• Participants examined regulatory frameworks like the FDA, suggesting that regulations should accommodate non-institutional research rather than forcing DIY science into traditional models, with references to the "proactionary principle" as a philosophical framework better suited to supporting innovation.

• The discussion included analysis of 20n (YC W15), a company engineering microbes for chemical production, with skepticism about their differentiation claims in metabolic pathway engineering and their defensibility strategy.