# Key Points from Transhumanist IRC Discussions

• Discussions about DIY gene therapy centered on Liz Parrish's self-administered telomerase extension and follistatin expression, with critics arguing she should have included reporter genes or visible phenotype markers to verify the therapy's effectiveness.

• Kanzure shared an important resource for transhumanist research at http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/, containing directories of papers on longevity, biology, and neuroscience that serve as reference materials for biohacking.

• The conversation explored Dihexa, a peptide drug candidate that reportedly improves cognitive function and is seven orders of magnitude more powerful than BDNF in promoting synapse formation, with potential for targeted brain delivery via ultrasound-burstable microcapsules.

• An article was shared highlighting how "proprietary data formats kill kids with cancer," emphasizing critical issues with data accessibility in medical research that impede scientific progress.

• Technical discussions covered plasma separation of elements and fusion torch technology in the context of universal assemblers and replicators, representing advanced concepts in molecular manufacturing.

• Participants examined the potential of microcapsules with shells of varying thickness for controlled delivery of substances like cryoprotectants, demonstrating practical applications of nanotechnology in preservation science.

• A physics lecture titled "Space-time is doomed. What replaces it?" by Nima Arkani-Hamed was shared, along with information about the Holometer experiment that ruled out a first theory of space-time correlations, reflecting the group's interest in fundamental physics concepts.