# Key Points from the IRC Discussion

• Springer publishing temporarily made materials older than 10 years freely available, prompting coordinated efforts to harvest scientific books and papers, with one user sharing a collection at http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/springerwat/.

• Participants discussed directed evolution of toxoplasmosis for potential cognitive enhancement (nootropic) effects, debating whether it's possible to select for strains that produce benefits rather than deficits.

• The accessibility of DIY biology was highlighted, with custom DNA synthesis costs around 25 cents per base pair from services like GenScript and BioBasic, and resources for newcomers shared at https://groups.google.com/group/diybio and http://diyhpl.us/wiki/diybio/faq.

• A 1999 paper on topology optimization sparked discussion about how technologies once considered impractical (like GPUs and genetic algorithms) later became viable, illustrating the rapid evolution of computational capabilities.

• Ben Goertzel's article on superintelligence was critically examined, with participants noting his "AGI Nanny" concept and arguing that his criticisms of AI risk positions often lack substantive refutation.

• CRISPR/Cas9 technology was discussed with references to educational resources and Editas Medicine, a startup that raised $43M to commercialize the gene-editing technology.

• NASA's seafloor mapping technology was shared, explaining how gravitational measurements can detect underwater features through small bumps on the sea surface.

• The conversation revealed tensions in the AGI research community, with participants characterizing the discourse as polarized between extreme positions with few moderate voices.