# Key Points from ##hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Researchers discussed advances in AI systems that outperform humans on IQ tests using "knowledge-powered word embedding" techniques like word2vec, specifically for solving verbal comprehension questions.

• Participants expressed surprise at the limited progress in comprehensive brain mapping since von Economo's work in 1929, which contained only about 100 photographs of the human brain.

• A detailed hypothesis was shared about thalamocortical projection systems functioning as "alpha motor neurons of thought" that control cognitive processes through activation of cortical modules.

• Several neuroscience resources were shared, including the NeuroLex ontology project and an interactive visualization of cognitive neuroanatomy, though some participants questioned the value of the "cognitive consilience" visualization.

• Technical discussions covered brain tissue imaging technology, with reference to 3Scan's capability to process "up to 3,600 slices per hour of any tissue sample at submicron resolution."

• A paper on DNA assembly in 3D-printed microfluidics was discussed, demonstrating Golden Gate DNA assembly in devices with reaction volumes as small as 490 nL, though this was characterized as a demonstration rather than a breakthrough in large-scale genome assembly.

• "Guesstimate," a tool for Fermi estimation modeling providing spreadsheet-like functionality for probabilistic calculations, was shared (https://github.com/getguesstimate/guesstimate-app).