# Summary of IRC Log from February 13, 2016

• A discussion about CAD tools revealed that FreeCAD crashes frequently when loading VRML files (blamed on OpenCascade), with Blender suggested as a more reliable alternative for importing VRML files from KiCAD, and BRLCAD mentioned as another option with VRML conversion capabilities.

• The conversation touched on Sci-Hub, with references to a Hacker News thread where publishing company employees were discussing the site, and commentary about how the founder might be portrayed as a "damsel in distress" being prosecuted by "billion-dollar weapons manufacturers" (referring to Elsevier).

• A research advancement in GPS technology was shared - "GPS Tracking Down to the Centimeter" from UC Riverside, suggesting significant improvements in location precision.

• Boston Dynamics robots were discussed, with speculation about how in 10 years they might be "casually walking around us, opening doors and carrying stuff," with an analogy to automobiles in how they'll "slowly trickle down the economic hierarchy."

• The concept of "Astrochicken" (a self-replicating spacecraft proposed by Freeman Dyson) was mentioned, alongside related concepts like von Neumann probes and seed factories, with a link shared to Dani Eder's Wikibook on Seed Factories.

• Science fiction literature was briefly discussed, specifically Neal Stephenson's works including "The Diamond Age," "Cryptonomicon," and "Snow Crash."