# Summary of IRC Log from #hplusroadmap (March 4, 2016)

• A brief discussion about Ethereum as a speculative investment occurred, with one user noting that "price does not often follow reasonable things like reason" and another user commenting that "ethereum did the most disgustingly rent-seeking initial peg possible."

• A video about an imaging system that tracks brain activity of freely moving nematode worms (C. elegans) was shared, which uses calcium indicators to visualize neural activity through fluorescence.

• A user inquired about building a DIY PCR thermal cycler based on an Arduino design (costing under $85), with recommendations to consider alternatives like a light bulb PCR for ~$25 or the more advanced dual-channel real-time PCR from Chai Biotechnologies.

• Discussion about "paperbot," a previously active IRC bot that would fetch academic papers when users posted links to scholarly content, making PDFs accessible to enhance discussion quality.

• A user mentioned being in Boston/Cambridge (near MIT) and discussed the local area, revealing some geographic connections between channel participants.