# Summary of IRC Log from June 20, 2016

* A rhizotron project was shared that allows imaging of plant root systems underground, providing a way to observe subterranean biological processes (link: http://hackaday.com/2016/06/19/build-a-rhizotron-image-the-world-beneath-your-feet/).

* OpenVSP, a parametric aircraft geometry tool developed by NASA since the 1990s and released as open source in 2012, was discussed as a tool that allows users to create 3D aircraft models defined by engineering parameters.

* A wristband microphone was recommended for high-fidelity audio recording during transcriptions, with discussion about its capabilities including 192kbps WAV recording, 8GB internal storage, and data management considerations (approximately 100MB/hour or 550GB/year).

* SfePy (Simple Finite Elements in Python) was shared, highlighting its applications in modeling complex systems like fish hearts and phononic materials (http://sfepy.org/).

* OpenAI's technical goals were linked (https://openai.com/blog/openai-technical-goals/), though no specific discussion about the content followed.

* A presentation on "Parallelizing the Naughty Dog Engine using fibers" was shared (http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1022186/Parallelizing-the-Naughty-Dog-Engine), related to game engine optimization techniques.

* There was brief mention of the upcoming SciPy conference in Austin, with some members considering attendance.