# Summary of IRC Discussion on September 14, 2016

* A user shared information about the "alien megastructures" star (KIC8462852), noting that new parallax measurements from Gaia have ruled out some explanations for its brightness variations, though error bars remain significant.

* A hackerspace member reported progress on their scanning electron microscope project, demonstrating ongoing DIY scientific instrumentation efforts in the community.

* Several privacy-enhancing technologies for Bitcoin were discussed, including TumbleBit, JoinMarket, and confidential transactions, with links shared to technical papers on these implementations.

* A desktop waterjet cutter Kickstarter project was shared, representing new accessibility of industrial fabrication technology for personal use.

* Research on visual mental imagery was discussed, including studies showing that refractive errors affect the vividness of visual mental images and that the fusiform face area in the brain is involved in holistic object recognition.

* Users discussed CAD software options for working with STEP files from McMaster-Carr, including FreeCAD, SolidWorks, BRL-CAD, and Inventor, with considerations for Linux compatibility.

* Mozilla's WebReplay project was shared, which enables deterministic recording and replay of web applications for debugging purposes.