# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• A participant set up a high-performance computing system with 32 cores and 256GB RAM using AMD 6367 processors in a dual-socket configuration, planning to use it with Haskell and ImplicitCAD for computational work.

• The concept of "terrarium civilizations" was introduced, describing technological human civilizations that can sustain themselves using only available resources and incoming sunlight, with discussion about measuring their resilience and dispersability.

• DARPA announced Proposers Days for a new Pandemic Prevention Platform (February 22 in McLean, VA and March 2 in San Diego), indicating government interest in advanced biodefense technologies.

• Research in Nature Communications revealed that light stimulation alone can control cerebral blood flow in mice without requiring light-sensitive proteins, causing calcium decrease in arteriolar smooth muscle cells and resulting in vasodilation.

• A study in eLife demonstrated how neuronal cytoskeleton components (β-spectrin and tau) protect axons from mechanical stress, suggesting defects in these proteins may sensitize neurons to movement-induced damage.

• Researchers developed a high-resolution fluorescent nanosensor array for imaging cellular dopamine efflux, as reported in PNAS, representing an advancement in neurotransmitter detection technology.

• The Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (KSRM) resource was shared in relation to how self-replicating machines could enhance civilization resilience if communities had effective coordination mechanisms.