Introduction

The aim of this blog is to be an account of a journey to understand biology, not for passing a scantron test, but for actually figuring out how nature works.

Yesterday, I first learned about a movement called DIY Bio (Do-It-Yourself Biology) by reading this article. It immediately appealed to me. Gregor Mendel's hobby contributed vastly to our knowledge of genetics, although he knew nothing about what a gene actually was. Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a painter, who turned his attention to the nervous system with the aid of accessible devices and his inventive methods. Charles Darwin sailed the world, and collected specimens before writing down his revolutionary ideas in the Origin of Species. However, I was always jealous of these scientists because they did not need a bachelor's degree, Ph.D., government grant, or corporate lab to contribute in a major way to science. Now, it seemed to me, all or most of these things were required.

With my personal discovery of DIY Bio, I hope I can actually do science here in Miami without having to wait to get an advanced degree. Of course, I am financially extremely limited, and am ignorant of the most powerful methods of study. However, I plan to overcome these obstacles in ways I have already planned.

I will post my progress and some articles on this blog. I welcome any feedback on tips, advice, and interest in the subject, too. All advancement in learning and understanding is a group effort. With this I begin...