Bioinformatics Odyssey Stardate 2010.10.18

Hello all...

Wow, 30 days to the day since my last post. That says alot about how the course has advanced along rapidly in terms of more complicated material, thus I've spent way more time studying and had less time to even think about writing blog posts. Remember, it's been 23 years or more since I last studied Biology. Phew. I've asked myself a few times, "Sid, what the hell are you doing, man?" in the past few weeks. We've had two tests already and the third is tomorrow. I should be studying.

Thing is, I really do like this class and what I'm learning. It just goes by too fast. I work all day, then go to class, and my brain just wants to relax and I'm trying to make it consume way more new stuff than I ever had in one day of my day job in a long time. But, when I take a few minutes away from the computer screen, and the textbook, I start thinking in pictures about what I'm learning, and it takes me back to why I chose this path... learning about how it is that we're all here.

Since that last blog post we've done chapters on biological molecules, cell structure, and energy flow in cells, and tomorrow's test is on photosynthesis and cellular respiration. I looked ahead and after this we're going to be delving into DNA and genetics, which is the stuff that got me to sign up in the first place. Finally! Tomorrow's test I'm thinking may be the hardest out of the 5 we'll have total in the class, but I could very well end up eating those words on the next test. Surely I'm underestimating the power of the complexity of DNA and genetics, eh? Kinda makes me wonder, after this first quarter, what will be left that we've saved for the 2nd and third quarter of this course sequence? Even more interesting stuff, I presume.

I still haven't had time to play around with any Bioinformatics tools to start getting my feet wet with what's out there, but I'll have some time during the break in between quarters at least. I don't have anything new and exciting for anyone to read in this post. I assume at some point I'll be able to make the blog a more interesting read along the lines of what I had mentioned before, being a resource for other programmers interested in getting into Bioinformatics.

In the meantime, if you're bored, check out the banner ad to the left for the new documentary coming out real soon (and in fact you can pre-purchase on that Kickstarter link) called "DMT: The Spirit Molecule". Or the website here:

http://thespiritmolecule.com/

I wonder if we'll be learning anything about *that* in this course sequence I'm taking.... ;-)