genesis

This is the official beginning of my blog.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Patrick Hilton. I live in California, where I've spent the last year enjoying the natural beauty and improbably good weather of the central coast, reveling in the joy of academic discourse, and marveling from afar at the profound stupidity of political administration.

I came out here last summer to escape the stressful and rarely-rewarding life of emergency services and the homogeneous culture and mentality of greater New England (To all you back home: yes, California is everything legend would have you believe).

In the time since, I've been able to recapture the love for the outdoors that I had as a youth in rural Maine, but in addition, I've gained greater appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. Being reintroduced to nature as an adult, both in personal experience and through a formal education in biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy, I'm better equipped to recognize and understand the beauty of the highly organized natural world. I've learned that, as one delves deeper into the abyss of scientific knowledge and discovery, the world becomes exponentially complex, but equally fascinating.

As I explore further the scientific universe, I learn exciting new things--sometimes broad concepts, sometimes small tidbits of information that are just the tips of icebergs of research potential. With my increasing momentum of discovery, I find myself to be more and more passionate about the things I'm studying, and feel a strong urge to share the secrets of science with those around me.

My hope is that, perhaps with a proper guide, I can recruit more interest in nature, and inspire others to become as passionate as I am about preserving the amazing world in which we live. (I am by no means an expert in anything at all, so if you have more insight into things I talk about, or if you disagree with the things I say, please don't hesitate to share your knowledge or opinions here. Part of what makes scientific research so excellent is that it is subject to review by everyone else... this isn't the Catholic church.)

Let's get started, we have a lot to cover.