User:Bryan Derksen

Bryan Derksen is just some random guy who has become somewhat hooked by Wikipedia. His areas of interest and/or expertise include biology, computer science, astronomy, science fiction, and a scattering of all kinds of other stuff with little apparent connection. He has Bachelors in genetics and computer science. He first started editing some time in late 2001. He gained sysop status in April 2002.

He apparently hit the big time in March of 2005 when Wired Magazine mentioned him in no less than two articles, one of them dead-tree: The Book Stops Here, Wiki Becomes a Way of Life. This will no doubt give him a swelled head and result in a meteoric rise to fame, followed by a descent into obscurity and madness. Watch this space for updates.

Current status: Active

Work list and notes

Here's a quote of Jimbo from the WikiEn mailing list on Wed, 26 Jan 2005 that I consider pretty darned important, and so I'm pasting it here for posterity:

David Gerard wrote:
> Wikipedia is not primarily an experiment in Internet democracy. It's a
> project to write an encyclopedia.

This should be printed out and handed to every single person on the
planet.  I think I'll start a new nonprofit organzation to do that.
Wikimedia will give everyone an encyclopedia.  The new organization
will give everyone a piece of paper explaining: it's an encyclopedia,
not an experiment in democracy.

We *are* a grand social experiment of course.  But not _primarily_.

Well said.

--Jimbo

This barnstar is awarded in recognition of your outstanding contributions to Air Florida Flight 90 and its related articles about the heroes of the disaster. - Vaoverland

Here's where I jot down things I want to remember that others might find useful as well.

List of articles that have been split into multiple arbitrarily-named pages:

• USS Tennessee (BB-43)
• Origins of the American Civil War
• Isaac Newton (in depth)
• History of the People's Republic of China

Very incomplete list of stuff I've worked on

This list is far from complete. I've put it here by request, to list articles that I've contributed to significantly and which I find interesting.

Fiction: Anthropomorphism Grue Lex Luthor Magneto Muppet Victor Von Doom Gallifrey Time Lord Sontaran Kryptonite Fraggle Rock Infocom Suspended

Myth: Actaeon Charybdis Circe Daedalus Lycanthropy Pan Sampo Sidehill Gouger Scylla Werewolf

Biology/chemistry: Amino acid Carbon chauvinism Flagellum Evolution of flagella Intron Exon Miller experiment Proteinoid RNA PNA Neoteny Countercurrent exchange Lung Umbilical cord Methane clathrate Clathrate hydrate Thermal depolymerization Photosynthesis Remora

Astronomy and space: Celestial body atmosphere Cruithne Dyson sphere Genetic code Space elevator MOOSE Heat shield Interstellar communication Sleeper ship Magnetic sail Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket Impact event Fra Mauro KREEP Comet Shenzhou spacecraft Massive compact halo object Arecibo Gravitational binding energy

Star listing (most of the stars on here) Lunar mare (and all of the mare pages) Luna program (and specific mission pages) Zond program Ranger program Vega program Pioneer Venus project Viking program Nomad rover Magellan probe

Other sciencey stuff: Bose-Einstein condensate Clanking replicator Casimir effect Huygens principle Lincos Block time Mind transfer Whole-body transplant Exotic matter

Misc: Edmonton Exxon Flood Freenet Cardboard Plywood Bubble wrap Portland cement Reinforced concrete Masonry Masada Nagasaki Musical Chairs Mao (game) Cheyenne Mountain Maher Arar Project Habbakuk Sewage treatment N!xau The Gods Must Be Crazy Moammar Al Qadhafi Airbag

Rocks: Beryl Garnet Jet Spinel Topaz Tourmaline Ulexite Zircon