I've finally gotten around to reading the inaugural edition of the Citizen Science Quarterly, a reader-support, Creative Commons licensed journal devoted to nonexpert experimentation and discovery. It's an extremely eclectic read, with a good mix of editorial, experimental writeups, polemics, practical HOWTOs and miscellania. I really enjoyed Andrew Hessel's op-ed on bioinformatics and fabrication, which explored the idea that cells can be thought of as bio-fabricators, 3D printers whose operating system we have yet to master. I was also engrossed by a brief "molecular gastronomy" HOWTO, a piece on culturing yeast, information on sourcing supplies for DIY bioscience, and a manifesto for involving patients' experiments and input in medical research. The copyediting and writing are a little uneven, but that just lends CSQ a nice, homespun feeling. All in all, this is an exciting new journal and a treat to read.
