Theoretical Biology Needs to Be More Theoretical
Biophysical soul 15% of my brain Abusing notation
As someone trained as a biologist first who discovered an aptitude for theoretical work, it seems to me that good theoretical biology needs to contribute new theory. It needs to be more than modeling and simulation. It needs to be more than a handmaiden to the experimentalist agenda.
I certainly want good collaborators, or part of me does. But what I do is theory and theory is what I want to do. Sometimes it seems to me that theoretical biology needs to be more theoretical. The concepts need to be deeper. We would contribute more if we were more distinctive, more true to our basic impulses.