John C. Wathey

John C. Wathey is a computational biologist whose research interests include evolutionary algorithms and the biology of nervous systems. He got his PhD in Neurosciences at UC San Diego following his undergrad years at Caltech. After a postdoc at the Salk Institute, he spent most of his career in the private sector working on computer simulations of protein folding. He is also a nature lover who enjoys bicycling through rural America and hiking its wilderness areas. He came of age in the Piedmont region of North Carolina - the buckle of the Bible belt - where the ubiquity of religion clashed with his scientific interests and ultimately spawned his first book, The Illusion of God's Presence. Recently he has explored the algorithmic aspects of political polarization and the need for electoral reform. His essays on these and other subjects can be found at his website, watheyresearch.com.