Independent physics research
Independent researcher, born in Chicago, working outside the academic pipeline. This is my work in the open: who I am, where it came from, and the research itself — led by the main paper, Makowsky Divergence in Biological Trajectories.
Born in 1988, Michael Ryan Makowsky grew up in Chicago and the near-west suburb of Berwyn, a community connected to Cicero, Illinois. His early years were shaped by frequent transitions, first being raised by his grandmother, then moving in with his father during adolescence.
Growing up near some of the city's toughest neighborhoods exposed him to instability, pressure, and environments where gangs, drugs, and violence were part of daily life. Through his teenage years and into early adulthood, he drifted into that world, experiencing arrests, periods on the run, and long stretches of isolation.
During one of those isolated periods, a turning point emerged. With little more than time and access to the internet, he began consuming scientific content—videos, articles, and discussions on physics, perception, and the structure of reality. A single video on temporal gaps sparked a deeper curiosity that refused to fade.
Makowsky began using calculation tools for math, online research tools as his library, and long nights as his workspace. He spent years refining ideas and assembling observations.
His background is not polished, but it is honest. The theory presented in this manuscript is the product of lived experience, disciplined curiosity, and an unconventional path toward scientific inquiry.
In his own words
This work did not come out of an academic pipeline. It wasn’t shaped inside a classroom, a lab, or an institution. It came from sustained observation, pressure, and a question that refused to resolve.
01 / Who I am
Michael Ryan Makowsky is an independent researcher from Chicago and Berwyn, Illinois.
He came to physics through an unconventional path, studying perception, time, motion, and reality outside the academic system. He uses observation, online research, scientific writing, and calculation tools for math while developing Makowsky Divergence — research designed to be tested, not simply believed.
02 / The research
Makowsky Divergence in Biological Trajectories is the main research paper — the current statement of the program. It is presented as a proposal, designed to be tested, not believed.
Can a single physical event split into two different measurable states — one happening out in the world, and one happening inside the body experiencing it? Seven sections take the question from the Sword Fight to a fully costed experiment with three possible outcomes: Split, Glitch, or Zero.