Back in January, Web developer Jonathan Soma and museum slave Jen Messier felt the need to push learning on fellow Brooklynites. "People have spent all their lives being lectured at," Messier said, "[We] need to convince them that there's more to learning than listening to someone with elbow patches talk down to them."

So they started the Brooklyn Brainery, a DIY learning center for pretty much anything -- From making your own perfume to the secret art of bike maintenance, the self-proclaimed "book club on steroids" costs $25 per course (some of which hold multiple classes) in a very Wiki way. "Eventually we realized we could learn most anything from the Internet and a few good books," Soma said. "It ends up being a lot cheaper, too."

Speaking of money, the ragtag Brainery is currently trying to lay stakes somewhere and needs your help. "We don't have a place of our own yet," Messier said. "Help us get our own space, and we'll hook you right up." With what, one might ask? I'm not sure, except that the Brainery wants to be able to hold court somewhere so they can experiment with as many courses as possible, no matter how obscure (hence the online suggestion box).

If one of them fails, Messier says it's no big deal. "We'll just head across the street to drown our sorrows." Classes for the May semester are all pretty much full, with the exception of a class on the brain. If you want in, sign up for the mailing list.