Category theory is a branch of mathematics which attempts a formalization in terms of simple elements and associations between them. A rather abstract construction, indeed, and certainly one above my head (I am an experimentalist, for god's sake!).
So why am I talking to you about this ? That is because category theory may be one way to attack very deep and unsolved problems in theoretical physics, too. And although I do not know all the details, I think that given the depressing landscape of attempts at a theory of everything and at a unification of gravity and quantum field theory, and the apparent failure of string theory to deliver any tangible results, we ought to support also paths that appear exotic to our untrained eyes.

Marni Dee Sheppeard has run a blog (here, and then here) discussing category theory for almost a decade. She has been working on category theory since her PhD, but she failed to find a job in academia, as she was unwilling to change the subject of her studies. Whether you believe that category theory is a honest attempt or a loss of time, you should appreciate her faithfulness to her research topic. She had to withstand great sacrifices to continue to study the subject, and she is still struggling.

I recently came to know that she opened a kickstarter funding campaign to collect $600 that would allow her to participate in a conference in New Zealand, where she lives. I think you should consider donating a few dollars to her project, but hurry - only three days are left. So far she has collected $250, and I believe with our help she can certainly make the sum she needs.

Marni's campaign is accessible here. Please give a few $$!