xPsi writes "Brian May, the guitarist for the legendary rock band Queen (age 60), has finally decided to submit his Ph.D. thesis in astrophysics. The title is 'Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.' From the article: 'May was studying astrophysics at Imperial College when he formed Queen with singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor in 1970. He dropped his doctorate research into interstellar dust as the band met with increasing success.' And, hey, if this whole Rock-n-Roll thing doesn't pan out, at least he'll have something to fall back on."
It is never too late for scholarly accomplishment and is encouraging to see folks go back to finish work begun many years prior or even to begin studies later than would be traditionally done. I'd like to think that if I can achieve a certain financial independence that I'd complete a second Ph.D. later in life in a field completely unrelated to the one I am working in now. Perhaps something cool like history...
On top of that, perhaps Dr. May's degree will help focus a little positive attention on science given that many in politics these days seem to have made us scientists out to be the boogey man/woman.
It sounds like he is a real life Buckaroo Banzai, like in the 1984 movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension."Buckaroo Banazi was a rock star, particle physicist, neurosurgeon, and race car driver. So, it really is possible to do all that! That was the movie where Earth was invaded by aliens flew around in space ships which looked like giant sea shells.
On top of that, perhaps Dr. May's degree will help focus a little positive attention on science given that many in politics these days seem to have made us scientists out to be the boogey man/woman.
Right. Because the conservative right wing would be extremely compassionate toward the endeavors of the ">members [slashdot.org] of a band like Queen due to their rock star status.
Well, that is one of the most ignorant things I've heard today... Am I misunderstanding the sentiment or just what is it that you are trying to say?
I've never seen why people feel they need a "second" PhD.
It is not about the piece of paper that says PhD. Rather, it is the level of accomplishment that the doctorate represents.
So in fact what you really want to do is read for a BA (or BSc) in a new area - just do it at a good university (which unfortunately rules out most).
Actually, well run doctorate programs provide not just the place for students to learn at, but other individuals/colleagues/mentors in that field of study who can challenge you and help direct your studies far beyond what is available to most undergraduate departments. The academic rigor of doctoral programs far surpasses the more casual familiarity with material and the expectations are much higher as well which is what many folks who love learning are after, particularly if the field of their interest is far away from their area of formal training.
I'm afraid I have to concur with the other poster. As someone with a doctorate myself, I really don't see why you would need a second PhD. There is really no need to attempt a new PhD - your previous one should allow you to move straight into other fields and start producing immediately. If the field is very different, you can always do a DipGrad or equivalent (something to bring you up to speed). Really, at the point of holding a PhD, you should be capable of taking a year or two of preparation at most, and
If you go for post-graduate studies, it's because you've learned far too much about far too little to cope in the world, so you seek funding to stay on campus for a longer period of time. Some people even manage to stay on campus their entire life.
I think what he is saying, which you have either missed or ignored completely is that once you have a PhD you should be a (possibly junior) partner, not a student with a mentor. A PhD is a research degree, and the purpose is to train you to learn things that nobody knows. Once reach that level, the field matters less--as long as you have solid knowledge of the fundamentals (i.e., at a bachelors or masters level). Hence the car analogy.
I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Maybe it was like that in times past, but not today. Even in the UK a PhD does include learning about specific things. Not only would my group never hire someone without a PhD specifically in physics (possibly physical chemistry), they wouldn't hire someone without experience specifically in laser cooling (which you won't get in any undergrad program). A person with a bachelor's degree in physics and a PhD in social work would be completely useless to us.
I agree that a second Ph.D. is pointless for the reasons you say, however...
So in fact what you really want to do is read for a BA (or BSc) in a new area - just do it at a good university (which unfortunately rules out most).
No, to get started in a new field you want to take MA or MSc courses in a new area; the BA/BSc is supposed to prepare you for graduate study in general. Or just read the books and watch the lectures on-line.
From the article it seems his thesis is on interstellar dust which is a pretty hot topic among astronomers right now. It's also a topic which requires use of big infrared telescopes which have come into common usage in the recent years. Personally I'm jealous, the man is on cutting edge in every field of endeavour.
How cool is it that after all of the concerts, the world tours, the money, that he completes a life project like this?
How many people that attain the level that Queen rose to, would just spend their time spending the money?
Or worse, re-form Queen with some twit replacing Freddie...
In the early days, Queen had a bit of a rep as the intellectuals of rock. I had a friend who looked after the significant others of Queen whilst they were touring Germany many years ago and she maintained occasional contact over the years. Apparently other than Freddie who was absolutely bonkers but a brilliant artist, the rest of the band were very friendly with stable families and seemed quite normal.
Every British astro-geek knows who Patrick Moore is. Mad monocled xylophone-playing astronomer, who has presented the programme The Sky at Night [bbc.co.uk] since the days when we didn't even know what the other side of the Moon looked like. This show is an institution. Generations of astronomers grew up watching it. Every other science show on the BBC has dumbed down into nonsense - apocalypse of the week shows, mostly. The Sky at Night on the other hand is a proper old-fashioned science show.
Patrick Moore is extremely old and sooner or later will permanently stop presenting the show. Brian May is appearing on the show more and more frequently as time goes by. Someone is needed who (a) knows astronomy and physics thoroughly enough to maintain standards, and who (b) can hold the attention of an audience. I spy a candidate...
"Earlier this month, the writer of such Queen hits as "We Will Rock You" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" was granted an honorary doctorate from Exeter University in Devon, England."
Because nothing says "academic" like singing "Fat Bottomed Girls" at the next Faculty Meeting...
He never really dabbed into drugs, nor did most of the band (from what I've read...) Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May [wikipedia.org] quote - "...May dislikes smoking, even to the point where he specifically prohibits smoking indoors at his more recent concerts."
As well as "His avoidance of alcohol can be traced to an early concert where Queen played with the band Aerosmith, and May had a conversation with fellow guitarist Joe Perry backstage. Perry brought out a bottle of whisky, which the two drank between
I wonder if the physics department here will be expecting me to finish mine, 17 years after the funding ran out and now several years after the detector shut down... Now, maybe if they have my data on backup tapes and there's a spare Vax 11/750 going...
I think one of the contributing factors to be considered is that he's rather well off financially, won't have to work another single day in his life again and is basically free to do as he damn well pleases. I think in such circumstances, quite a few older people would be able to finish their studies, especially in a field that has become a life-long passion (which is rather the norm with astronomers than an exception). Kudos for Brian May for pulling this one off though, it's hard work even *with* a lot of
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the stellar wind blows...
Sorry to ruin the joke, but Freddie Mercury wrote that one. OTOH, May did write the aforementioned.... Fat Bottomed Girls. Okay, maybe not such a good joke in there;-)
Brian May's a bit of a hacker. Most of his music was played on a guitar he built himself.
For example: "The tremolo system is made from an old hardened-steel knife-edge shaped into a V and two motorbike valve springs to counter the string tension."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Special [wikipedia.org]
FTA:Greg Fryer, an Australian guitar luthier, produced 3 copies of the Red Special in 1996/97 with permission from May, who allowed Fryer to x-ray the body for information on the internal cavities in the body, taking exhaustive body measurements for CAD/CAM reproduction, Fryer named his three replicas John, Paul and George. May has 2 of these guitars, John and George while Fryer kept Paul, which was built with slightly different tone woods for a "more aggressive edge" tonally, for himself.
Instead of a party animal and physicist who spent a lot of time drumming, here's a drummer who's taken advantage of the world around him, and is contributing to man's exploration of astrophysics. Very cool.
Upon first reading that book, I couldn't help but keep thinking "Damn that's awesome." Looking back on it after a few years, I think it sort of made him look somewhat like an ass.
But then again, it would be hard for somebody like Richard Feynmann to write an autobiography without sounding just a bit arrogant.
Since no-one's mentioned it, the Brian May song for Queen, '39', is about time dilation, although in a subtle way. That is, he composed it about the idea of some space travelers leaving earth on a mission, taking a year in their time, but when they return to Earth, 100 years have passed.
The zodiacal dust is actually dust in our own solar system - you can see it at dawn and dusk as the zodiacal light [wanadoo.nl]. However, one suggestion in Brian May's thesis is that there may be a component of the zodiacal dust that is interstellar. It's something that future observations he's proposing could test.
It's interesting to note that very little has been done on the zodiacal light since he started his PhD work in the early 70s. However, the next generation of cosmic microwave background satellites like Planck [esa.int] will need improved knowledge of foreground dust so that its contaminating emission can be removed. This has added new interest and impetus to the kind of studies that Brian May is resurrecting.
For example, the bass player and singer of French death metal band Carcariass [carcariass.com] has a PhD in CS, and publishes research on distributed numerical techniques. Not only that, he's been working and publishing while the band has been releasing new CDs...
Sorry, what you're saying is a bit misleading. While the opus that leads ultimately to a Ph.D. is formally called a dissertation, it is colloquially (and almost universally, in the program that I was in) referred to as a thesis, by people who are actually in the thick of doing it: "Christ, I'm *never* going to finish this *$&#! thesis."
Websters defines thesis (definition 4) as: "a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially : one writ
At last! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:At last! (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Studies (Score:5, Insightful)
It is never too late for scholarly accomplishment and is encouraging to see folks go back to finish work begun many years prior or even to begin studies later than would be traditionally done. I'd like to think that if I can achieve a certain financial independence that I'd complete a second Ph.D. later in life in a field completely unrelated to the one I am working in now. Perhaps something cool like history...
On top of that, perhaps Dr. May's degree will help focus a little positive attention on science given that many in politics these days seem to have made us scientists out to be the boogey man/woman.
Re:Studies (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corna#Rock_and_Heavy
Buckaroo Banzai (Score:5, Interesting)
It sounds like he is a real life Buckaroo Banzai, like in the 1984 movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension." Buckaroo Banazi was a rock star, particle physicist, neurosurgeon, and race car driver. So, it really is possible to do all that! That was the movie where Earth was invaded by aliens flew around in space ships which looked like giant sea shells.
Buckaroo Banzai [wikipedia.org]
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Right. Because the conservative right wing would be extremely compassionate toward the endeavors of the ">members [slashdot.org] of a band like Queen due to their rock star status.
Oh, wait....
Re:Studies (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Studies (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, that is one of the most ignorant things I've heard today... Am I misunderstanding the sentiment or just what is it that you are trying to say?
I've never seen why people feel they need a "second" PhD.
It is not about the piece of paper that says PhD. Rather, it is the level of accomplishment that the doctorate represents.
So in fact what you really want to do is read for a BA (or BSc) in a new area - just do it at a good university (which unfortunately rules out most).
Actually, well run doctorate programs provide not just the place for students to learn at, but other individuals/colleagues/mentors in that field of study who can challenge you and help direct your studies far beyond what is available to most undergraduate departments. The academic rigor of doctoral programs far surpasses the more casual familiarity with material and the expectations are much higher as well which is what many folks who love learning are after, particularly if the field of their interest is far away from their area of formal training.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
If the field is very different, you can always do a DipGrad or equivalent (something to bring you up to speed). Really, at the point of holding a PhD, you should be capable of taking a year or two of preparation at most, and
Re:Studies (Score:5, Insightful)
Look out, Stephen Hawking! I got my god particle hanging right here.
Parent
Re:Studies (Score:5, Funny)
You can't be American, as no yank should get anything in English until they can spell centre correctly
Parent
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Loving it, by the way.
Re:Studies (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Studies (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
not quite (Score:3, Insightful)
So in fact what you really want to do is read for a BA (or BSc) in a new area - just do it at a good university (which unfortunately rules out most).
No, to get started in a new field you want to take MA or MSc courses in a new area; the BA/BSc is supposed to prepare you for graduate study in general. Or just read the books and watch the lectures on-line.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Damn, that's a requirement for a second PhD?!
Oh wait...
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
He recently released a book as well. (Score:5, Insightful)
http://www.banguniverse.com/ [banguniverse.com]
How cool is it that after all of the concerts, the world tours, the money, that he completes a life project like this?
How many people that attain the level that Queen rose to, would just spend their time spending the money?
I think it's awesome that he's going to finish up.
Re:He recently released a book as well. (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:He recently released a book as well. (Score:4, Insightful)
Or worse, re-form Queen with some twit replacing Freddie ...
Parent
Re:He recently released a book as well. (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Brian May's current work (Score:5, Interesting)
Patrick Moore is extremely old and sooner or later will permanently stop presenting the show. Brian May is appearing on the show more and more frequently as time goes by. Someone is needed who (a) knows astronomy and physics thoroughly enough to maintain standards, and who (b) can hold the attention of an audience. I spy a candidate...
Parent
Best Quote from TFA (Score:3, Funny)
Because nothing says "academic" like singing "Fat Bottomed Girls" at the next Faculty Meeting...
He can still think! (Score:2)
Re:He can still think! (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Solomon
Re:He can still think! (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyway, the most common - and probably most destructive - drug used by musicians is...alcohol!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May [wikipedia.org] quote -
"...May dislikes smoking, even to the point where he specifically prohibits smoking indoors at his more recent concerts."
As well as
"His avoidance of alcohol can be traced to an early concert where Queen played with the band Aerosmith, and May had a conversation with fellow guitarist Joe Perry backstage. Perry brought out a bottle of whisky, which the two drank between
Oh dear... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
On nine track tape? Your old data is going to become a nasty head cleaning job. Have lots of isopropyl alcohol handy.
Cool (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Nothing really matters, Anyone can see ... (Score:5, Funny)
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the stellar wind blows
Re: (Score:2)
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the stellar wind blows
He also built his own guitar ... from a fireplace (Score:5, Interesting)
For example: "The tremolo system is made from an old hardened-steel knife-edge shaped into a V and two motorbike valve springs to counter the string tension."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Special [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
"The overall amount May spent on his guitar was £17.50."
Just shows you don't need an expensive instrument to become a legend.
Re:He also built his own guitar ... from a firepla (Score:4, Informative)
Equivalent to about GBP250 US$500 in today's economy, according to this calculator [measuringworth.com].
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I hope that the seven of you who get that joke enjoyed it.
Re:He also built his own guitar ... from a firepla (Score:3, Interesting)
I found this st
Reminds me of Richard Feynman... (Score:5, Informative)
Oh, and if you're ever interested in a superb read about a real life nerd superstar, check out "Surely, You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" [amazon.com]
Ryan Fenton
Re: (Score:2)
But then again, it would be hard for somebody like Richard Feynmann to write an autobiography without sounding just a bit arrogant.
I have a New Role Model . . . (Score:4, Funny)
39 and Time Dilation (Score:5, Interesting)
http://woodside.blogs.com/cosmologycuriosity/2006/ 05/queens_39_and_r.html [blogs.com]
http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/26/relatively-pl easant/ [cosmicvariance.com]
Not interstellar... probably (Score:5, Interesting)
It's interesting to note that very little has been done on the zodiacal light since he started his PhD work in the early 70s. However, the next generation of cosmic microwave background satellites like Planck [esa.int] will need improved knowledge of foreground dust so that its contaminating emission can be removed. This has added new interest and impetus to the kind of studies that Brian May is resurrecting.
Not the only one... (Score:3, Informative)
His thesis (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Sorry, what you're saying is a bit misleading. While the opus that leads ultimately to a Ph.D. is formally called a dissertation, it is colloquially (and almost universally, in the program that I was in) referred to as a thesis, by people who are actually in the thick of doing it: "Christ, I'm *never* going to finish this *$&#! thesis."
Websters defines thesis (definition 4) as: "a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially : one writ