In a world that lets us feed PopWatch’s Things That Make Me Die Inside rubric far too often, it’s with great pleasure that we link to this story about Queen lead guitarist Brian May wrapping up work on his Ph.D. in astrophysics. He put aside his studies to join the band three decades ago but recently returned to his thesis: "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud." As someone who once had to drag her pajama-clad college roommate outside at midnight to help her find the North Star for an Astronomy 101 project, I have no idea what that means. (Hey, I never had a problem finding the North Star in rural Pennsylvania. It was just different doing it in a city.)
Is this the coolest "job to fall back on" ever? If not, which celeb’s got it?
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I applaud Brian May. But, I can’t help thinking if Freddie Mercury hadn’t died twenty years ago and Queen had stayed together, Brian wouldn’t have had the time to get the degree.
Dexter Holland of The Offspring was once a PhD candidate in Molecular Biology. They haven’t done much lately, wonder if he’ll go back and finish his degree too.
Isn’t Shaq a deputy sheriff? That’s comical and badass all at the same time.
That is great for Brian May. A rock star inspiration. But I think Stevie Van Zandt probably has the best fall-back job ever. Even if you get rid of “The Sopranos” and the E Street Band, I think he has his own radio show. Nice life.
Can’t take much away from this accomplishment – a hard science doctorate takes a lot of work and a lot of brains! I think it’s great that Dr. May is staying in touch with his passions – beats getting drunk and smashing up Ferraris on your off-time!
He is the champion!
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Now that, folks, is a rock god. I’ll take him over Keith Richards’ barely coherent ass any day. Except as Jack Sparrow’s dad. That is awesome.
The awesomest thing about Brian is that it’s not like he just randomly decided to go back to it just now — he’s been keeping up with astronomy all along. It’s one of the things I love most about him; he’s as much a science geek as he is a music legend.
Greg Graffin from Bad Religion got a PhD in evolutionary paleantology, or some crazy thing like that, from Cornell. His band may not be as famous as Queen, but that’s still a hell of an achievement.
Awesome! Congratulations, Dr. May. He is a true inspiration.
Congrats Brian May! See, it’s nice to hear about celebrities doing well for themselves and not checking into rehab (again). Although, I must say that Bono is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, which title alone is pretty darn cool.
I think the girl who played Winnie on The Wonder Years got a degree in some complicated mathematics and even has a theorum or an equation or some such named after her.
Congrats to Brian!
Peter Weller (Robocop) is a pretty respected historian. He pops up as an expert talking head every now and then on some of the History Channel’s stuff on ancient Rome. It’s fun to see him use his actor’s chops to make history come a live a little better than your average professor.
Hi annie,
You’re right about Danica McKellar – Winnie. She co-authored a paper on mathematical physics as an undergrad and graduated summa cum laude from UCLA.
She tutors math on her website and also wrote a book about math for girls:
http://www.amazon.com/Math-Doesnt-Suck-Middle-School-Breaking/dp/1594630399/
How cool is she?
As a Queen fan and a lover of music, thank you for highlighting an uplifting story.
His thesis sounds like a boring read but kudos to him for getting ‘er done.
That’s amazing, I love to see celebs expanding thier own horizon, it really corrects the usual steriotype!
Way-to-go, Brian! Keep on rockin’ out to that astrophisics!
That’s amazing, I love to see celebs expanding thier own horizon, it really corrects the usual steriotype!
Way-to-go, Brian! Keep on rockin’ out to that astrophysics!
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Author – Ancelmo Graceli Luiz.
Ancelmoluizgraceli@hotmail.com
Tel. 27- 32167566 Street Itabira, nº 5, Itapemirim Set, Rose of the
Penha, Cariacica, -269, E.S. cep.29143 Brazilian, professor,
graduation in philosophy and theoretical researcher. Published books
ASTRONOMY, and WORLD Of the PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS.
Collaborator – Marcio Piter Rangel.
Presented work the SECT- Spirit Brazil Saint. E the Brazilian Society
of Physics. Introduction published in the WEB for the Vestibule Brazil
Factor – Channel Profile. In day 30.01.2008. If other theories with
beddings and you formulate had had acceptance, why these will not
have? Therefore, it possesss all the beddings and all the forms of
calculations, and that the reality and the comment until today reached
are confirmed with. With more than one hundred and ten formulas, the
most varied forms of if calculating one same phenomenon, with more
than two hundred beddings in all the areas of the modern physics
ASTRONOMY GRACELIANA. Author – Ancelmo Graceli Luiz.
Brazilian, professor, theoretical researcher, graduated philosophy.
THEORY OF ASTRONOMY Of the PROPORTIONALITY OF ORBITS For the ROTATION
And EQUATORIAL SPEED.
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OF THE ALMOST NOTHING EVERYTHING CAN APPEAR – EXCEPT GOD. THEREFORE He
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References.
Ancelmoluizgraceli@hotmail.com
Tel. 27- 32167566 Street Itabira, nº 5, Itapemirim Set, Rose of the
Penha, Cariacica, -269, E.S. cep.29143 Brazilian, professor,
graduation in philosophy and theoretical researcher. Published books
ASTRONOMY, and WORLD Of the PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS.
Collaborator – Marcio Piter Rangel.
Presented work the SECT- Spirit Brazil Saint. E the Brazilian Society
of Physics. Introduction published in the WEB for the Vestibule Brazil
Factor – Channel Profile. In day 30.01.2008. If other theories with
beddings and you formulate had had acceptance, why these
http://theorofuniversefluxonary.blogspot.com/
It isn’t a university degree but Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) is a qualified 757 pilot and flies Iron Maiden’s custom 757 on tour and flies for a UK charter airline when not tour or otherwise disposed. I get a kick out of imagining him giving the standard “from the cockpit, this is your Captain Bruce Dickinson – yes, the Bruce Dickinson – we’ll be flying at an altitude of …”
FIFTH THEORY OF ASTRONOMY GRACELIANA
ASTRONOMY OF ENERGY, MASER, STREAMS, VARIATIONS, REMOVAL
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FIFTH THEORY OF ASTRONOMY GRACELIANA.
AUTHOR. ANCELMO LUIZ GRACELI. Brazilian, professor, theoretical
researcher, graduated philosophy. Cariacica. Espirito Santo. Brazil.
collaborator. MARCIO PITER RANGEL
THEORY Of the ENERGETICIDADE, ORIGIN, PROGRESSION And REMOVAL.
ASTRONOMY Of the ENERGETICIDADE And MASER – FIRST PART
OF THE ALMOST NOTHING EVERYTHING CAN APPEAR – EXCEPT GOD.
THEREFORE He is ONLY the ABSOLUTE One.
ORIGIN And NATURE Of the ASTROS FOR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, MASER And
REMOVAL.
Work registered in the national library.
PRESENTATION.
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calculate and to include new phenomena in a theory as of the
http://astronomiagraceliana.blogspot.com/
http://astronomiaestruturante.blogspot.com/
http://letsrider.com/blog/quinta-teoria-da-astronomia-graceliana/
http://www.revistafator.com.br/ver_noticia.php?not=29475