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Brian May, Rock Legend, Soon-To-Be Astrophysicist

Posted by Zonk on from the we-are-the-champions-my-friend dept.

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."

17 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. At last! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He may get to meet some chicks!

    1. Re:At last! by Chapter80 · · Score: 5, Funny

      His ultimate goal, though, is to get his buddy Elton to be a Rocket Man, and get David Bowie up into his tin can, high above the world.

  2. Best Quote from TFA by Oyume · · Score: 3, Funny

    "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...

  3. Oh dear... by Bazman · · Score: 3, Funny

    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...

  4. Re:Studies by largesnike · · Score: 5, Funny

    \m/ \m/ is that the rear view of two swimmers about to dive into a pool?
    --
    "Laugh while you can a-monkey boy!" - Dr Emilio Lizardo
  5. Re:He can still think! by Tim_UWA · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are you kidding? How else can you get through a PhD in physics?

  6. Re:He recently released a book as well. by xenocide2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Plus, whenever my advisor asks when my thesis draft will be ready, I'll have a nice standard to fall back to for guidance!

    --
    I Browse at +4 Flamebait

    Open Source Sysadmin

  7. Nothing really matters, Anyone can see ... by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nothing really matters
    Nothing really matters to me

    Any way the stellar wind blows ...

  8. I have a New Role Model . . . by simplerThanPossible · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...for late PhD submission.

  9. Re:Studies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have a PhD in English

    You can't be American, as no yank should get anything in English until they can spell centre correctly

  10. and at graduation... by maryjanecapri · · Score: 2, Funny

    he'll be the commencement speaker and play "We are the champions" AND he'll get paid royalties for it.

    this is great. Queen was an amazing group. to think that Brian May had that in him as well? Very nice.

    --
    nature loves variety::society hates it get your variety at http://www.monkeypantz.net
  11. Re:Studies by Provocateur · · Score: 3, Funny

    You must be an American

    Damn, that's a requirement for a second PhD?!

    Oh wait...

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  12. Re:He also built his own guitar ... from a firepla by Bemopolis · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, but his guitar pick only cost him sixpence.

    I hope that the seven of you who get that joke enjoyed it.

    --
    "I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
  13. we will, we will Doc you by simplerThanPossible · · Score: 2, Funny

    we will, we will Doc you

  14. Re:Buckaroo Banzai by Dephex+Twin · · Score: 2, Funny

    He is also a cow-bell enthusiast.

    --

    If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. -- Carl Sagan
  15. His thesis by Mr.+Bad+Example · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm told the working title for his thesis was The Orbital Mechanics of Fat-Bottomed Girls: Making the Rockin' World Go 'Round.

  16. Re:Studies by dr_dank · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's still messed up. Instead, I see a little silhouetto of a man.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?