Rock star earns doctorate

[emeraldkity4]

<p><a href=“http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=384971&sid=ENT&sname=&ssid=2&ssname=[/url]”>http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=384971&sid=ENT&sname=&ssid=2&ssname=&lt;/a&gt;

London, July 25: Brian May is completing his doctorate in astrophysics, more than 30 years after he abandoned his studies to form the rock group Queen.
The 60-year-old guitarist and songwriter said he plans to submit his thesis, “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud,” to supervisors at Imperial College London within the next two weeks.</p>

<p>May was an astrophysics student at Imperial College when Queen, which included Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, was formed in 1970. He dropped his doctorate as the glam rock band became successful.</p>

<p>Queen were one of Britain’s biggest music groups in the 1970s, with hits including “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You.”</p>

<p>After Mercury’s death in 1991, May recorded several solo albums, including 1998’s “Another World.” But his interest in astronomy continued, and he co-wrote “Bang! The Complete History of the Universe,” which was published last year.</p>

<p>He was due to finish carrying out astronomical observations at an observatory on the island of La Palma, in Spain’s Canary Islands, on Tuesday, the observatory said.</p>

<p>May told the British Broadcasting Corp. that he had always wanted to complete his degree.</p>

<p>“It was unfinished business,” he said. “I didn’t want an honorary Ph.D. I wanted the real thing that I worked for.”

</p>

<p>I thought this was inspirational :D</p>

[kelsmom]

<p>I read that today, too. I made sure to point it out to the kids! Not only is it inspirational, but it’s SO COOL … I am a Queen fan from way back!! </p>

<p>I was my son’s age when Bohemian Rhapsody was big. I remember being at music “camp” at MI State … everyone stood around the piano in the dorm lounge & sang that song at the top of our lungs. Gosh, was it THAT long ago?!</p>

[astrophysicsmom]

<p>I cut this story out of the newspaper today to give to Astrogirl when she returns home from Germany this weekend! She’s into retrorock (and is amazed when I know all the words to the songs—go figure!)… so, if that astrophysics thing doesn’t pan out for her, at least maybe she has a future in rock-n-roll!!!</p>

[JHS]

<p>My mother got her PhD at age 61. But she wasn’t a rock star along the way – rather, a high school and then college teacher. She only finished her dissertation because the university told her she couldn’t teach any longer unless she got the degree. But she was very proud of herself, and we of her!</p>

[07DAD]

<p>Freddie would have been proud, wouldn’t he?</p>

[marite]

<p>If he stated his dissertation 30 years ago in physics, I would expect he would need to have to re-do most of the work since so much has happened in the intervening decades!</p>

[katliamom]

<p>I love these kinds of stories.
Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple computer, went back to school (UC Berkeley) to finish his degree after he retired in his 30s from Apple. Did it under an assumed name so he could have a ‘normal’ college experience.</p>

[yourworld]

<p>Take note ! Billy Gate the college dropout.</p>