Queen guitarist is also a PhD in astrophysics and an environmental activist
Known worldwide as guitarist of the queen, Brian May is not alien to science. Graduated in physics and mathematics at Imperial College London, in England, the musician interrupted his PhD studies in astrophysics in the 1970s to dedicate himself to the band. In the 2000s, he returned to obtain his scientific title.
Environmental activist, May he is vegan and occasionally talks about the impact of human action on our planet in interviews. During an interview with Sky News (via Igor Miranda website), the guitarist was invited to bring his point of view regarding the current moment experienced on Earth. And his response was not at all positive.
The basis of the argument revolved around the revelation that the last month of July was the hottest recorded in the world in all of history (via The Globe). Even before the period ended, it was already known that the historic mark would be beaten. That said, Brian did not skimp on criticism.
“Well, I think it’s pretty clear by now that we’re having a deleterious effect on Earth. We need to stop what we’re doing. And it’s not just global warming. We are covering the planet in concrete and basically eliminating all species except those that we think are useful to us. So I think we need a big, big shift in philosophy and the way we treat the other creatures that we share the planet with.”
The artist declared to have exposed the same concern during one of the conventions starmus, a global festival of science communication and art. Its audience consisted of several astronauts and scholars of the planet Earth.
“I was feeling very nervous. But they all came back later and said, ‘You were right to say that, Brian. We have to behave better on our own planet before we go out and make our mark on the rest of the cosmos’.”
Brian May, PhD in astrophysics
Brian May decided to resume studies in astrophysics in 2006, more than three decades after having abandoned it in favor of queen. The guitarist studied the light reflected by interplanetary dust and the speed of this same dust in the plane of the Solar System.
Interestingly (via website Igor Miranda), the subject of his PhD research in the 1970s was not addressed by anyone in the long period that passed. So he was able to go back to work on the same subject from so long ago, as it was still unheard of.
It was only necessary to submit the survey to some updates, in addition to, of course, completing it. Many related discoveries were made in the previous decades, including by the NASA, the American space agency. Taking advantage of all this progress, May completed the work and the thesis was approved in 2007, being available on the Imperial College London.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
