June 30, 2006 10:30

Queen guitarist to become doctor

Foo Fighters collaborator is looking up to academic honour

Queen’s Brian May could be about to become a doctor as he aims to complete a PhD degree.

The guitarist who appeared on stage with Foo Fighters at Hyde Park, London, on June 17, is returning to his interest in stars – the cosmic and not the rock n roll kind – in attempt to gain the academic honour.

May was a keen astronomer in the 1970s, but his work with Queen prevented him from completing a thesis on Zodiacal Dust.

However he now intends to submit the dissertation to London’s Imperial College for assessment.

“Brian mentioned that he was returning to the thesis when we appeared on a radio show together,” science writer Marcus Chown told The Independent. “He’s a very good astronomer.”

As for subject, Zodiacal Dust, Chown added that the area of study was currently gaining a lot of interest in academic circles.

“It concerns the way that light reflects from dust shed by asteroids,” explained the writer of May’s work. “In the past ten years, this has become very fashionable again.”

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