"Queen" Guitarist Brian May Launches Astronomy Book

[Ian David]

Queen Guitarist Launches Astronomy Book
By The Associated Press



posted: 24 October 2006
11:30 p.m. ET

LONDON (AP) – Brian May traded rock 'n' roll for the big bang as he launched a book about the origins of the universe. May, who abandoned doctoral studies in astronomy to play guitar with `70s rock legends Queen, has returned to his first love as a co-author of the book “Bang! The Complete History of the Universe,'' which was launched Monday.

Co-written with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, presenters of the British Broadcasting Corp. astronomy program ”The Sky at Night,'' the book recounts the formation of the universe from its origins more than 13 billion years ago and looks forward to its end, several billion years from now.

May, 59, whose guitar playing drives “We Will Rock You,'' “Bohemian Rhapsody'' and other hits, sees similarities between his two great loves, music and astronomy.

“I think there's a sort of purity about both of them,'' he said recently, according to The Guardian newspaper. “Because you can immerse yourself in thoughts of the universe, or in music, and you're really abstracted. You're a million miles away from all your worries and personal problems and the dust and smoke of where you are.”

More:
http://www.space.com/entertainment/ap_061024_queen_astronomy.html

[unpossibles]

1. that rocks n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Interview in The Guardian

This seems to be a very Brian May thing, the ability to move seamlessly from one mood or position to another, without causing too much disturbance on the surface. It happens again when I ask whether there is a deliberate environmental subtext to the book.

"There is, a bit. Yeah. I think we all felt that. You try not to get too preachy and I know that when the subject of global warming came up we were very careful not to come down on one side without due justification. Certainly, this is one of Patrick's areas; he's very keen for everyone to realise that it's not proven that we are the only cause of global warming." (It may be useful to remember that Moore was heavily involved in fringe rightwing politics in the 70s).

We? "The human race." Ah. May says: "It would never really be possible to prove that. All you can do is look at it and see what contributions we seem to be making and do something about it. It's trying not to be facile about it, trying not to be alarmist. But we have to be aware of what we're doing to the planet, because it is now very significant; we didn't get deeply into it, we didn't get into how the seas are being depleted disastrously at the moment: so many things on the brink of disaster."

He successfully makes the turn and finishes off with a thoughtful: "You know, I think we are living in a disaster movie as long as George Bush is in the seat of control."

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1925602,00.html