13-03-2005 11:44									#1
	7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Put an end to popups!

B.Sc., Physics, Johns Hopkins University
M.Sc., Aerospace Science, The Catholic University of America
Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland
M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California
M.Sc., Applied Physics, Johns Hopkins University
MBA, Loyola College
M.Sc., Civil Engineering, George Washington University

The man tapped by Bush to be the new NASA Administrator has 7 science degrees.

First off, at least the engineering degrees are really, really tough, time-consuming courses of study. Second, if you're going to be a professional student, it would make more sense to do it in some bullshit area like sociology or psychology.

But most importantly, anybody with a masters degree in physics from Johns Hopkins is a suspect individual to my mind.

	13-03-2005 11:47									#2
	Got spare money?

quote: Space exploration fan nominated for NASA boss A declared fan of space exploration with three decades of space industry experience was nominated to be NASA's new boss by US President George W Bush on Friday. If confirmed by the Senate, Mike Griffin, currently the director of space at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, will be the eleventh chief in the agency's history. "I am an unabashed supporter of space exploration in general, and of human space flight in particular," Griffin told the House Science Committee in 2003. "I believe that the human space flight program is in the long run possibly the most significant activity in which our nation is engaged." NASA's previous administrator, Sean O'Keefe, stepped down in February to become chancellor at Louisiana State University. The deputy administrator, Fred Gregory, has been the acting administrator since. Intelligence technologies Before Griffin's year-long stint at Johns Hopkins, he ran In-Q-Tel, a nonprofit group funded by the Central Intelligence Agency that invested in new commercial technologies for intelligence. Before that he was the CEO of the Magellan Systems Division of Orbital Sciences Corporation, the rocket and satellite company. He is also known within NASA ranks. When the first President Bush issued a goal in 1989 of flying humans to Mars, Griffin led that effort as associate administrator for exploration. He also served as the agency's chief engineer and has worked on several space missions at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the 1980s, he was deputy director of technology for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. This group was charged with building a space-based missile defense system, also known as "Star Wars", but was ultimately unsuccessful. He has seven college degrees, including physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering and business administration. Space station critic In the past, he has been critical of the International Space Station. "We should do what is necessary to bring the program to an orderly completion, obtaining where possible as much scientific value as we can from the enterprise while accommodating ourselves to the fact that such value is inevitably limited," he said in 2003. But Griffin is a good choice, according to Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society. He told New Scientist Griffin would bring a focus to the agency. "What he brings to the table is a deep love for and interest in exploration," Friedman says. Lawmakers have also praised Griffin's nomination. "He has broad expertise, knows NASA inside and out, and is an imaginative and creative thinker and leader," says House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert. "He is also known for his candor and directness. We look very forward to working with Dr Griffin at this critical time for NASA." The agency is currently gearing up to make the first shuttle flight since the Columbia disaster in February 2003, while the fate of the Hubble space telescope hangs in the balance. NASA is also facing major structural changes as it adapts to meet the goals of President George W Bush's vision to send astronauts back to the Moon and then on to Mars.

	13-03-2005 11:50									#3
	Increase the size of your Attachments

That guy needs to get a life.

	13-03-2005 11:52									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I would hazard a guess that he has the most real degrees of anybody in the country. Why put yourself through such torture?

	13-03-2005 11:57									#5
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by DanS I would hazard a guess that he has the most real degrees of anybody in the country. Why put yourself through such torture?

He was bored.

	13-03-2005 11:58									#6
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Well, he's an uber-nerd. It happens .

	13-03-2005 12:05									#7
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by DanS I would hazard a guess that he has the most real degrees of anybody in the country. Why put yourself through such torture?

The satisfaction of accomplishment?

	13-03-2005 12:06									#8
	Put an end to popups!

quote: But most importantly, anybody with a masters degree in physics from Johns Hopkins is a suspect individual to my mind.

Is KH going for his Masters, or his PhD from Johns Hopkins?

	13-03-2005 12:08									#9
	Got spare money?

I wish I had the drive to complete that many degrees.

My mom has a masters...I don't think I'd even put time in for one of those...

...then again...I'm an actor. Degrees aren't really the basis of our job descriptions

Though if I don't make it as an actor, I might actually get a degree in Anthropology

	13-03-2005 12:35									#10
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui Well, he's an uber-nerd. It happens .

I'm an Uber-nerd, and even I'm not that crazy, I'd like to have a life.

	13-03-2005 12:42									#11
	Re: 7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by DanS But most importantly, anybody with a masters degree in physics from Johns Hopkins is a suspect individual to my mind.

Talk to KH.

	13-03-2005 12:45									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Odin I'm an Uber-nerd, and even I'm not that crazy, I'd like to have a life.

No, you aren't even close to being that much of an uber-nerd .

	13-03-2005 12:52									#13
	Re: 7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by DanS B.Sc., Physics, Johns Hopkins University M.Sc., Aerospace Science, The Catholic University of America Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California M.Sc., Applied Physics, Johns Hopkins University MBA, Loyola College M.Sc., Civil Engineering, George Washington University The man tapped by Bush to be the new NASA Administrator has 7 science degrees.

You can't count, Dan. How's MBA a science degree?

The really solid degree, other than the B.Sc., is the doctoral. Master degrees in engineering are usually not even as hard as their undergraduate counterparts.

	13-03-2005 12:53									#14
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by Asher Is KH going for his Masters, or his PhD from Johns Hopkins?

PhD

	13-03-2005 13:28									#15
	Re: Re: 7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger Master degrees in engineering are usually not even as hard as their undergraduate counterparts.

I'd have to call bullshit on that. They are definitely harder to the extent that you need to know a good portion of the undergraduate work in order to even begin to learn the graduate work. Much of the undergraduate work needs to be 2nd nature, much the same way that addition/subtraction needs to be 2nd nature for algebra/calculus.

	13-03-2005 14:21									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

I estimate he'd have to had spent 32 years in college to do that (unless he had some cross credit or freebies). Guess he loves to party.

	13-03-2005 14:40									#17
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Maybe he gets the degrees at an accelerated rate.

If that's not the case 32 years is a damn long time to be reading and taking tests and writing papers all the time!!! That man is crazy!

	13-03-2005 14:41									#18
	Put an end to popups!

I imagine him having tons of cross-credit, in physics, applied physics and electrical engineering undergraduate courses, and that's all right with me.

Remember: you don't actually have to attend all these lectures.

his advanced degrees are far more interesting IMO.

	13-03-2005 14:49									#19
	Re: Re: Re: 7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by centrifuge I'd have to call bullshit on that.

I am speaking from personal experience. A bunch of my friends did move to master's degrees after finishing engineering school, and the general sentiment was a master's in engineering was easier than a bachelor.

YMMV.

quote: Originally posted by centrifuge They are definitely harder to the extent that you need to know a good portion of the undergraduate work in order to even begin to learn the graduate work. Much of the undergraduate work needs to be 2nd nature, much the same way that addition/subtraction needs to be 2nd nature for algebra/calculus.

It depends, I guess. Again, my experience is master's degrees are terminal degrees, meaning they are designed for people who don't have an undergraduate degree in the same general field. Thus, much of the same coursework is repeated.

It's like you don't need to be a biology major to go to medical school, IIRC.

	13-03-2005 14:52									#20
	Inflate your Upload Space

quote: Originally posted by Azazel I imagine him having tons of cross-credit, in physics, applied physics and electrical engineering undergraduate courses, and that's all right with me.

I reckon a lot of credits from "Aerospace Science" can be transferred to "Aerospace Engineering." After he got that, a lot of "Aerospace Engineering" can be transferred to "Electrical Engineering." In the same vein, a lot of "Applied Physics" can go toward "Civil Engineering."

	13-03-2005 14:54									#21
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by Vince278 I estimate he'd have to had spent 32 years in college to do that (unless he had some cross credit or freebies).

How did you get that? On the average, a master's takes 2 years, both bachelor's and doctoral take 4 years.

5*2+4+4=18 years. Still a lot, but that's a saving of 14 years

	13-03-2005 15:23									#22
	Re: Re: Re: Re: 7 Science Degrees -- Overeducated? Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger I am speaking from personal experience. A bunch of my friends did move to master's degrees after finishing engineering school, and the general sentiment was a master's in engineering was easier than a bachelor.

As am I, and I am speaking from 1st hand experience. I agree that they can "seem" easier, but a Master's is only easier to the extent that you are focusing on what is of interest to you. For example an electrical engineer can focus their attention on DRAM or MEMs rather than all of the other generalities.

Additionally, anybody who has ever worked on a well thought out, highly researched, hard fought thesis should be able to tell you that although taking longer to get, it was certainly easier to obtain a B.Sc., B.SE

FOURFAW

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger It's like you don't need to be a biology major to go to medical school, IIRC.

This is certainly true, but you do need the prereqs. A biologist cannot get a Masters in engineering without doing some background work. 1st they wouldn't be accepted into any respectable program, and 2nd if by chance they were, then they would get their asses handed to them. Same goes for med school, a biology degree may not be needed, but some biology courses most certainly are.

	13-03-2005 15:24									#23
	Tired of ads?

He sounds like my uncle.. he has 5 degrees... though he filed for bankruptcy about a few months ago lol..

	13-03-2005 15:45									#24
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

wow - the Bush Administration has an intellectual

	13-03-2005 15:46									#25
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse wow - the Bush Administration has an intellectual

The adminstration has many intellectuals.

	13-03-2005 18:46									#26
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Hmmm, maybe I should take this opportunity to get a degree in Chemistry to add to the collection

	13-03-2005 19:42									#27
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by DanS I would hazard a guess that he has the most real degrees of anybody in the country. Why put yourself through such torture?

College study is the best fun in the world to great many pesrsons. It is what I would do if I had unlimited resources.

	13-03-2005 20:07									#28
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

LS is right, if I didn't have to work I would probably go back to uni or something...

	13-03-2005 20:16									#29
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

That true. My college days was the best part of my life so far.

	13-03-2005 20:18									#30
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger How did you get that? On the average, a master's takes 2 years, both bachelor's and doctoral take 4 years. 5*2+4+4=18 years. Still a lot, but that's a saving of 14 years

If he was really sharp, he could've done some of those Masters quicker, and maybe the PhD and BSc. Plus he was probably doing other work at the same time.