This should have happened last week, but longtime PT contributor and author of the much-beloved “The Quixotic Message”, or “No Free Hunch”, and also the equally beloved Quixotic References, formerly known as theyeti, and catcher of broadheaded skinks and legless glass lizards, mild critic of hydrogen as an alternative fuel, HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED HIS PHD!!! (although he somehow lost his original post announcing this). He somehow managed to do this while writing all of these great PT posts, including classics like Phillip Johnson’s Bold Stand and Phillip Johnson’s Bold Stand, Redux.
More importantly, Steve can now finally achieve his true reason for getting a PhD, which was to join the list of Project Steve Steves.
I don’t actually know what Reuland’s PhD was about, something biomedical I think, but for now I think I will assume it had something to do with getting Sunbeams From Cucumbers.
Woo-hoo! Many congrats, Steve!
Congratulations! Bene, bene! Ave (I’ve got this coming up myself and I’m scared to death).
Congratulations.
I myself convinced someone to sign up for Project Steve last Darwin Day, so I now consider myself to be a ‘Steve by proxy’.
“Broadheaded skink” - I’m going to use that in my next argument.
Congratulations, congratulations! Don’t forget that having a Ph.D. now makes you an expert on everything! Yes, that’s right. Everything!
And enjoy being able to draw a deep breath and relax a bit for the first time in years.
Rilke’s Granddaughter wrote:
The best way to deal with a dissertation defense is to enjoy every moment of it. (My own was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.)
Congrats. Nice to see some of than learnin’ down here in South Kackalacky.
Congratulations to the newest Dr. Steve! I can hear the creationists now: What was so wrong with his dissertation that he had to defend it?
Thanks Nick, and everyone.
Rilke’s Granddaughter: Don’t feel bad, I was scared too. Of course I had no reason to be, since I am an expert on everything, but you can’t help but be nervous.
Congratulations! As we say here at the Univ. of Florida, you’re “Phinally Done”.
Congratulations, Steve!
Now you can start on PhD #2! :)
Congratulations. Time to declare that, as a Ph.D., you find it obvious that evolutionary theory is wrong. Then you can start raking in the bucks!
Congratulations. Now in your next act a transitional form, the post doc.
Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)
Congratulations! Welcome to the Piled High and Deep club!
Bob P.S. Rilke’s Granddaughter: the worst part about a defence should be the hangover the following day.
That requires a PhD in engineering not one of the biological sciences.
Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)
Out of curiosity, does every new Dr. Steve receive a congratulatory letter from Professor Steve Steve with an autographed 8 x 10 glossy suitable for framing?
Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)
Nah, it takes a biological PhD, but only a Bachelor’s in engineering.
You’re correct, a Bachelors degree to criticize but a PhD to sign the list.
Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)
Interesting post
Did you interpret my statement as implying that a bachelors in engineering did not qualify people from the ability to critique evolutionary arguments? Well reasoned arguments based on the literature can be made by anyone. I’m aware of the large number of engineers that participate on this list. The enigineer-poet is a member of Delta Pi Gamma and it was not my intent open that can of worms.
Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)
“Congradulations”
Also I read the criticism of the hydrogen economy, & while I agree to a large extent, I think hydrogen can have a useful role to play in future energy systems.
Hydrogen is impractical as a transportation fuel unless & until some way of compactly & conveniently storing hydrogen is developed so a reasonable sized fuel tank will take a car several hundred km.
However, I note that in the late 19th & early 20th centuries a mix of H2 & CO was generated by reacting steam with coal & was piped around towns for such uses as gas stoves. So, if we build a lot of nuclear, wind & solar electricity generation to replace fossil fuel generators, there will often be a mismatch between electricity supply & demand & we can electrolyze water with off-peak power, with the resulting H2 burned wherever heat is needed.
Mazel tov. The world needs more Dr. Steves.
Re “Hydrogen is impractical as a transportation fuel unless & until some way of compactly & conveniently storing hydrogen is developed so a reasonable sized fuel tank will take a car several hundred km.”
There’s been some progress in that direction recently. Progress in Quest to Use Hydrogen as Fuel for Cars and Electronic Devices
Henry
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt has endorsed Intelligent Design, sort of.
Congratulations to the new Dr. Steve, OH WISE ONE. I hope you had a pen ready to sign in the Project Steve as soon as the committee anointed you as a PH.D. Rilke’s Granddaughter, the defense is not that bad after all. They just want to see you sweating a little bit just for good old times sake :) If they let you reach this stage is b/c they have confidence in you.
Added congrats, Steve. Just remember that as a “Steve” you represent 100 genuine scientists when you join Project Steve. Bear the burden proudly!
Tyrannosaurus wrote
Hm. My supervisor opened my defense by saying, “We’ll let Ray (math/stats guy) ask the first question, then we’ll resuscitate RBH and the rest of us will have a turn.” But actually, the second guy (neuro) was worse. The rest was jam, I think; my memory of the last three is blurry due to the brain strain induced by the first two.
Dr. Reuland is Steve #740. (“But who’s counting?”)
I can’t believe it, my co-worker just bought a car for $15337. Isn’t that crazy!
This is weird. Are someone’s little e-mails ending up in the PT comments or something? I’ve seen a bunch of these amazing non-sequitors popping up in old threads lately.
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