Name a living scientist. Just one. YES, Albert Einstein is dead. Can’t think of one? Don’t worry. Punk Rockstars can heal you of that anger you are feeling. Also, have fossils named after them, teach college classes, split genes, and crowd surf during classical orchestras.
An insane 72% of Americans cannot name ONE living scientist….
Quite a few legendary scientists are ALSO well known in the punk scene as punk and science go hand in hand like peanut butter and ballet… Uh, jelly.
"If you are operating under the illusion that all scientists run around with pens and slide rulers in their lab coat pockets, then this campaign will say no, scientists look like ordinary people,” said Jon Miller, director of the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at Michigan State University. “But if you expect to ignite popular support for science with this campaign, I doubt that will happen.” According to their website, the Rock Stars of Science campaign aims to show the public how scientists and doctors are “rock stars” for making discoveries that save lives.
Creativity, do-it-yourself individualism, anti-establishmentarianism, and attitude — these are the central tenets of punk music. But to many scientists, they should sound very familiar. “Punk ethos is typified by a passionate adherence to individualism, creativity and freedom of expression with no regard to established opinions,”
Source: The-Scientist
Perhaps this is due to the fact that music is actually based on occult and esoteric aspects of music. The Fibonacci Sequence, Kaballah, and Sepherot can all be translated into music. The (nonpunk) band Tool even puts ancient sacred math into their songs.
When you think of Scientists, you probably picture something like this:
BUT ACTUALLY
THIS is what a scientist looks like. Meet……..
1. Milo Aukerman
“I want to be stereotyped. I WANT to be classified.”
Dr. Milo is the lead singer of the Descendents. What most people don’t know is that Milo Aukerman actually DID go to college.. Quite a bit of college in fact…
"In 1982, Milo was seduced by the fast-track lifestyle of biochemistry and left for college."
Source: Descendents Online
ACTUALLY, HE’S A MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST.
Did you have any idea that punks could be Plant Researchers at Du Pont? When he’s not on tour delighting the masses at Riot Fest, Milo swaps out his old black tees for a lab coat.
“Sometimes when the science is getting (to be) a little more of a drudge, that’s when I just turn to music and figure, well, now I’m going to take my creative energy and focus on music for a while,” he says. “Then maybe a couple of months later, the science takes the driver’s seat, and that ends up being where my creative energies go.”
Source: ASMB
2. Johnny Rotten
YES, from the Sex Pistols
Source: Gimmie Shelter
AND YES....
John Lydon still alive! Those Brits all really do live forever…
"Marine biology was my course in life before I got waylaid and found my voice in music and writing."
Source: WSJ
Constantly reinventing himself, John Lydon dabbles in Marine Biology.
"I wanted to do a degree in it, but work gets in the way. Oddly enough it all started with Jaws [sounds mildly confused]. The shark was a superstar, so I wanted to find out more about them. I tend to go into things big-time."
Source: John-lydon.com
3. Greg Graffin Bad Religion
Imagine for a moment that you are an undergraduate student at prestigious Cornell University studying science and your professor is this guy:
“I want to conquer the world. Give all the idiots a brand new religion.”
Maybe the only way to fully conquer the world is through science.
AND ACTUALLY
A scientific finding was named in his honor.
"In additional news, Greg Graffin has been honored in the science world. In this months Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society in London, paleontologists including Dr. Jingmai OConnor, have discovered an ancient bird fossil in the Gansu Province of north-western China, and have named this important find Qiliania graffin in honor of the singer. As OConnor explains, “The species name is in honor of Dr. Gregory Graffin, PhD: paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, professor, rock star, and inspiration to numerous budding and established scientists around the world.
Dr. Graffin responds, I am so happy that they have given me the privilege of having an important fossil bird named in my honor. My love of birds now must pass to the Cretaceous and the wonderful finds from China."
Source: Badreligion.com
Dr. Graffin has a PhD in zoology and is also an author. He’s even had a fossil named after him.Meet the professor:
“Early man walked away as modern man took control.”
Powerful words from a professor of EVOLUTION. That’s literally what Graffin is teaching at Cornell.
4. Dexter Holland The Offspring
Not only is he a scientist, but Dexter Holland, lead singer of The Offspring just recently published an AIDS research paper.
"Offspring’s Dexter Holland isn’t just the frontman for a band with a biologically-centric name. He’s also an avidscholar with both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology.
Although he deferred his doctorate studies at USC on the same subject because Offspring was doing so well, the musician is taking baby steps towards writing his dissertation. He said he’s a year or two from getting his doctorate."
Source: KROQ
5. Adam Goren
Source: Razorcake
Adam, the brains behind nerd-punk band Atom and his Package actually has an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and left a career in teaching high school chemistry to pursue his punk dreams.
"He’s a former prep school outcast with degrees in science and education."
Source: Citypaper
6. Dan Yemin
Best known for his glory days in Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, vocalist Dan Yemen is another punk legend with a lab-coat-wearing alter ego.
Source: AP
“You have reached Dan Yemin. I am not able to answer my phone right now. If I don’t call back in 10 minutes, then my cell phone is out of service range. If there is a life threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 or proceed immediately to an emergency ward.”
So goes the cell message of Dan Yemin, a Philadelphia child psychologist who just happens to be the vocalist for one of Philadelphia’s most explosive hardcore punk bands, Paint It Black. Oh, also, he was kind of an instrumental force in two groundbreaking acts, which harkened back to punk’s glory days while pushing the medium forward- Lifetime and Kid Dynamite."
Source: Punknews
Fun fact: he is also vegan.
7. Lane Pederson
Source: grindandpunishment
"Having coined and representing the “second wave of DBT”, Dr. Pederson illuminates the research that empowers movement away from blind DBT adherence toward customized applications centered on the therapeutic alliance and grounded in evidence-based practices. Knowledgeable and humorous, Dr. Pederson is highly rated by audiences for his ability to make treatment concepts practical to therapists."
Source: dbtncaa
Keeping the beat for Dillinger Four, Lane Pederson is actually, DR. Lane.
"Lane Pederson (drums) got married to his lovely wife Cortney, had a kid, Sophia, and totally embraces the houseboats-on-lakes lifestyle (Minnesota’s got tens of thousands of lakes). Lane put himself through college by working at a liquor store. After getting his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, he now owns several clinics with a partner. He also has the drummer from Boston, Sib Hashian, on speed dial. They’re buddies. Lane disagrees that putting cheese on a burger makes it better."
Source: Fat Wreck Chords
