In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary, multi-faceted life of Sir Brian May, a virtuoso musician who conquered both the rock charts and the academic world. Best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Queen, May wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including "We Will Rock You," "I Want It All," and "The Show Must Go On". We discuss the origins of his distinctive sound, which relies on the "Red Special," a guitar he hand-built with his father at age sixteen using wood from an 18th-century fireplace and motorbike valve springs.

Beyond his musical legacy, we dive into May’s impressive scientific career. After abandoning his doctoral studies in 1974 to pursue music, he returned to Imperial College London decades later to earn his PhD in astrophysics in 2007. We cover his work as a science team collaborator with NASA on the New Horizons Pluto mission and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sampling mission. Finally, we examine his dedicated activism as the founder of the "Save Me" organization, where he campaigns for the protection of badgers and foxes, and his 2023 knighthood for services to music and charity. Join us for a look at the man who proved you can be a rock god and a doctor of science at the same time.