[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

It is truly shameful when an American needs to correct the English of an Englishman, especially when said Englishman holds a Doctorate degree.

Sorry Chris but the statement "2 square miles across" is totally improper. A square mile is a unit of area, not distance. It's like asking how many minutes are in a light year.

Where did that Doctorate come from? Is it a PhD or an MD?

OK I'm just teasing a little. Spend enough time talking you're bound to say something stupid no matter how smart you are. Great show. Keep it up.

[rosy]

Where did that Doctorate come from? Is it a PhD or an MD?

Er... both, I believe.

[imatfaal]

Is Dr. Chris both an MD and PhD - he would be very young to be a clinician and have completed two postgraduate degrees (MD in England is post-grad research rather than the qualification to practice medicine which is called anything from MB ChB to BM BS) .  I know Cambridge have some weird combined degree courses but surely not that many combinations

[rosy]

Good point imatfaal... I'd forgotten the MD was the super-dooper top-level research degree. I think Chris did the Cambridge MB/PhD program, which is what I was thinking of. Where MB is "bachelor of medicine".

[techmind]

Dr. Chris ... he would be very young to be a clinician and have completed two postgraduate degrees

Chris might be slightly older than he looks. People make the same mistake with me ;-)

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

From Wikkipidia:
Dr Chris Smith - "the Naked Scientist" - is a medical doctor and a clinical lecturer in virology at Cambridge University where he is a fellow of Queens' College. He is also a science radio broadcaster and writer, and presents the Naked Scientists on the BBC, a programme which he founded in 2001.

In addition to the Naked Scientists, he appears each Monday morning on BBC Radio Five Live's Up All Night programme, and live every Friday morning on Australia's Radio National Breakfast, with an update of the week's science news. He is also a frequent contributor to Robyn Williams' "The Science Show" on the same station, and also appears on Johannesburg-based South African station TalkRadio 702 for thirty minutes every Friday morning with a half hour science news round up and listener phone-in.

Smith also founded and presented the first 100 episodes of the Nature Podcast for the journal Nature. This show was the first example of an international science journal producing an audio programme to supplement its printed content. He has also contributed podcast content for the open access publishing group PLoS (Public Library of Science) and hosts the Royal Society of Chemistry's "Chemistry World" Podcast.

I think Chris is in his mid to late 30's. Slightly younger than me.

There is also a Baron Chris Smith of Finsbury. Who was born in 1951. I didn't think Briton had Barons......

I've read that non-British subjects have been knighted in the past but it's not proper to refer to them as "Sir". In the Tom Clancy books Jack Ryan is knighted after saving members of the royle family from Irish terrorists. Later he's addressed as "Sir Jack". I think Tom screwed that one up.

[Geezer]

Yes, there are Barons, and even Baronesses in Britain (or more correctly, as we are talking about political boundaries, the UK)

However, these days, they are not allowed to go roaming around the countryside beating the you-know-what out of the serfs. Think of them more as equivalent to minor Hollywood characters, and you'll get the picture.

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

Yes, there are Barons, and even Baronesses in Britain (or more correctly, as we are talking about political boundaries, the UK)

However, these days, they are not allowed to go roaming around the countryside beating the you-know-what out of the serfs. Think of them more as equivalent to minor Hollywood characters, and you'll get the picture.

For some reason this statement reminds me of that part in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where Arther encounters the peasants who enter an argument as to the form of government they live under.....

[chris]

I have a medical degree and a PhD, which I completed during the medical degree. Consequently I spent 8 years at University; thankfully this was before course fees got introduced...

Sadly all this education and training didn't prevent me from making a slip of the tongue that Eric picked up. I should have said just "two square miles".

Apologies. I consider myself chastised and will endeavour to try harder next time...

Chris

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

I have a medical degree and a PhD, which I completed during the medical degree. Consequently I spent 8 years at University; thankfully this was before course fees got introduced...

Sadly all this education and training didn't prevent me from making a slip of the tongue that Eric picked up. I should have said just "two square miles".

Apologies. I consider myself chastised and will endeavour to try harder next time...

Chris

A wise person once told me that if you talk long enough you're bound to say something stupid soon or later. Don't worry about it, or promises it won't happen again, because it will happen again. To be honest I've been waiting a long time to say "It's shameful for an American to correct an Englishman's English....

At least your flub wasn't "dirty" like the sports news reporter who said "Did I say basketball? I meant Baseball. I got my balls screwed up" (see it on youtube"

Why not settle the age debate?