I'm taking a brief vacation and am reading my son's thesis proposal for his Ph.D. [View all]

The proposal actually reads better than some of the final theses I've read; I read a lot of them too.

It's a nuclear materials science research document.

What is interesting is my realization that the little brat is a damned good writer besides being a pretty good scientist as well. I actually didn't realize that, but should have, since he won some awards in high school for writing.

I previously looked at his power point slides, and thought that they were way over my head, but in reading the proposal, I now understand what he's doing. (We have discussed some points during his weekly calls.)

I have told him that I plan to attend his defense when it comes. (He knows I'll ask loaded questions, and the preview will lead me to be locked and loaded.)

He's been advised by his committee to narrow his focus, and also to publish some of his data. I told him to keep the parts he cuts in his head, but of course, it won't get out of his head.

I'm a pretty proud old man.