luccid - Slashdot User

Submission + - How to switch careers from IT to Pure Science ?

Submitted by UniversalVM on Sunday March 04, 2007 @05:56PM

UniversalVM writes: Fellow SlashDotters, Ever since childhood, I have always been interested in Astronomy (and Astrophysics when I was old enough). Later in life I started getting more and more into Computers and ended up spending about 10 Years in IT -professionally — and doing very well at it. However, over the past year or so I have been seriously considering going back to my original passion Astrophysics. I have been reading every pop-sci book that I could get my hands on and getting started with an "Introduction to General Relativity" in my off time (I know how that sounds but it's true). I have a reasonable background in Mathematics (Masters in Comp. Engg and Bachelors in Electrical Engg). I know that the pay will be much less and the work much harder but this is something I got to do for my mental satisfaction.
SO the question I have is — What is the next logical step? Is it to Enroll full time at some college in a Master's Program? (I have some funds that can last me for 2-3 years). Has anyone else performed such a career switch? Do you have any feedback or pointers for a newbie trying to enter these fields (Astrophysics/Cosmology)? Which universities should I apply to?

Objections Over Antibiotic Approved for Use in Cattle 253

Posted by Zonk on Sunday March 04, 2007 @02:40PM from the that's-a-human-drug-right-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Washington post reports that the FDA is expected to approve the marketing of the new antibiotic called Cefquinome for use in cattle. This is over objections of the American medical association, the FDA advisory board and the World Health Organization. Cefquinome is from a class of highly potent 'last line of defense' antibiotics for several serious human infections. It is feared that large scale use in cattle will allow bacteria to develop a resistance to these drugs. This news follows complaints from the FDA that it is no longer getting the funds needed to do the research required for the desired level of food safety."

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