I understand what you're saying, astro. I majored in geology in college, with paleontology as my specialty. I found the introductory courses fascinating enough that I went on to get a Master's Degree. At my major professor's strong encouragement, I went to Columbia University to work on my Doctorate. My major professor there wanted me to do my doctoral thesis on a genus of fossil snail. The snail is smooth and spherical, with very little defining characteristics, so the taxonomy for it had become very confused over the years. How can you tell one smooth sphere from another. If I had consented to the research I could have spent the rest of my life making careful measurements of those little spheres and entering the data into a computer. Eventually, I'd be able to go back to older studies and collections and if lucky, would have the taxonomy straightened out before I died of old age or boredom, whichever came first. The sales pitch was that I'd be the world expert on this particular genus of fossil snail. As my sons would have said, if they existed in those days, "Big Whoop!" I don't know if it occurred to my major professor that there was a reason why no one had take on such an exhaustive research project as a lifetime careet. They hadn't found anyone stupid enough yet.

I politely, "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd hate to deprive someone else of this wonderful opportunity."

Snails are beautiful, like all life forms. I didn't want to become blind to the beauty.

Jerry