Greg Graffin is the singer/ frontman for Bad Religion, one of the most popular, influential punk bands of all time. He's also a Ph D. candidate in biology at Cornell University, studying the evolution of bone tissue.

Graffin (far right in the picture above) swears juggling academia and a high-profile musical career is easier than it sounds because the two are interrelated. "Music is similar to teaching in one respect. As a teacher [ I'm] able to share ideas with people, and get their feedback on whether it was good or bad. Same with music -- each of my sonfs is a survey of some aspect of life, and I'm able to share that with people...and then I get feedback through interviews and seeing people backstage." He agrees with a laugh that it must be weird for his students, admitting that they sometimes ask about the band. "But big deal," he says bluntly. "They're here to learn, and  I'm here to give them a lecture. We can talk all you want about my songs, but it's not going to get you a better grade."

The no-nonsense tone of his detailed explanation of the "physical and metabolic evolutionary changes" in vertebrates' bone tissue summons up those unsettling science class ho-my-God-I'm-in-over-my-head memories. In fact, his intelligence and keen perception seem more out-of-place in the often mindless world of rock 'n' roll than the singer does in the classroom. "What you're talking about here is what separates Bad Religion from virtually all other bands, and that is our insistence on writing relevant and provocative music. We wouldn't release a record if, for some reason, we stopped doing that. "

"I can't handle the music business, and I can't handle devoting my entire life to nothing but music. My mind is too active for that, and so I need another outlet. I need some other goal in my life," he says firmly. "When my music career is over -- and Bad Religion will someday be over -- there's going to be a lot more time for me to do other things. And research is one of the greatest things you can do in life."