[kiddj]

Getting a PhD in literature (or any field) requires a lot of hard work and determination. It qualifies you for teaching literature, (which at the collegiate level has some merit and prestige), writing, or for one of many careers which you benefit from having strong verbal/written communication skills.

Asteroid? Give me the Bronx High School of Science student any day. (Even a top level high school AP physics student from Greenbo, Alabama would probably do.) Give me a couple with enough communication skills to write a memo in Microsoft Word, and I'll start my own "Asteroid Defense" company. Anybody want to buy some stock?