By Patrick Appel
A reader writes:
Dr. Chu is a Nobel Laureate, a biochemist, and an experimental physicist — but he’s not a rocket scientist! I am a rocket scientist, and my wife is a biochemist, so please believe me on this: rocket science is much simpler than either of those fields. I know that you were reusing Ambinder’s headline, and that the phrase has become a throwaway synonym for "smart guy", but surely "Nobel Laureate" or "Accomplished Researcher" would serve as well and be more accurate. Secretary Rice is an accomplished concert pianist, but I hope nobody would abbreviate that to "rock star".
The Dish 