The Scientist Who Discovered Flowing Salt Water On Mars is a Metalhead

Update: We’ve been informed that Ojha’s band was Gorkha. Listen to them here, as they’re pretty cool. Thanks to Emilio for the heads up.

We all know scientists love metal. After a long day of peering at beakers as the fluid in them changes color, anyone would need to go apeshit to some Hate Eternal, just to cool off. But though finding the heaviest of metals and naming hideous pests after Dave Mustaine is cool, rarely do metalhead scientists discover something as monumental as, say, flowing water on Mars.

But Nepalese-American grad student Lujendra “Luju” Ojha did just that. According to CNet, Ojha is one of the discoverers of recurring slope lineae, the lines of flowing salt water that were observed on Mars this week. But it’s this photo from Ojha’s website, featuring the scientist bellowing in a death metal band, that seemed to most interest the reporter interviewing him:

When asked about the photo, Ojha responded with some modesty:

“Yeah, that was an old life,” Ojha confesses with a laugh. “I was kind of in poverty with music. I wasn’t making enough money so I said screw music, let’s go to science, maybe there’s more money in it. But there isn’t money in science either.”

Aw! It’s a shame Ojha feels the need to play down his former metal glory. Then again, when you’ve made one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time, you’re probably not as concerned with people knowing how true you are.

Sadly, we can’t find any listing of a Lujendra Ojha on Encyclopedia Metallum, but if anyone knows anything about his band, let us know!

Thanks to David for the heads-up!