Is it Ph.D. or PhD? And are PhDs who act like MDs a special kind of douchebag? Twitter debates

As long as I’m talking about copy editing, I’d like to ask the scientists out there. Which do u prefer: PhD or Ph.D. ?

— Luke Timmerman (@ldtimmerman) January 20, 2015

It was a simple enough question. Former Xconomy editor Luke Timmerman, who is working on a biography of biotech titan Lee Hood, just needed a little style advice. “Which do u prefer: PhD or Ph.D. ?” Timmerman asks. It turns out this some of twitter’s biggest life sciences luminaries wanted in on this answer. It devolved (or evolved, depending on your point of view) pretty quickly.  

@ldtimmerman I prefer to see MD, not M.D., and PhD, not Ph.D. — David Shaywitz (@DShaywitz) January 20, 2015

@DShaywitz @ldtimmerman MD is Maryland. M.D. is Medical Doctor

— Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) January 20, 2015

@ethanjweiss @ldtimmerman and there you have both perspectives — David Shaywitz (@DShaywitz) January 20, 2015

@DShaywitz @ldtimmerman You earned those periods

— Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) January 20, 2015

.@ethanjweiss @DShaywitz Don’t get me ranting on acronyms. API is active pharmaceutical ingredient, application program interface, et al — Luke Timmerman (@ldtimmerman) January 20, 2015

@ethanjweiss @ldtimmerman commence golf clap

— David Shaywitz (@DShaywitz) January 20, 2015

@DShaywitz @ethanjweiss @ldtimmerman Recalls https://t.co/enhwOE4p0Z — Mike Lin (@DNAmlin) January 20, 2015

@DNAmlin @ethanjweiss @ldtimmerman and this: https://t.co/Nb4zPhMeM6

— David Shaywitz (@DShaywitz) January 20, 2015

@DShaywitz @DNAmlin @ldtimmerman FWIW (not much), I dug out my H.S. Warriner’s pic.twitter.com/BzQDhuYqlc — Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) January 20, 2015

Have you made it this far? Good. Then the biotech is strong in you.

The thread is an epic one: Dr. Evil videos, references to different phrases that claim the acronym API, and even a Warriner’s. At this point, we’re one Twitter pic of Eats, Shoots & Leaves from a full on hybrid biotech/publishing nerd fight.

Soon after, the conversation turns.

And PhDs who insist on being called “Doctor” are running a scarlet banner of dbaggery way up the flag pole. But you knew that. @ldtimmerman

— Kevin Judice (@KevinJudice) January 20, 2015

.@KevinJudice Oh, yeah. I’ve been around a few of those characters. Too many — Luke Timmerman (@ldtimmerman) January 20, 2015

@ldtimmerman @KevinJudice Really? So Albert Einstein is Mr. Einstein? Mr Watson and Mr Crick? Come on, they earned Dr just like a medic…

— Bruce Booth (@LifeSciVC) January 20, 2015

Watson. Crick. Einstein. This moved fast. It quickly internationalized (and included more videos).

@LifeSciVC @ldtimmerman @KevinJudice https://t.co/nXeUkstXVs Dr? Dr. Dr? Dr. Dr? Dr. — Chris Morrison (@CT_Morrison) January 20, 2015

@LifeSciVC @ldtimmerman @KevinJudice Hey in Britain, male surgeons are proud to be called Mr. http://t.co/udU2Jl1KvD

— Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) January 20, 2015

Actually, I think “Watson”, “Crick”, and “Einstein” work pretty well, no? Failing that then the NYT “Mr” is ok. 🙂 @LifeSciVC @ldtimmerman — Kevin Judice (@KevinJudice) January 20, 2015

@LifeSciVC @ldtimmerman @KevinJudice the best family reaction to PhD was, “oh, not THAT kind of Dr”

— Mike Iacoviello (@realmikeike) January 20, 2015

That’s not the final tweet – good luck in finding that. But it’s an amazing thread. As far as I can tell, I don’t think Timmerman ever decided what was right: Ph.D. or PhD.

Boy, I should ask copy editing questions on Twitter more often. I’ve never gotten so many funny YouTube clips in response — Luke Timmerman (@ldtimmerman) January 20, 2015

Update: We have a decision.

.@chrisseper I’m thinking it will be PhD with no dots in the book.

— Luke Timmerman (@ldtimmerman) January 20, 2015