Theoretical Physics

[ygolo]

Is there anyone on the board who is a physicist?
...physics student?
...considering physics as a career?

Anyone have a career in theoretical physics?
...or interested in it as a later career?
...what about as an ameteur?

Ameteur physicists becoming professional through theoretical physics is not without president.

Also, other than the super-young physicists, theorists career tracks are often meandering:
Louis DeBroglie studied history before turning his attention to mathematics and physics then did Nobel Prize winning work on de Broglie's Hypothesis.
Edward Witten also started off studying history, and is now considered the leading String Theorist.
Even Einstein would not have seemed a likely candidate before his amzing 4 papers.

Really, am I the only one who has day-dreamed about this?

 

[runvardh]

This is a subject that if I do return to school would be high on my list for a major. Problem is, it's one of several I'd concider.

 

[Didums]

I'm interesting in pursuing a career in theoretical physics, I'm reading The Elegant Universe atm.

 

[Aerithria]

I'm currently taking physics, and I'm planning for it to become my major, though there's several fields of physics that I'm interested in.

 

[ygolo]

Is it just me, or is one of the problems with physics that the people who might become physicists are also interested in many things, and that a lot of those things are more lucrative?

(for those who have access to sources on things like this, that's your cue)

 

[Jack Flak]

I can say with almost absolute certainty I would have been a physicist a few generations ago. There isn't much progress in the field right now though, I think I would be bored.

 

[Eldanen]

I can say with almost absolute certainty I would have been a physicist a few generations ago. There isn't much progress in the field right now though, I think I would be bored.

I haven't seen much progress in any field lately, to be honest. Linux is becoming more popular and I think that's a step toward making people slightly more computer literate, but that's about it. We have the advent of Web 2.0 which has made it easier for user-generated content to abound, but that has also decreased the quality of said information a great deal in many situations. What I've found is that it's often more beneficial to someone if they'll go back and find something that seems to be out-of-date and that noone's reading anymore and finding something good in it. Uncovering abandoned knowledge, see? Not only does this give one a high through the nostalgia factor, but you also feel special, as if you're the only one that knows some bit of obscure lore .

 

[Jack Flak]

Said found material must have been by INTP physicists, because if written by ENTPs everyone would know about it already.

You're my new best friend since you use the word "abound." Conglaturations.

 

[ygolo]

You're my new best friend since you use the word "abound." Conglaturations.

As a verb too. I didn't think it could be done.
---

I was thinking, if they fail to find the Higgs Boson, the Standard Model would need to be revamped.

That would be a fun time to be a physicist.

I wanted to see if they publish a list of open problems in Physics like they do in Mathematics.

EDIT: Here is one such list:
Unsolved problems in physics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Eldanen]

As a verb too. I didn't think it could be done.
---

I was thinking, if they fail to find the Higgs Boson, the Standard Model would need to be revamped.

That would be a fun time to be a physicist.

I wanted to see if they publish a list of open problems in Physics like they do in Mathematics.

EDIT: Here is one such list:
Unsolved problems in physics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_problem is quite interesting. I found out about it in a small video on Youtube. In laymen's terms, they were suggesting that an object (at least on a sub-atomic level) doesn't stabilize in some way until you measure it. And they used this to posit some outlandish claims about holograph theory, etc. All in all, I thought it was quite inspiring . "Reality is subjective and doesn't exist until someone observes it," etc. They also used the idea of virtual particles.

 

[ygolo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_problem is quite interesting. I found out about it in a small video on Youtube. In laymen's terms, they were suggesting that an object (at least on a sub-atomic level) doesn't stabilize in some way until you measure it. And they used this to posit some outlandish claims about holograph theory, etc. All in all, I thought it was quite inspiring . "Reality is subjective and doesn't exist until someone observes it," etc. They also used the idea of virtual particles.

I thought this was more a matter of interpretation of quantum mechanics, on the boundary between science and philosophy. I am not sure if there are ever going to choose among the viable alternatives.

The EPR paradox and Bell's Experiment as well as others, I thought, have essentially smashed the "hidden variables" type interpretations. I found the "its always a super-position, but just measured as an eigenvalue because the measurement aparatus is itself quantum mechanical" interpretation the most satisfactory.

I am personally intrigued by trying to solve the QCD equations in the non-perterbative domain. It seems like a Math problem with applications to physics.

Actually, the whole list under Theoretical Problems is interesting.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Is it just me, or is one of the problems with physics that the people who might become physicists are also interested in many things, and that a lot of those things are more lucrative?

(for those who have access to sources on things like this, that's your cue)

I believe the salary for physicists is actually quite high, but you have to be working in private industry rather than say a university prof. This also may assume a degree higher than BS.

 

[FDG]

I wanted to be a physicist when I was little, and in middle and high school I was ecouraged because I showed a propensity for the subject (of course, also because I liked it). However, due to family pressure, I settled for something potentially more lucrative

 

[entropie]

I dont think I would like to be a physicist for a main profession. It has always been my greatest hobby and I have made some progress now, towards the understanding of it. Especially the book from Richard Feynman about QM that I have mentioned to you before, is really worth the reading. I like all kinds of mathematical problems, coming out of theorethical physics, like ygolo mentioned, too.

But in the end, I think it is really only a hobby to me. I would like to have a job, where I actually can touch and build pragmatic things. I think with a BS in Engineering I choosed the right path for me.

When I solve a mathematical problem, for example, it was most of the time already solved by then. So there was no real challenge, except for myself. When I then run to people screaming I solved it, they say "great ! nerd !" but they do not really understand whats behind it or the possible applications for technology that good be drawn fro mthe equation.

When I would make my mind around an unsolved problem, this would be real intresting, but I guess just as a hobby. My attention span would not last to do it for a very long time.

What IS really intresting, creative and I bet you can make some money with it, is mechanical and electrical engineering. I have constructed out of a block of wood a little vehicle, that mostly consists of a block and 2 cylinders. I have bend an elastic band around the cylinder an now it is working like a caterpillar drive.

Previously I have soldered an electric board build of several circuits that works as a positioning system. There is an induction coil on the main circuit and I have got three more, you can position on a nearly 40000 inch^2 great field. The density of the electric current then, measured within the main coil, gives information about the position, within the field.

So what I am doing now is to developed an engine concept for my wodden cylinders. and I need to develop a cutter. If this works, this will be an automaton that runs over a field and cuts the grass by itself .

This thing I will donate to my mom, who keeps bugging me about cutting the grass and saying "You rather develop such an automaton for thrre years than to just cut the grass by yourself" xD

If this thing works, I will go to the neighbours houses and try to sell it. It is less good than the professional ones, so I can sell it cheaper than them. Gonna see if I can get my colleague money this way for the next year

 

[nozflubber]

Is it just me, or is one of the problems with physics that the people who might become physicists are also interested in many things, and that a lot of those things are more lucrative?

That's probably part of it. I'm taking Biophysics atm and the professor boasts that a masters in biophysics will net you 6 figures out of grad school, easily.