What drives Physicists to study Physics?

[ToridAkbolto 170]

Short 'n simple:

I need some help. I am in Physics 9C and still hate studying physics. I have very little time til my final (comparatively) and am doing average in the class. My grade could swing both ways (B at best, D or F at worst). I would totally study Physics to death if I didn't find it so... boring. 

 

Why I'm taking this: 

I know this isn't really the right attitude to take towards courses, but I'm in the wrong physics course and should be taking a simpler one (physical therapists really don't need to understand how circuits work). But I started this course going into chemistry, and it works as a substitute for the physics course I must take. 

 

What exactly I need help with:

I just want to know what drives Physicists to study physics. What is the appeal? Why do you find this interesting? If I can just relate to the material somehow... I might be able to study this. Thank you for your time. 

[MelancholicMemory 2,025]

Physics is fun! It's my favorite of all the hard scientists. Astrophysics is particularly cool because I've loved space since I was just a little kid. I also like the idea of learning the rules of the universe because it gives me a feeling of control. It's really intriguing stuff, and if you learn the basic principles, everything else is easier to follow.

 

I considered majoring in physics and becoming an astrophysicist, but I'm terrible at math

[Evilshy 5,090]

I find traditional physics to be a bit boring, but I absolutely love Astrophysics and Quantum Physics. There is just so much cool stuff to find out.

 

I like Astrophysics because it takes a lot of normal, "boring" stuff and then takes it to extreme scales. And as any physicist knows, weird shit starts to happen at extremely high or low scales. Have you ever read about the interior of Jupiter? It's mostly made of Metallic Hydrogen. When the pressure is great enough, Hydrogen will cease being a solid and start behaving like a superconducting liquid. There's the Boomerang Nebula; the gas making it up is expanding so rapidly (and therefore losing heat so rapidly), it's actually colder than space. It's only 1C higher than Absolute Zero.

 

Quantum Physics is just full of tons of cool stuff. Wave-particle Duality, Quantum Tunneling, and Quantum Computing, the list goes on and on

Wikipedia is your friend.

[TwilizzleFoShizzle 95]

I think physics is so intriguing because it is the only way to determine exactly how the world works, it allows us to understand what is going on around us, both on a very very tiny scale and a very very large scale, and ultimately it gives us a better knowledge of our surroundings which I think appeals to people because it removes that whole fear of the unknown aspect.

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

A discussion regarding physics and the reasons for one's interest in it is more General Discussion material than Life Advice, so I moved it there.

[LunaEclipse 101]

Short 'n simple:

I need some help. I am in Physics 9C and still hate studying physics. I have very little time til my final (comparatively) and am doing average in the class. My grade could swing both ways (B at best, D or F at worst). I would totally study Physics to death if I didn't find it so... boring. 

 

Why I'm taking this: 

I know this isn't really the right attitude to take towards courses, but I'm in the wrong physics course and should be taking a simpler one (physical therapists really don't need to understand how circuits work). But I started this course going into chemistry, and it works as a substitute for the physics course I must take. 

 

What exactly I need help with:

I just want to know what drives Physicists to study physics. What is the appeal? Why do you find this interesting? If I can just relate to the material somehow... I might be able to study this. Thank you for your time. 

 

 

Hey jwutheheadcase, 

 

Physics is classified as a natural science that pretty much governs how the universe and everything in it works.  It is the foundation of which everything around you is based off of.  For a physicist, or any scientist for that matter, they see everything around them and constantly ask, "why?" Why do things happen the way they do? Why do things work the way they work? It's a never-ending questioning of "why?" 

 

So, I think in order to be truly into physics and enjoy it, one needs to have this unquenchable thirst for knowledge to answer all of these "why" questions about the physical occurrences they see around them.  They're basically like that one child who says "why?" over and over again to everything, but they're not being a brat.  They actually want to know these things.  Having this natural curiosity about the functionality of everything around us is definitely the key element in not being bored of physics.  When they wonder about certain phenomena, and have them proven and answered in front of their very eyes, they love it.  It's like giving candy to that child from before so he shuts up.  

 

What is my justification for saying all of this?  I am a physicist.  I am one of them.  

 

tl;dr

-Physicists are basically curious kids trapped in a grown-up body. 

 

If you have any trouble with anything or have any questions, feel free to PM me and ask.  I'll be happy to try and help you understand anything you're having issues with.  

Edited March 15, 2013 by LunaEclipse