[SOLVED] New grad student with a question [Archive]

Da_FunkyB

Nov3-04, 09:46 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I\'m interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?\n\nany suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside \'at\' yahoo \'dot\' com\n\nThanks,\nJoe\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I'm interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?

any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside 'at' yahoo 'dot' com

Thanks,
Joe

Uncle Al

Nov5-04, 08:20 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\n\n\n\n\nDa_FunkyB wrote:\n>\n> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I\'m interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?\n\n> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside \'at\' yahoo \'dot\' com\n\n1) Confgure your newsreader to a 60 or 65 character line.\n2) Google\n"string theory" research 82,400 hits\nConfigure a more efficient search yourself.\n3) arXiv.org\n4) Having ID\'d professors,\n5) "Science Citation Index" to see who impresses others.\n6) Check out NSF and other grant funding support of surviving\ncandidates.\n7) E-mail some grad students ine ach remaining group for the\nstraight skinny.\n8) Other. Who makes waves at conferences, at the Perimeter\nInstitute?\n\nHow can you be "interested in string theories" and not know who is\ndoing the work? Every refereed publication has an author section\ndirectly under the title. If you are interested in gainful employment\nyou should not be pursuing pure theory. Theory is passion not\nemolument - unless you think you can crack the nut. If you want a fat\nsalary you go into mathematical physics and then to Wall Street to\ncraft financial instruments to legally fleece the mob.\n\n--\nUncle Al\nhttp://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/\n(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)\nhttp://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Da_FunkyB wrote:
>
> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I'm interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?

> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside 'at' yahoo 'dot' com

1) Confgure your newsreader to a 60 or 65 character line.
2) Google
"string theory" research 82,400 hits
Configure a more efficient search yourself.
3) arXiv.org
4) Having ID'd professors,
5) "Science Citation Index" to see who impresses others.
6) Check out NSF and other grant funding support of surviving
candidates.
7) E-mail some grad students ine ach remaining group for the
straight skinny.
8) Other. Who makes waves at conferences, at the Perimeter
Institute?

How can you be "interested in string theories" and not know who is
doing the work? Every refereed publication has an author section
directly under the title. If you are interested in gainful employment
you should not be pursuing pure theory. Theory is passion not
emolument - unless you think you can crack the nut. If you want a fat
salary you go into mathematical physics and then to Wall Street to
craft financial instruments to legally fleece the mob.

--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf

Maurice Barnhill

Nov6-04, 11:07 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Da_FunkyB wrote:\n> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I\'m interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?\n\n\n> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside \'at\' yahoo \'dot\' com\n>\n> Thanks,\n> Joe\n>\n1. Beg, borrow, or buy a copy of\n2004 Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, and Related Fields\nfrom the American Institute of Physics (see\n<http://www.aip.org/pubs/books/graduate.html>). Pay particular\nattention to the average GRE scores of recent entering students\nand the amount of funding per faculty member in fields you might\nbe interested in. However, don\'t forget that you may change your\nmind about what field you want to work in after you have taken\nsome graduate courses.\n\n2. Consult the Gourman Report of Graduate Programs (Amazon has\nit) and/or the most recent National Research Councils survey of\ngraduate school reputations to help judge the quality of the\nprograms you are considering.\n\n--\nMaurice Barnhill\nmvb@udel.edu [Use ReplyTo, not From]\n[bellatlantic.net is reserved for spam only]\nDepartment of Physics and Astronomy\nUniversity of Delaware\nNewark, DE 19716\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Da_FunkyB wrote:
> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I'm interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?

> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside 'at' yahoo 'dot' com
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
1. Beg, borrow, or buy a copy of
2004 Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, and Related Fields
from the American Institute of Physics (see
<http://www.aip.org/pubs/books/graduate.html>). Pay particular
attention to the average GRE scores of recent entering students
and the amount of funding per faculty member in fields you might
be interested in. However, don't forget that you may change your
mind about what field you want to work in after you have taken
some graduate courses.

2. Consult the Gourman Report of Graduate Programs (Amazon has
it) and/or the most recent National Research Councils survey of
graduate school reputations to help judge the quality of the
programs you are considering.

--
Maurice Barnhill
mvb@udel.edu [Use ReplyTo, not From]
[bellatlantic.net is reserved for spam only]
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716

Thomas Larsson

Nov7-04, 04:06 PM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Da_FunkyB <funkybside@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<20041027230859.33606.qmail@web12209.mail.yah oo.com>...\n> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I\'m interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?\n\n\n> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside \'at\' yahoo \'dot\' com\n>\n\nA good overview of the physical accomplishments of string theory can be\nfound in subsection 1.6 of http://www.arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0204131 ,\nwritten by one of string theory\'s pioneers; one of the top string\ntheorists of the 1980\'s and the founder of the prominent string theory\ngroup at Rutgers University.\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Da_FunkyB <funkybside@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<20041027230859.33606.qmail@web12209.mail.yahoo.com>...
> Hello, I am a recent physics grad. I'm interested in string theories, but lack a list of groups i might look to for graduate study. (Also wonder if this specialty is even worth my time as the jobs have got to be few.) Any thoughts or places to look?

> any suggestions on current active research fields? As an Undergrads i was not given much training on how to approach graduate study. I am @ Funkybside 'at' yahoo 'dot' com
>

A good overview of the physical accomplishments of string theory can be
found in subsection 1.6 of http://www.arxiv.org/abs/http://www.arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0204131 ,
written by one of string theory's pioneers; one of the top string
theorists of the 1980's and the founder of the prominent string theory
group at Rutgers University.