- #1
AcidRainLiTE
- 90
- 2
I am currently applying to graduate programs in physics. I have a strong application: solid grades, high physics gre, research experience, and good recommendations, so I think I have some pretty good chances of getting in. But when looking at grad programs, I am continually finding myself feeling frustrated and am beginning to wonder whether physics might be the wrong choice.
When I study physics, I cannot go 2 minutes without thinking about math, and when I think about math I cannot go 2 minutes without thinking about what it is (and yes, I have taken upper level math, analysis, grad level abstract algebra etc, so I am familiar with the modern formulation of math, but this still does not answer my questions). For instance, why are geometrical notions so closely related to the world, but not truly present in it? Is this a result of our minds imputing a rational order onto the world in terms of the concepts in which we think?
Or take the notion of 'object.' This notion is central to math -- numbers count objects -- and to physics -- fundamental particles. But it is not clear to me that 'objects' exist in the world. A cup, for instance, only exists subjectively as an object within our minds, not objectively as an object in the external world -- our mind has categorized it as a single entity probably because it consists of components that move together. Do objects exist anywhere in nature then? Well, you could say that though the cup is not an object, it is still composed of fundamental objects like electrons, quarks, etc. But really, all we can say is that those things are a model for the world. Since our minds think in terms of objects, it is no coincidence that our models of the world have been formulated in such terms.
These are the types of questions I wrestle with pretty much all the time -- and that I, believe it or not, hope to make progress on. And it will not due to simply put them off -- I have tried it.
But it just seems like all this type of stuff (which is very important to me) is of very little interest to those in physics and makes me doubt that I should go into a physics program. Should I be pursuing philosophy? Philosophy of physics? Philosophy of math?
Also, please do not respond by trying to refute anything I said above, or by giving me your view on the nature of math and physics; you will not convince me in a brief forum posting, and that is not the primary thing I am interested in at the moment. What I am interested in getting is getting feedback on the question:
When I study physics, I cannot go 2 minutes without thinking about math, and when I think about math I cannot go 2 minutes without thinking about what it is (and yes, I have taken upper level math, analysis, grad level abstract algebra etc, so I am familiar with the modern formulation of math, but this still does not answer my questions). For instance, why are geometrical notions so closely related to the world, but not truly present in it? Is this a result of our minds imputing a rational order onto the world in terms of the concepts in which we think?
Or take the notion of 'object.' This notion is central to math -- numbers count objects -- and to physics -- fundamental particles. But it is not clear to me that 'objects' exist in the world. A cup, for instance, only exists subjectively as an object within our minds, not objectively as an object in the external world -- our mind has categorized it as a single entity probably because it consists of components that move together. Do objects exist anywhere in nature then? Well, you could say that though the cup is not an object, it is still composed of fundamental objects like electrons, quarks, etc. But really, all we can say is that those things are a model for the world. Since our minds think in terms of objects, it is no coincidence that our models of the world have been formulated in such terms.
These are the types of questions I wrestle with pretty much all the time -- and that I, believe it or not, hope to make progress on. And it will not due to simply put them off -- I have tried it.
But it just seems like all this type of stuff (which is very important to me) is of very little interest to those in physics and makes me doubt that I should go into a physics program. Should I be pursuing philosophy? Philosophy of physics? Philosophy of math?
Also, please do not respond by trying to refute anything I said above, or by giving me your view on the nature of math and physics; you will not convince me in a brief forum posting, and that is not the primary thing I am interested in at the moment. What I am interested in getting is getting feedback on the question:
given that about 50% of my interests lie in questions like those listed above, should I be pursuing a PhD program in physics, or something else?