What is Physicists: Definition and 445 Discussions

A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate causes of phenomena, and usually frame their understanding in mathematical terms.
Physicists work across a wide range of research fields, spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic and particle physics, through biological physics, to cosmological length scales encompassing the universe as a whole.
The field generally includes two types of physicists: experimental physicists who specialize in the observation of physical phenomena and the analysis of experiments, and theoretical physicists who specialize in mathematical modeling of physical systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena.
Physicists can apply their knowledge towards solving practical problems or to developing new technologies (also known as applied physics or engineering physics).

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  1. Beanyboy

    Exploring the Gap: The Lack of Physics Books for the General Reader

    Ok, so, at home I have "Disappearing Spoon", "Uncle Tungsten", "The Joys of Chemistry" and "Chemistry Imagined", to name but a few "general reader" science books. Interestingly, none of them are written specifically with Physics in mind. Does anyone know of any writer who's not writing a...
  2. M

    Physics Alternative: physicists working in the BayArea/Tech Valley?

    Hi all, I am 27yo with a Msc in experimental physics. My goal was to pursue an academic career (PhD, postdoc etc...) in experimental physics. After some investigation I realize it might not be the best option: PhD offers I received would basically set me bellow the poverty line for 4years and...
  3. R

    What game can be developed to help physicists with their discoveries?

    I have seen many groups of scientists that make games for reaseatches in their field . Their is a game that collect data from players and these data are studied from physicists who are trying to build a quantum computer and others who are trying to discover something in physics theoretical or...
  4. J

    Applied Mathematics for physicists books (poll)

    Hello, i want to get a mathematics book for physicists, and i have stumbled across some good books, but as i have not read them yet, i can't really decide which one to buy. So, which one do you prefer and why? Also, do you have any other book to recommend? Thanks!
  5. gshiggz

    What Makes Accelerator Physicists the Hottest Job in Physics?

    Cool article I thought I'd share http://www.newswise.com/articles/the-hottest-job-in-physics
  6. stevendaryl

    A Fun with Deltas and ##L^2##: Physicists vs Mathematicians

    <Moderator's note; thread forked from https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/question-regarding-the-dirac-delta-function.866220/> Why do you say that? The function that takes a function f(x) and returns f(0) is a well-defined distribution. Maybe what you mean is that if we identify two...
  7. J

    Applied Book recommendations on geometrical methods for physicists

    Hello, I would like to obtain a book that has to do with geometrical methods/subjects for physicists. When i say geometrical methods/subjects i mean things like Topology, Differential Geometry etc. Thanks!
  8. P

    Physics Do physicists make enough to be middle class?

    I don't really care about money that much but i would still like to live comfortably and afford a house
  9. P

    Do theoretical physicists also work in labs?

    I heard they sometimes need to use powerful computers or see the experiment and results.
  10. I

    Physics How many hours a week do physicists work?

    My American boyfriend (Physics PhD + postdoc) has been working in Europe for 3 years, in research. The country where we live has a great work/life balance and he works on average 40 hour weeks. He's wondering if he were to move to the US what kind of hours he would be expected to work. Is...
  11. klotza

    Physicists should take pride in their work

    I recently wrote a rant on my blog about an annoying thing physicists do, which I will replicate here: Original post at: http://klotza.blogspot.ca/2015/11/physicists-should-take-pride-in-their.html________________________________________________ All of my posts thus far have been about...
  12. E

    How do physicists approach dimensions higher than 3rd?

    I know modern physics theories make use of really high number of spatial dimensions, I wonder how relevant these high dimensions are for physics. I am only a guy from High school interested in physics, but I would like if possible a formal answer
  13. A

    What is the best mathematics book for physicists?

    what is the best mathematics book for physicists ?or in what way should i study math if i need it for physics? . thanks!
  14. L

    Is an electron considered a singularity by some physicists?

    I read this book called How To Teach Relativity to Your Dog by Chad Orzel. In the book he discusses how an electron is known to have mass but is also considered a point like particle. He said that some interpretations consider the electron thus to have an infinitely dense mass which should...
  15. Marc Brown

    How do Physicists know the Higgs Field imparts mass?

    I can understand using calculations to determine if a particular quark configuration will work and not decay instantly, but how do calculations determine which particles or fields will have a specific influence over space-time if they weren't able to control the particle or field at will? How...
  16. AlbertoAl

    Physics Physics Careers: Benefits & Opportunities

    Hi, I would like to study physics, but i was wondering what are the advantages and disadvantages of physics in relation to physics engineering. My dream job, was to work as a researcher, or in a company like spacex, esa, NASA or in formula 1 (as a aerodynamicist) but I know it is very difficult...
  17. A

    Physics How many physicists has pessimism lost us?

    This is really more of a qualitative question than a quantitative one. There is a history of some very depressing stories told on these forums (which certainly many people find through Google) of Ph.D holders without that desired tenure-track job, maybe working part time in a field entirely...
  18. C

    Careers Outside Academia Richly Rewarding for PhD Physicists

    (Title should read "for" PhD Physicists... I can't type today) From Science Daily: The one graint of salt to take this report with is the fact that 10-15 years before 2011, was well into the dotcom boom, where physics PhDs were aggressively recruited for their number crunching skills. It...
  19. AYPHY

    Physics Physicists' Earning adn Scope of INT MS with Physics

    How much do physicist earn cause i want to be a physicist. My parents and friends want me to taks CS as my subject and do B Tech. They say a CS engineers earn around (160,000-300,000)$ a year. And they also say there is no scope of a physicist in India. Well I am confused so help me. I want to...
  20. J

    Engineering What do engineers, physicists and mathematicians really do?

    I'm torn between these three degrees and honestly it's hard to know what these degree will actually get you into. For those of you who work in these fields: what do you ACTUALLY do on a day-to-day basis? What's a list of things you do on the job during a typical day? The reason I ask is that a...
  21. PhysixChick

    Physics What is the true value of a career in physics compared to engineering?

    I'm an undergrad physics major, and I constantly hear from peers and outside sources that physics majors have eight years of schooling, and get paid like dang, and that it's hard to find a job as a research physicist (that's what I want to do). I'm wondering why people say this though, because I...
  22. V

    Is there any physicists i could email?

    I have so many questions about the universe so if there are any physicists(with a degree) i could email please tell me.
  23. S

    Physics Medical Physicists -- What is the process to becoming one?

    Hello, I am wondering what the process is to becoming a medical physicist. There isn't an incredible amount of information on the matter. It seems to be somewhat of a budding field. How far do you take your education? What is the process like after attaining the necessary education? What would...
  24. A

    Physics Outlook for imaging physicists

    I have a PhD in medical physics from the MD Anderson CAMPEP program and I even took ABR step 1 (just prior to the cut off for residency requirements). Are there any imaging physicists here? Woudl really like to get your feedback on the current outlook for diagphys careers. I have not been having...
  25. fluidistic

    Is it common for physicists to trash data?

    I'll soon start to take some data (i.e. making measurements) and from the little I've seen from a physicist doing research, I believe he trashes some data. In other words he doesn't publish all the data he extracts from the laboratory. He applies some non rigorous/mathematical criterion to the...
  26. Evan Maxwell

    Physics Does advancement of computers mean physicists are obsolete?

    There has been a lot of talk on jobs that computers are replacing and there does seem to be reports of computers replacing scientists altogether. There are articles like this: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/robot_invasion/2011/09/robot_invasion_can_computers_replace_scientists_.html...
  27. N

    Physics The Future of "Lone Physicists" - Researching Physics Alone?

    Hello everyone, just a quick question: I have heard that it is impossible to do research in physics by yourself anymore. I heard that "The days of Einstein are gone" and that nowadays in physics, especially string and quantum relativity research, everyone publishes in groups. I feel like this is...
  28. gleem

    Physics Are we training too many physicists?

    In recent issues of "Physics Today" Th AIP in "advertisements proudly noted that 39% of high school students takes some kind of Physics course and most recently noted that the number of BS degrees in Physics has doubled from 3646 in 1999 to 7329 in 2013. Back in the early nineties there was...
  29. Wyn

    Other Intr. Fluid Mech. for Physicists and Mathematicians by Pert

    Any thoughts on this book? I'm interested in a fluid mech book for physicists, this one looks good but I can't find any reviews on it. You can suggest other books as well, as long as they have available new editions.
  30. Abolaban

    Math Methods for Physicists by Arfken Questions?

    Hello Big Minds, I am reading through Math Methods for Physicists by Arfken and Weber 6th ed --Tensor Analysis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note1: In page 133, in...
  31. N

    How do physicists know wave function extends to infinity?

    Is this proven that wave functions extend to infinity, or is it just a theory? What makes them assume that it extends to infinity?
  32. O

    Physics Job Market for Physicists in a Decade

    Hey everybody reading, this is my second thread! I must say this is a great website, I've read posts on it for help with some physics questions I've had in the Grade 12 physics course I am taking. Just two weeks ago, I applied to universities in Ontario, more specifically Laurentian University...
  33. Corpuscule

    Physics What do physicists do after several post-PhD years in academia?

    I am curious to hear your stories / opinions on what do physicists do after many post-PhD years in academia? A small fraction may get more-or-less ongoing research and/or teaching academic positions, but what about the majority of physicists? It appears that if a physicist tries to pursue a...
  34. Breo

    A question for those who are good physicists

    What is the best tip or the best suggestion from your experience to give to graduate students? Decide with creteria if you are good or not :P
  35. H

    Can applied physicists be CFD analysts

    I am about to graduate with an aerospace engineering degree. I am planning to go into grad school for Applied physics(probably plasma physics), which I find very interesting. But the main reason I joined the aerospace degree was because I was interested in CFD. But since I could't land any...
  36. W

    Calculus for physicists at MIT

    There is to kinds of Calculus 1 at MIT - 18.01 and 18.014 that is more rigorous and based on Apostol's book. I want to know what kind usually physics major students prefer.
  37. P

    How Do Physicists Know That Quantum Superposition Does Exist?

    Quantum Physicists claim that a sub-particle ( let's say an electron ) can be in superposition ( like having spin up and spin down at the same time ) before being measured. But how do they know that it is in superposition without measuring it ? What is the experimental set-up and the...
  38. A

    Physics On my way to Ph.D in Physics Need guidance from non-academic physicists

    Hi all, I just finished my 4 years college with a B.S. in Physics from a reputed physics program. I came to college with a naive mindset about myself. I thought I want to become a theorist and get a tenure from somewhere. I have changed quite a bit after working in research as an undergrad...
  39. G

    Physics Jobs in the medical field for physicists?

    I am studying a physics major and I was wondering if anyone had an idea if its possible to work in the medical field with a degree in physics?
  40. M

    Engineering Space Companies/Agencies that hire astronomers, physicists & aerospace engineers

    I'm only a freshman in college, but I am always thinking about the future. I plan to earn my Bachelor's in Physics or Astrophysics, and then continue onto graduate school. I'm at Penn State University, so I plan to stay here for all of my degrees unless a better, more valuable opportunity...
  41. H

    Why the gulf between lay people and physicists?

    At one level it's obvious--physics is mathematically difficult, with areas near its frontiers forever inaccessible to educated persons of normal intellectual potential. Yet outside the hard sciences, the general level of math skill is atrocious. Typical citizens could learn much more math...
  42. robphy

    B Relativator: The circular slide-rule for physicists

    Relativator (Posted Feb10-06 at 10:39 PM by robphy). The Dec 2005/Jan 2006 issue of Fermilab/SLAC's publication http://www.symmetrymag.org/cms/ has a story http://www.symmetrymag.org/cms/?pid=1000234, "A circular slide-rule [which] allowed enthusiasts to perform calculations of Einstein's...
  43. P

    What should physicists know to excel in neuroscience?

    I have been always passioned about human cognition. I would like to dedicate this post so that everyone can tell what they think a physicist should know (and if you can, a book or a course to recommend) to develop in neuroscience.
  44. K

    Physicists: Should I Take Phys. Chem or Gen Chem Course?

    In the following semester I have to take a Gen Chem course. I've read the book, but it doesn't connect to anything we have been taught as physicists so I'm really unmotivated to read it. I have the option to take a course on physical chemistry, which seems a pretty course since it uses...
  45. L

    Introducing K3 Manifold/Surface: A Guide for Physicists

    Does anybody know nice introductory material for K3 manifold/ surface? Some very basic exposition, maybe hidden in some book. Understandable to someone with math background (preferable physicists) , but not completely expert stuff. THANKS
  46. A

    Dark Energy: A Total Nuisance to Physicists?

    Dark Energy is concept of total nuisance to physicist, deriving no crystal-clear concept to stand on. So why are wasting a loads of time and effort on it?
  47. S

    Physics Can Medical Physicists work as Health Physicists?

    Just wondering, can a graduate with a MS in Medical Physics work as a health physicist. Essentially they both have the same knowledge about radiation, and even my curriculum we take a course about health physics.
  48. Z

    Physics Work opportunities for physicists

    I have an indecision between physics and engineering since by being an engineer I think there would be more and better job opportunities (still I think i would study physics the same by myself). I wish to now about what opportunities i might get by graduating in physics, including eventual...
  49. T

    Apostol vs Spivak for physicists

    Hello PF! I was wondering which would be more helpful for a physicist. Also a little bit of a tangent, if I learn calculus from one of the "popular" books, how would I go back to rigorous math? And where would it be useful for a physicist? Thanks :)
  50. 1

    Do famous physicists (Kaku and Hawking) pass off asumptions as fact?

    Hello all, I will freely admit I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and now that it is well managed I tend to attach my obsessions over interest. One thing I tend to obsess about is the possibility of aliens. I think about the fact that us humans are the only technological creatures on...
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