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. G

    Engineering What do engineering physicists actually do?

    I'm a junior in high school, and planning on pretty sure I'm going into some kind of engineering or physics. I'm not a genius (much to my disappointment), but I really love physics and the whole concept of engineering. Of course, what I'm going to major in has changed only about 3 times, so...
  2. C

    Skills of a Physicist: How Important is Visualization?

    I was told the other day that a great physicists would be given a problem and the first thing they would do is to attach it to a real life scenario, creating a mental image. Once they do that they do the math. My questions are: When they say create a 'mental image', is it like a mental...
  3. D

    Question for Mathematicians and Physicists

    Say, my consciousness had magically moved to your body. I am a layman. But I want to get your salary as long as possible. So, I try to behave normally without attracting too much attention. When being asked about my work, I say something “I am writing new article, I will publish it soon”. When I...
  4. D

    Physics Teaching positions for non-US physicists

    Hello everyone, My name is David, a physics undergraduate student from Mexico. This is my last undergraduate year, so I've been seriously thinking about what to do next lately. I was searching around the web and found that there are plenty of jobs for physicists in the US. I was wondering, how...
  5. P

    Do physicists agree that unified field exists ?

    In the Reykjavik Grapevine, www.grapevine.is (dated 9.5.2009), the journalist Haukur S Magnusson interviewed the American film director David Lynch. Mr. Lynch said the following: (Begin quote.) It is such an interesting time, because quantum physics, for instance, has now discovered...
  6. P

    Mathematical Methods for Physicists - Arfken

    I don't know where to post this message, excuse me. I am taking the course "Matmematical Methods for Physicists." And my textbook is by Arfken. I wonder anyone here knows online sources that I might benefit for studying. I am in lack for good sources please help.
  7. U

    Physics Where do experimental particle physicists work?

    Where do experimental particle physicists work like those working in lattice quantum chromodynamics for example and other experimental particle physicists?
  8. S

    Opinions All British Theoretical Physicists

    I'm currently applying for 1 year postgraduate courses in Theoretical Physics at the following universities in the UK: Durham - Physics Department Imperial College London - Physics Department Kings College London - Maths Department The aim is to hopefully go on to a PhD after one...
  9. R

    Engineering Similarities between engineers and physicists

    Hello, I am currently doing a double degree program of engineering and science at Australian National University. However, due to budget constraint I am going to drop engineering and just do science which will only take 3 years instead of 5 years. I am interested in astronomy and electronics...
  10. J

    Can I become an Engineer or physicists?

    Hey guys for the first to years of high school I totally ignored science and maths as I figures I could never achieve a whole lot in those (although I usually got high grades). Then my cousin got his Ph.D. in Mechanical engineering, and after some long conversation with him I discovered that I...
  11. W

    Physics Do physicists need retraining/keeping up-to-date with their jobs?

    My economics professor pointed out that in the modern age, with rapidly progressing technology, people from many professions need to keep up with the times (e.g., a lawyer needs to keep up with current laws, a surgeon with newer methods in surgery or equipment, and the most obvious example...
  12. F

    Mathematics proof vs Physicists proof

    Firstly, a little background: I'm a compsci major with a new found love of mathematics and particularly formal logic. To put it bluntly, I like symbols. Reality doesn't really give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, but when I see that two algebraic equations are identical, I feel like god is...
  13. B

    Physicists & Swimming: How They Balance Number-Crunching & Exercise

    They're crunching numbers all day, how do they find the time to swim?
  14. A

    Do Physicists Drink? - Debating the Risks of Alcohol

    This is a problem that I have pondered over, and argued about, for years. Einstein of course did not drink. I have read often that he did not drink. I have heard that even during his days at the Zurich Polytechnic, he would talk to his fellow students at a bar, but never actually drink. There...
  15. J

    Christmas Carol for the Physicists

  16. C

    Theory that most physicists believe that the decision

    what is the theory that most physicists believe that the decisions that we didn't make we live them on another life? something like that please help
  17. R

    Physics What is the role of a physicist and how can they make an impact on society?

    Hi guys. I was surfing threads on this forum once again and i read a line that was like physicists aren't interested in mechanics..or else they'd be engineers.. And in other threads things like physics not being practicle. This is confounding. Physics..originally something of philosophy, not...
  18. T

    Physicists in survival situation

    Ok fun topic, here's the situation: You wake up one morning, go to the kitchen to put up a cup of tea/coffee, switch on the news and hear there's a virus causing zombie's to spawn resident evil style. It is unclear as to whether or not the virus is airborne. The government tells you stay...
  19. S

    Are physicists happy with Quantum Mechanics as it is?

    Do physicists care whether Quantum Mechanics can be understood? Or are they happy with it as it is so long as they can do calculations with it?
  20. M

    Top-notch mathematical physicists at mediocre schools?

    Greetings, I am a mathematics masters student applying for a PhD program in mathematics. I have a strong interest in mathematical physics. My credentials would not allow me to go to a top-rated math PhD program, so I'd have to settle for a second- or third-rate program. My question is...
  21. U

    A Realtively General Question for you Quantum Physicists

    Greetings. I know absolutely nothing, beyond the basic generalities, regarding Quantum mechanics or theory, and truth be told my maths knowledge tapers off somewhere around functions and 3x3 systems of equations. I'm a student of Philosophy and the Humanities, and as such I too enjoy...
  22. R

    Recommend a book on Mathematical Methods for Physicists

    the book we'll be using, from what i hear, is not very well laid out. The book is written by our professor...and well, the professors review is filled with students saying bad things about his book. Now i have had a free online preview of chapter 1 of the book and it seems all right. Still, i...
  23. V

    Music What music do Physicists listen to?

    What are some songs that physicists listen to? http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Aug06/physics.music.html" Richard Feynman playing bongos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKTSaezB4p8 I like classical songs, without sings/voice Piano, classical guitaring ect.. I also like black metal, as it...
  24. S

    Why Become a Physicist? - A High School Student's Curiosity

    I'm a senior high school student, in my last year. Physics forums have helped me numerous times with any questions i have had. But i have noticed a lingering question of mine. In high school physics, (i hold a 98% Physics 12 mark at the moment), i have noticed there is very little to.. Build on...
  25. E

    Famous Mathematicians, physicists, scientistset c

    Hello, I find people like Stephen Hawking and Edward Witten to be very encouraging. I love studying mathematics, but it seems like most people who become academic mathematicians have been studying differential geometry as boy-geniuses since they were 5 years old. I'm not a clever problem solver...
  26. K

    How did physicists predict anything about the Higgs boson?

    Perhaps asking this question is like someone who just learned how to add asking about differential equations, but I decided to go ahead and ask it anyway. The reasoning behind the Higgs field and its associated particle makes sense; however, how could physicists possibly predict its mass and...
  27. BWV

    What software do real physicists use for GR calculations?

    for GR calculations? is there some standard off the shelf software package, or do they do the code themselves?
  28. N

    How do mathematicians work alongside physicists?

    Title says it all: how does a mathematics BS/MS holder work alongside a physicist? Do they share work? Who gets what type of work? Any advice. I still don't understand this...
  29. N

    A Coloring Book for Young Physicists.

    Has anybody had the change to read, "Hamiltonian and Lagrangian Mechanics A Coloring Book for Young Physicists." by Jame Curry? https://www.amazon.com/dp/1420858564/?tag=pfamazon01-20 It looks interesting, but there aren't many reviews on amazon yet. I'm looking for something a little...
  30. maverick_starstrider

    Top physicists of all time with respect to h-index

    Hi, I've been searching google for like an hour now and I can't seem to find a compiled lists of the top physicists of all time with respect to h-index (I'd like like top 100 but I'd settle for top 10). You'd think it'd be easy to find but I can't seem to find such a list. Does anyone know...
  31. D

    Order and God among physicists

    I read an article online several months ago (can't remember source) that reported a study with results showing that physicists are more likely to believe in God and immortality than biological scientists. I remember one possible explanation provided was that physicists see order and harmony on a...
  32. K

    Oil Industry: Does it Hire Physicists?

    Greetings!. I am about to obtain a Masters degree in physics. I am working basically with EM wave propagation phenomena. I would like to find a job in the oil field, especially in the exploration field. Oil industry in big here (Western Canada), but I am not sure about my chances of finding a...
  33. E

    Physicists and the Fields Medal

    For those who don't know, the Fields Medal is the most prestigious award in the worldwide mathematical community. Some mathematical physicists like myself see it as even substantially more prestigious than a Nobel prize in physics. It is often repeated that the string theorist Edward Witten...
  34. S

    Hot & Sexy Physicists: John Hagelin

    Hot, Sexy Physicists... I don't know why but I think that John Hagelin (prepped at Choate Rosemary Hall, Dartmouth undergrad, Harvard PHD, post grad work at CERN) is all that and a bag of chips! And he looks so different than shall we say a "random sample" of the writer's previous gentleman...
  35. C

    How many hours a day do physicists spend with their girlfrields?

    I am 29 years old. I have just completted my ph.d. in physics (my thesis was on a rather obscure approach to quantum gravity, called causal set theory). I am starting a post-doctoral position in India. Anyway, I have recurrent fight with my girlfriend regarding the fact that I overfocus on...
  36. B

    Admissions Grant Applying for Dummies (for Aspiring Theoretical Particle Physicists)

    Hi, I want to be a theoretical particle physicist, and was wondering how I, having not yet been *formally* edumacated in the various subjects of physics (but will be going to get my M.S. at the M.S.-only-granting physics department in Duluth, MN)... ...go about applying for grants, and...
  37. D

    Physics Physicists Statistics (Condensed Matter)

    I've been reading on this forum that Condensed Matter is the largest field of Physics. I can't find any stats of this anywhere. I've searched AIP.org numerous times and uncover nothing. It shows what skills and general jobs of various graduates, but nothing about specific fields. Can someone...
  38. H

    Courses What is the typical career path for a physicist?

    I would like to get a general sense of the life course of a physicists. I'm finishing up my ugrad. studies and moving on to graduate school so I know of the physicist's life course up to this point. I was wondering what happens at graduate school and further on? Specifically: Graduate...
  39. L

    Mathematica Significant difference between Maple and Mathematica for physicists?

    I'm a physicist and I've used Maple during my study (where it was common), but some people use Mathematica. Can anyone who has experience with both tell me if there are any big differences between the two? It seems to me that both are rather similar, unlike for instance Matlab which is more...
  40. S

    Greatest physicists never used calculators

    I've been wondering abought this for a while now and i wanted to know some other peoples oppions. I realize that two of the greatest physicists never used calculators becuase they simply were not around. Now that we have them Is'nt it making people lazy because they no longer need to to do the...
  41. MathematicalPhysicist

    A list of mathematical physicists worldwide.

    Is there a list of people who are mathematical physicists around the world, and their universities? Thanks in advance.
  42. D

    Great Mathematics books for Physicists

    For anyone out there looking to get a good solid grasp of mathematics for Physics the following is a few books i would highly recommend. - A First course in Calculus by Serge Lang - Calculus of several variables by Serge Lang - The Calculus Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at...
  43. G

    Challenge question for physicists

    Okay, I have been wondering this for a long time. The question concerns buoyancy of objects in water. Question: Imagine you have a balloon filled with air. Imagine the balloon has virtually zero mass, but actually has a virtually infinite hardness. You could replace the balloon with a force...
  44. P

    As physicists, how do you approach problems

    Once you earned all the degrees needed to qualify for being a physicist, what sort of method do you implement to solved problems? I know scientist applies(or should) follows the scientific method to solved problem. How does your research generally begin? Do most physicists look at existing...
  45. F

    Physics What kinda salaries can experimental physicists expect?

    On average... Whether it be defense, condensened matter, etc., how much? If it's too broad, could you guys just list the ones you do know of?
  46. E

    Are condensed matter physicists considered materials engineers?

    And what's the job outlook / salary of one? Thanks in advance.
  47. H

    Non-Physics Books for Physicists?

    As the title says ^...Just trying to get some literary inspiration!
  48. M

    Pubs associated with physicists

    hello everybody (!) i'm not 100% this is the most appropriate place for this question, but it seemed the best... there are some fairly well known associations between, say, authors and drinking holes (such as 'the dove' in hammersmith with graham green/hemingway) but are there any similar...
  49. P

    How do physicists calculate half-lives?

    Hello! I have just been wondering if each of the isotopes of an atom is determined by its proton (Z) and neutron number (N), then wouldn't these two numbers be enough to calculate the half-lives of them (given of course the masses of the proton and neutron also)? So, how does current...
  50. I

    Physicists Discover 'Doubly Strange' Particle

    DZero experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a new particle made of three quarks, the Omega-sub-b (Ωb). Read more about the 'Doubly Strange' Particle.
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