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. S

    News Prominent U.S. Physicists Send Letter to President Bush

    http://www.physorg.com/news64505715.html" Also the U.S. has no plans to use nukes against http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4894766.stm" I don't think that were going to use nukes against Iran but I do think it is possbile.
  2. S

    Need expert physicists to take a look at this, please

    http://www.magneticenergy.org.uk/master.pdf There is math involved as well as extensive sketching and drawing... I also noticed in the sketches many shapes that I have seen before in crop circles. There is a story behind this, too. Go to page 4 if you want to skip the reading and get...
  3. Astronuc

    Physicists Discover an Atomic Oddity

    I haven't had time to digest this, but - http://www.physorg.com/news10263.html I wonder how far from Disney World this place is - eh, Zz?
  4. C

    IC Companies Hiring Physicists: Research or Practical?

    Generally, what do IC Companies like Intel and IBM hire physicists for? Are they just looking to fill research positions or do we see them on the practical side?
  5. S

    Can You Explain the Mind-Bending Glass Trick?

    and it better be a damn good one! http://gprime.net/video.php/theglasstrick
  6. Pengwuino

    Do any physicists switch to cooking?

    Man am i tempted to start cooking now! but no no, ill stay a physics major... The one thing i really hate about cooking for some reason is that it takes so much more time to make food then it takes to actually sit down and eat it. Like I've told 3 people, "30 minutes to make, 3 minutes to eat...
  7. P

    What Does It Take to Become a Certified Dosimetrist?

    Any Medical Physicists here? I'm contemplating going back to school and get some coursework done in radiation physics to be applied toward a certification as a dosimetrist. Does anyone here know what that involves? I hear its a single one year course. Do you know what text is used? Thanks. Pete
  8. O

    Famous physicists related to famous entertainers

    Are there any examples (besides the obvious one) of a famous physicist who was a blood relative of a famous entertainer?
  9. marcus

    Mixed States at somethingsimilar.com, web aggregate for physicists

    http://somethingsimilar.com/mixedstates/ Peter Woit called attention to this. It gathers blog material relating to physics and physicists. I found there a bunch of stuff I had already enjoyed in the course of my own scattered reading over the past 2 or 3 days, already picked out and bundled
  10. haushofer

    Places to visit in the UK for physicists

    Hi, I'm a Dutch Physics student, and I'm organising, with some other people, a trip to the UK next year ( somewhere in May ). Ofcourse study-oriented :) I have, ofcourse, already looked at the internet for some interesting must-see's for physicists, like universities , companies etc. Though I am...
  11. Math Is Hard

    Are there math forums for advanced teen physicists?

    I pulled this up recently while Googling "math forums": Physics Help and Math Help - Physics Forums A place for advanced teen physicists to discuss any topic of physics other science/math issues. I think I am too old to hang out here. I am surprised I wasn't carded when I joined...
  12. R

    Answers to a Physicist's Dating Dilemma: Should Tea be Prepared Early?

    A physicists dating... I went for a date with my girlfriend last sunday to a state of the art restaurant. I asked the waiter to bring 2 cups of tea. but he brought hot milk hot water tea bags and sugar cubes. Now my girl called me over my cellphone and told me that she will be late by half an...
  13. L

    Blog idea - What Physicists Do - Opinions?

    I was thinking about creating a blog that would make regular posts about what a particular physicist does. The aim would be to provide a resource that would show how diverse the areas of physics study are, give details on what physics is being done and provide a little insight into what...
  14. Lisa!

    The Differences Between Physicists and Engineers

    You know I was reading a book, it was about a scintist. And his comments about engineers and physicists made me to start this thread. For example he believed people who couldn't think deeply and alot, must study engineering. He believed engineers work with their fingers more than by their mind...
  15. S

    Do Physicists Have To Work From Big Cities?

    [SOLVED] Do Physicists Have To Work From Big Cities? Let us say you are fresh out of college with a PHD in physics, do you have to work in a city? When I get older I would have rather lived in a small town, but am I allowed to have a job from a small town and still make a good living? Or do you...
  16. S

    Schools Best Schools In The Us For Physicists

    Besides IV League and Stanford, what are the best colleges you can come out of with a physics degree and get the highest salary and year annual pay? UC Berkeley? UC Davis? CALPOLY? ECT? ECT?
  17. G

    Why doesn’t anyone study thoughts today like physicists study their particles?

    The answer is supremely simple; so simple that there is no ego simple enough to understand it. The answer: If we studied thoughts the same way physicists study their particles there would be no physics or anything else to study. This might sound supremely insane but only to the...
  18. Apost8

    Physics Physics as a second career: Is it possible?

    I'm just curious if anyone here who has studied, or is now studying physics, has come from a non math/science background. "Why" you ask? Well (for anyone who might care to offer some advice/perspective/etc.) I have an education (B.S. and M.A.) in International Affairs and I currently work...
  19. ZapperZ

    Analysis of the Actual Scientific Inquiries of Physicists I

    This is a very entertaining reading. It does give a bit of a glimpse of the "actual practice" (if there is such a thing) of the inquiry process within the daily workings of physicists. http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0506191 The title does imply that there may be other future parts to this...
  20. N

    A little fun for the ADD physicists

    I was hoping you guys would share your stories of perpetual motion schemes and wacky theories of that nature. The more our understanding of the laws of physics grow the more the human imagination wants to break them.
  21. L

    Looking for Fellow Physics Enthusiasts: Join the Conversation!

    Hey, I'm in my 3rd year of a MPhys degree at St Andrews University and I am looking to chat to more people who have an interest in physics or are doing a degree at Uni. It would be great to hear how universities differ in how they teach, and just general chit chat. My msn is...
  22. Les Sleeth

    The Logic that Suggests all Serious Physicists Believe in God

    Most of the physicalness we observe in our universe is the result of the presence of mass. No mass, no observed gravity or relativity. No mass, no observable quantum effects. No mass, no stars or planets. No mass, no biology. No mass, no human beings. No energy, no mass. Mass and...
  23. N

    Could scalar waves do this-allow me this question for physicists and meteorologists

    Like I said I need physicists and meteorologists Could scalar waves be cause of: Artificially cause volcanoes' eruptions(because scalar waves can easily penetrate thru Earth's core,some people think that was the cause ST. Helen's volcano erupted-true or false) To artificially cause...
  24. D

    Exploring the Intersection of Science and Religion: The Beliefs of Physicists

    Physicists 'on duty' ofcourse investigate science objectively and without religious beliefs, trying to explain 'what is' . But could physicists in their deepest personal and private beliefs be more religious than others? This due to the fact they encounter so many complex things and...
  25. N

    Questions for meteorological physicists about that weather control(could you destroy.

    ...a hurricane with hydrogen bombs? Also,Ivan said that Eastland has calculated for weather to be controlled is needed energy of 100 gigawatts-youre underestimating the power of an hurricane,and weather system: Here is what I've been found on this subject: They tried to influence hurricane...
  26. S

    Should physicists study biology?

    Francis Crick figured out the structure of DNA with a degree in Physics!Should physicists be applying themselves to finding cures for medical diseases? In general,physics groups have more members and posts on the internet than other groups.Why are physicists so passionate/aggressive about...
  27. G

    TSK TSK TSK So you Physicists aren't that bright after all

    http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/18/suv.vandalism.reut/index.html What a waste.
  28. Loren Booda

    Physicists make better drivers?

    The ability to identify, predict, decide and execute traffic situations make the physicist in general a superior driver. We purchase well-designed cars, calculate their trajectory while driving, internalize potential hazards, and center ourselves as responsible for minimizing damage. Shouldn't...
  29. S

    How much money do Physicists make?

    My parents are pressuring me to become a medical doctor but I don't really want to. I mean, I rather become a medical doctor more than a lawyer or business man but I still rather be a scientist, to be more particular a Theoretical Physicist. I am very interested in Time Travel, wormholes, and...
  30. dextercioby

    Can Love Know Age? Nobel Laureate Marries 28-Year-Old!

    Un octogenar s-a casatorit cu o studenta "Un castigator al premiului Nobel, in varsta de 82 de ani, s-a casatorit cu o studenta in varsta de 28 de ani din orasul Shantou, intr-o provincie din China. Yang Chen Ning s-a insurat cu Weng Fan in cadrul unei ceremonii civile, iar martori au fost...
  31. B

    How do mathematicians and physicists actually work?

    How do mathematicians and physicists actually work? I've never had real trouble with any math or science course I've taken (1st yr of college now) but I can't imagine how you would make a living discovering and researching things which have not been discovered or researched before. It seems to...
  32. R

    Particle physics most important physicists

    I was wondering who you thaught is most responicle for todays development of particle physics?
  33. A

    The Chicken or the Egg: A Philosophical Debate in Physics

    Hey guys :wink: I was lieing in bed this morning thinking about physics (as usual) mmmmmm physics and my boyfriend said you spend more time thinking about physics than me. This is putting serious strains on our relationship but i just can't stop thinking about the fasinating facts and...
  34. A

    How do physicists use differential equations to describe the world?

    Hey guys I don't understand how physicists arrive at equations that describe things. Even Newton's equations, which look very simple, I don't see how he came up with them. I can't imagine dropping a ball, observing it and then making a formula. I assume that took a lot of measurements...
  35. T

    PhD in Theoretical Solid State Physics: Industry vs. Academia

    Who in here are physicists? To those who are:Do you have a doctor degree? Do you work in a science institution or as tutors somewhere?
  36. K

    Searching for female physicists

    If someone could please tell me who this is, I would appreciate it more than I could say. I tried searching for female physicists, but my search finished in a dead end. Thanks in advance for any help. :)...
  37. B

    Insane physicists and mathematicians

    Anyone heard any stories of great mathematicians and physics going crazy? I always find those stories entertaining. Physics question: Do you think it is theoretically possible to accelerate mass beyond the speed of light? How certain are we of Einstein's prediction?
  38. P

    CPV 'Complexed Physicists Vocation?'

    oh no... oh please. Any alter-matrix?
  39. S

    Random jokes about Physicists

    Ever wonder why Quantum physicists have pitiful at sex? Because when they get the momentum, they can't get the position and when they get the position, they can't get the momentum. But on a positive note, physicists have the potential of being good at sex because they are use to pulling...
  40. A

    School Physicists: Archimedes to Fermi

    Hi all, I thought it might be interesting to make a list of physicists/astronomers/natural philosophers/inventors which are mentioned (or should be mentioned) in physics classes at school: - Archimedes - Aristoteles - Pythagoras - Aristosthenes - Demokrit - Copernicus - Galilei -...
  41. Ivan Seeking

    Physicists build world's smallest motor Berkeley News

    "It's the smallest synthetic motor that's ever been made," said Alex Zettl, professor of physics at UC Berkeley and faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Nature is still a little bit ahead of us - there are biological motors that are equal or slightly smaller in size - but...
  42. Ivan Seeking

    What physicists think about physics: What is real?

    A survey taken among physicists about the concept of "real" in physics is linked and I think most interesting. First, I am posting a similar poll for comparison. The survey is at the bottom of the linked page: http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/4/2/1#2 I posted this in the...
  43. Ivan Seeking

    What physicists think about physics

    A survey taken among physicists about the concept of "real" in physics is linked and I think most interesting. First, I am posting a similar poll for comparison. The survey is at the bottom of the linked page: http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/4/2/1#2 Note: I will post this in the...
  44. W

    Who are the Best Physicists of All Time?

    My pick for the best physicist would be Einstein. Peter Lynds gets most brilliant up and commer, and Steven Hawking gets most over rated.
  45. Zefram

    The Most Popular Physics Books by Physicists: A Comparative Review

    Which physicist wrote the best popular level physics book? Choose based on style, content, subject matter, skill as a writer, whatever you like. I've seen some criticism of Hawking's writing and I'm curious how other physicists' books directed at the layman are viewed. I probably left out...
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