About Physics Forums

Table of Contents

Physics Forums is an independent online community for people who want to learn and discuss science as it is actually understood and practised by scientists. It was founded in 2001, it is moderated by working and retired physicists, mathematicians and engineers, and it has been running continuously ever since.

Mission and Values

Our goal is to provide a community where students, professional scientists and hobbyists can learn and discuss science as it is currently generally understood and practiced by the professional scientific community. As our name suggests our main focus is physics, but we also host forums for most other academic areas, including engineering, chemistry, biology, computer science and the social sciences. Physics and maths homework help is available to students.

PF values quality
• Discussion grounded in science published in peer-reviewed journals or established textbooks
• Proper English grammar and correct spelling

PF values civility
• Positive and compassionate attitudes
• Patience and diplomacy in debate

PF values productivity
• Discipline to remain on topic
• Honest recognition of one’s own weaknesses
• Solo and cooperative problem-solving

Editorial Standards and Moderation

What separates Physics Forums from a general discussion site is what we do not allow. These standards are the reason a twenty-year-old PF thread is still worth reading and citing.

Mainstream science only. Discussion must be traceable to standard textbooks or peer-reviewed journals. Personal theories, original research and unpublished speculation are not permitted, however sincerely held, and neither are theories that appear only on personal websites or in self-published work.
Sources are held to a standard. References to journals indexed by Clarivate are generally accepted. arXiv preprints are allowed at the Mentors’ discretion; viXra is never acceptable. Contributors are expected to support non-obvious claims and are challenged when they do not.
Some subjects are settled. Perpetual motion, cold fusion, plasma cosmology, conspiracy theories and long-debunked pseudoscience are not open questions here, and neither is the mixing of science with religious doctrine.
Homework is guided, not answered. Students must show the problem, the relevant equations and their own attempt, using the homework template. Helpers give hints and explanations; a complete solution is only posted once the student has reached the correct answer themselves.
Answers come from people. AI-generated answers to science and mathematics questions are not permitted, and posting AI output without attribution is a bannable offence. See below.
Errors are corrected in public. Incorrect physics is challenged on the spot by other members and by staff, which is why our threads self-correct in a way that a single-author page cannot.
Civility is enforced. Profanity, personal attacks, snide remarks and hostility are prohibited, and members are expected to treat one another with respect even in disagreement. Condescension towards beginners is treated as seriously as any other breach of conduct.
Write clearly. Posts are in English, with proper grammar, spelling and punctuation — no SMS shorthand. Core content must be typed out rather than left in an image or PDF, and mathematics is written in LaTeX.

Moderation is carried out by a volunteer staff team, listed publicly at Staff Members. The complete rules are set out in our Global Guidelines, alongside the Terms and Rules.

Use of AI-generated content

Posting AI-generated content without attribution is categorically disallowed and leads to a warning and, if repeated, a permanent ban. Even with attribution, AI-generated answers to science and mathematics questions are not permitted: an answer that no member stands behind cannot be questioned, defended or corrected, and that exchange is the whole point of the site. AI-assisted translation and AI-generated diagrams are acceptable when clearly attributed, and artificial intelligence is a perfectly welcome topic of discussion in its own right.

Corrections

If you find a factual error in a thread, an Insights article or on this page, email admin@physicsforums.com or use the Report link on the post in question. Corrections to long-lived reference threads are welcome and are acted on by staff.

How the Community Is Vetted

Physics Forums does not verify credentials at registration, but it does recognize demonstrated expertise, and the badges you see beside a username are earned:

Mentors are the moderation team. Most are working or retired physicists, mathematicians and engineers. They are invited by existing staff.
Science Advisors are members recognized by staff for sustained, accurate, expert-level contributions in their field. The title is awarded, never applied for and never purchased.
Homework Helpers are members recognized for consistently helping students well, within our guided-help rules.
Insights authors write our long-form articles and are drawn from the same pool of advisors and subject-matter experts.

Funding and Independence

Physics Forums is funded by on-site advertising and by optional Gold Memberships, which remove advertising and add convenience features. Advertising and membership revenue have no influence on moderation decisions or on which discussions are permitted; advertisers cannot buy placement in threads and Gold Members receive no preferential treatment in discussion. The site is privately owned by Greg Bernhardt and takes no institutional or corporate funding.

Recognition

Winner, People’s Choice award for best online physics community, physics.org, 2010 (results)
physics.org Best FAQ Site, Popular Vote, 2010
Partnerships with Scientific American, PhD Comics, phys.org and educator.com
Host of Michio Kaku’s official forums, 2004
Subject of a Wikipedia article

Summary

Owner Greg Bernhardt started Physics Forums as a high-school extra-credit project for a physics class in 2001. With the help of dozens of staff and hundreds of advisors since, it has grown into one of the largest and longest-running communities for high-quality science and mathematics discussion on the web. Our long-form articles are published on the Insights blog.

Boardroom stats

Founder and owner: Greg Bernhardt (X, LinkedIn, ImportSEM)
Founded: 2001
Location: USA
Revenue: Advertising and Gold Memberships
Software: Customized XenForo

Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Wikipedia

Common support pages

Support email

admin@physicsforums.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Physics Forums?

Physics Forums is an independent, moderated online community founded in 2001 for discussing physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry, biology and related sciences. Discussion is held to science as it is currently understood and practiced by the professional scientific community, and threads are moderated by a volunteer staff supported by hundreds of Science Advisors and Homework Helpers, many of whom hold advanced degrees or work as professional scientists and engineers.

Is Physics Forums free to use?

Yes. Reading, registering, asking questions and taking part in discussions are all free. The site is funded by advertising and by optional Gold Memberships, which remove advertising and add some convenience features. Nothing about the quality of help you receive depends on paying.

How do I join?

Click Register, choose a username and confirm your email address. Then read the Global Guidelines before your first post — almost all new-member friction comes from the personal-theory rule, the homework rules and the AI rule, and all three are short.

Can I post my own theory?

No. Physics Forums is not a venue for personal theories, original research or speculation that has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal or an accepted textbook, and material that appears only on a personal website or in self-published work does not qualify. arXiv preprints may be discussed at the Mentors’ discretion; viXra is never acceptable. Threads that turn into advocacy for unpublished personal ideas are closed. This policy is the main reason our archive stays reliable enough to be cited.

What are the rules for homework help?

High-school and undergraduate coursework belongs in the Homework Help forums, using the homework template: the problem statement, the relevant equations, and your own attempt at a solution. Helpers offer hints and explanations rather than answers, and a complete solution is only posted once you have reached the correct answer yourself. Graduate-level questions may be asked in the main forums, provided you show your work.

Is AI-generated content allowed?

Who moderates the site, and what are their qualifications?

The site is run by a volunteer staff of Mentors, most of whom are working or retired physicists, mathematicians and engineers, with owner Greg Bernhardt as administrator. They are supported by Science Advisors, members recognized for consistent expert-level contributions in their field, and Homework Helpers, members recognized for helping students well. Advisor and Homework Helper status is awarded by staff on the basis of a member’s posting record; it is not applied for and cannot be bought. The current team is listed at Staff Members.

Why was my thread closed, or my post deleted?

The most common reasons are personal theories or unpublished speculation, homework posted without an attempt, unattributed AI-generated content, or a discussion that has become uncivil. Infractions carry between one and ten points depending on severity; eight points triggers an automatic ten-day ban, and a further infraction after that is permanent. Spamming results in an immediate permanent ban. If you believe an infraction was undeserved you may appeal using the Report button, setting out your reasons. Arguing moderation inside the thread itself is not permitted, and the Mentors’ decision is final.

How do I report inappropriate content or behavior?

Every post has a Report link. Reports go to the whole Mentor team, are reviewed privately, and are the fastest way to reach staff about a specific post. For anything that is not about a single post, email admin@physicsforums.com.

How do I search existing discussions?

Use the search box in the header. Twenty-five years of archive means most introductory questions have already been answered thoroughly, and searching first will usually get you a better answer faster than posting will.

How do I become a Science Advisor, Homework Helper or Insights author?

Advisor and Homework Helper titles are awarded by staff to members whose posting record has earned them; there is no application. If you would like to write for Insights, email admin@physicsforums.com with the topic you have in mind.

Can I quote or cite Physics Forums content?

Members retain ownership of what they write and grant Physics Forums a non-exclusive right to host, display and archive it. Short quotations with attribution and a link back to the original thread are welcome. Reproducing a post in full elsewhere requires the author’s permission. When citing a discussion, please name the thread, the author’s username, Physics Forums, and the thread URL.

How do I delete my account or my data?

Account removal is handled under our Member Privacy Policy, which sets out what data we hold and how to request its removal. To start the process, email admin@physicsforums.com from the address on your account. Note that only one account per person is permitted, and accounts may not be shared or transferred.

Is Physics Forums only for professionals or academics?

No. Physics Forums is open to everyone, whatever their level. Students, teachers, hobbyists and professionals all take part. What we ask is not credentials but that you engage with science as it is actually published and practiced.

Is Physics Forums affiliated with a university or scientific organization?

No. Physics Forums is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with any university, journal, publisher or scientific society. It has partnered over the years with organizations including Scientific American, PhD Comics, phys.org and educator.com, and in 2010 won the physics.org People’s Choice award for best online physics community.

History of Physics Forums

PF is a beautiful example of people coming together to create something with the purpose to help, to learn, and to create a sense of community among people that share a love of science and not for monetary gain. — Evo

The beginning (2001)

It comes as a surprise to many people that I am not actually very good at maths and physics. PF started in the spring of 2001. I was taking Physics II in my senior year of high school. The semester was ending and I found myself getting a D in the class. I badly needed at least a C to limit the damage to my overall GPA.

Through that year I had developed a serious interest in the internet, web design and community building. My interest in physics had been sparked by the popular books of Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, Stephen Hawking and Paul Davies.

So I proposed creating a physics community on the web as an extra-credit project. My teacher bought it and away I went. It took about a month to build and promote the thing well enough to look halfway decent. I found a C on my report card at the end of the semester.

Early years (2001–2003)

PF started on Snitz, an ASP forum package, hosted on DreamHost. Two years later we had grown too big too fast and had to abandon both the software and the host, starting again from scratch. The database held roughly 200,000 posts. Losing all of that still hurts, but it proved to be the turning point in PF’s history: we moved to a dedicated server and to professional software that would serve us for years. I will also admit to hiring some unqualified staff in this period. Once Integral, Tom Mattson and chroot came aboard, things started to change.

Building the foundations (2003–2005)

Before the restart PF was already popular, but its management and organization were badly lacking. Over the next two years PF became a genuine force in the science web. In early 2004 we hosted Michio Kaku’s official forums.

In these years PF would:

Develop an organised forum structure
Begin building a strict but fair policy
Recruit competent staff who shared the same vision
Start member award days
Install LaTeX for equations
Start the Homework Helper and Science Advisor programmes

Partnerships with Scientific American and PhD Comics followed, along with the launch of the PF Library.

Reform (2006–2014)

Over these eight years Physics Forums established itself as a leading destination for science discussion. PF continued refining its policies to encourage a healthy and productive environment, and features such as chat were added as a respite from forum life. Partnerships with educator.com and phys.org were established, and PF went through three style changes, each cleaner and more readable than the last. In 2010 PF won the physics.org People’s Choice award for best online physics community, and the physics.org Best FAQ Site popular vote. Our member selfAdjoint passed away in 2007.

Modernization (2014–2016)

We decided to move from vBulletin to XenForo. A new style and new features brought us onto the modern web. Physics Forums Insights launched in this period: a science and mathematics blog written by experts from our own community. Our members marcus and arildno passed away in 2016.

Refinement (2016–2018)

Much of this period was spent refining our mission, policies and style, with many changes driven by member surveys. A curated video section was added, eventually linking to more than a thousand maths and science videos.

PF5 and after (2019–2021)

PF5 was released in March 2019, bringing a polished style and a range of new community features including expanded reactions, push notifications and an improved editor. The PF mobile app was retired in the same period. Our members turbo and jim hardy passed away.

The MHB merger (2022)

August 2022 saw the merger of MathHelpBoards.com, founded and managed by Jameson. Its threads and members were merged into Physics Forums under an MHB prefix, and its members carry a special badge. MHB was a fine mathematics community with a dedicated membership and some innovative features, including Desmos and TikZ integration.

PF also inherited the engineering site ThermoSpokenHere. Its author, Jim Pohl, was no longer able to maintain it and asked whether we could host it. We happily obliged, and it now lives at physicsforums.com/thermo.

Human first ideals (2023–2026)

The migration to XenForo 2.3
The 2026 redesign
PF has collectively decided on AI guidelines and human first communication
Insights milestones: over 700 articles published

Mentors Through the Years

Listed oldest to newest. Bold indicates a current member of staff. Greg Bernhardt has served as administrator throughout.

Monique (Niqqie, theOwl)
JordanW
Silverquest
Phobos
Grady
dav2008
MacCoder
joaoninhio
Beatle42
SCOTT2004
Sting1983 (Sting)
Stephen
Integral
Zero
Kerrie (skorpiano)
BryanGmyrek
Tom Mattson (Tom)
Janus
ahrkron
damgo (alis)
selfAdjoint
chroot
Hurkyl
russ_watters
Enigma
Another God
HallsofIvy
Ivan Seeking
dduardo
Doc Al
Iansmith
hypnagogue
Evo
Gokul43201
ZapperZ
loseyourname
Moonbear
SpaceTiger
berkeman
jtbell
vanesch
pervect
Math Is Hard
Astronuc
cristo
George Jones
Hootenanny
Kurdt
Redbelly98
Vanadium 50
D H
Borek
bcrowell
Mark44
Ryan_m_b
micromass
vela
lisab
cepheid
Dale
Fredrik
SammyS
mfb
Office_Shredder
gneill
SteamKing
Drakkith
Chestermiller
Nugatory
PeterDonis
Orodruin
NascentOxygen
jedishrfu
DrClaude
stevendaryl
jim mcnamara
bhobba
anorlunda
jrmichler

Testimonials

“This is probably my favorite website on the web. To be able to engage world-class physicists and interact with interested people on an international scale is invaluable. I believe this is the best use of the internet: to disseminate knowledge in a cooperative, voluntary way. The administrators are some of the best people I have interacted with online and they do an excellent job running the site. Highly recommended.”

“The most helpful forum site. The editors, administrators and members are very helpful when I bring one of my doubts on a subject or lesson to them. I love browsing the site, looking for tutorials and tips. If not for the people in it I would have lost a great many marks on my previous tests. Long live the PF community.”

“I just wanted to say a big thanks to the members of Physics Forums for their help and support, especially while I was doing my physics degree, and for help with some of the other strange questions I’ve asked whilst on my PhD.”

“One of the best scientific forums ever. It helped me a lot through my education, and still helps with my research.”

“The other day I realized what a valuable and integral part of my daily life the forum has become, and it made no sense for me not to support you and the others for what you contribute and for all you do to keep the forum running smoothly.”

Visual History

PF-2026