Recent content by cdotter

I conceptually understand how laser-driven ICF works, basically imparting a massive amount of energy into a small object which causes the object to heat up and implode. How does magnetic confinement work, though? From my understanding, a tokamak's magnetic fields confine the plasma which is at a...

Why would anyone smart enough to study theoretical physics at one of the top universities in the US care about something as stupid and pointless like the membership test results of chronic mental masturbation support group?

This is what they call a "troll thread."

It's more profitable to produce infinitesimally better products than it is to produce revolutionary products because the research associated with the latter is going to significant increase the price. Look at how expensive cutting edge drugs and medical procedures have become. I realize that...

I would imagine that graduate level specialization in chemistry is a lot more critical than graduate level specialization in chemical engineering. One is (probably a lot) less likely to get a job in total organic synthesis versus any job in any area of chemical engineering.

Computational astrophysics involves, I think, a lot of computational fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodyanmics simulation. That type of skill could be applicable to fluid dynamics simulations in defense engineering, although I've heard that there is a trend of engineering companies using...

Instructors often characterize textbooks as good when already understand all of the material in it, meaning they don't actually have to learn the material from the book.

Bump. :smile:

Homework Statement Note: This is not for homework. I'm trying to teach myself programming and this looks like a fun project. I want to plot the Mandelbrot set using a computer. Homework Equations Z_{n+1}=Z_n^2+c for some constant c The Attempt at a Solution Given: Z_0=0, maximum of...

So I take the hiring is mostly internal to the CIA? If not, how does one typically get a security clearance? Prior military/defense contractor service/employment or prior national lab employment?

I'm a senior applied math major at a small liberal arts school. For the reasons you listed (poor course offerings, no research opportunities, etc.), go to a bigger school. I wish I had.

I know that Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Weatherfor and other service companies hire field engineers with any type of technical degree -- physics, engineering, applied math, sometimes even chemistry. However, what they call field engineering isn't really engineering. It's more or...

Isn't graduate education in the UK typically unfunded and therefore expensive?

http://chemjobber.blogspot.com/2012/01/uh-oh-bls-measures-chemist-unemployment.html http://chemjobber.blogspot.com/2011/03/well-thats-not-good-news.html http://chemjobber.blogspot.com/search/label/awful%20statistics

If you absolutely must go to a Caribbean medical school, consider only the big name schools: Ross, Xavier, and SGUs. Even at those 'top' schools, the medical students have a much harder time than their U.S. counterparts. Attrition rates at U.S. schools are in the single digits vs 20-30% at...