Recent content by Shablong

Yes. Physics, along with any other academic discipline is incredibly competitive. Yes. If you are unable to make it into academia, it is likely you will have to work in a different industry; however, being on a lower payroll isn't to be expected. There is no guaranteed job in academia, but...

It's just the nature of the work. Mathematician's are playing with their beautifully ideal universe. The real world of physics, however, has many more surprises. Edit: Also... as for your reference to "..3k authors." That is due to very large experimental collaborations as in CERN...

My question was pretty much answered long ago by Doug -- no reason to continue on unless there is further insight. Thanks all.

Yes, but we are getting off topic. (a) By pushing it at the c.o.m. you are applying a force with no net torque about its natural rotation axis -- its center of mass. The bolded text is the result of what I am talking about. Forces act as if all of the forces were concentrated at the center of...

I don't know where you are coming from or what you think I am trying to say. I only mentioned Newton's use of the shell theorem. Read nearly anyone of my posts to see what I am referring to. It is the motion resulting from the introduction of a force and this force acts as if it is concentrated...

I can see how it can be misleading in how I wrote that response, but I wasn't referring to the shell theorem there. I was speaking of a proof that forces acting on an object behave as if all the forces were being concentrated at the center of mass. As you can see, that is quite a lot to type...

This could be said of absolutely anything in physics! Newton didn't stop at the fact that his law of gravitation described the movement of the planets. This is why he mathematically proved the shell theorem from the question of, "Ok Mr. Newton. It's cool and all that you deduced a cool formula...

I'm not speaking in terms of atoms as we know them today, because of course none of that information could have been known then. I am speaking with the mindset that an atom is just simply divided matter to whatever scale -- seeing as back then they could have no idea. All I'm saying is that...

From the wiki, "[Archimedes] worked with simplified assumptions about gravity that amount to a uniform field, thus arriving at the mathematical properties of what we now call the center of mass. Archimedes showed that the torque exerted on a lever by weights resting at various points along the...

That's interesting! It is weird though, because in his proof of the shell theorem, at least as I have seen it, it is again assumed internal forces be neglected and the infinitesimally small spheres brings the same problem I mentioned above: the divisibility of mass; alas, it is different than...

Hello all, I was talking to a friend of mine earlier explaining why a force acts as if all the mass is concentrated at the center of mass. I know of no other proof than taking the time derivatives of the center of mass. Seeing as this was long before definitive proof of the atomic structure of...

I usually don't even think twice about posts like your's, but it deeply offended me. I can't recall at any time in this thread WBN or anyone else was was looking for a reason to quit or trying to justify giving up. Just as you said in the above quote, you had hard times and cried. Everyone that...

I enjoy reading history too, and that is what I typically read; however, I have never even thought of contemporary history. I usually focus more on popular anthropology, western, and religious histories. I will look more into it! Maybe relax wasn't the proper word to describe what I am looking...

Hello all! Of recent, with the more and more abstract my studies become, I have found that it can sometimes be difficult to relax and re-enter reality. I don't like to watch television or play video games, and I have recently run out of books to read that can still stimulate my interest, but...

This all depends on your intentions with your degree. If it is to: I don't see how studying physics will help you in gaining a job at a tech startup. A physics major prepares one to "do" physics which typically means graduate school in physics. (or closely related field) If your future...