Physicists and Their Social Interactions: Breaking Stereotypes

[Tachyonie]

I am asking purely out of interest. Are there any physicists who could talk about their experience? If you state that youre quantum physicist do they go "wow" or do they just take it as something usual (or do they sometimes not understand what the hell are you talking about)? :)

 

[oedipa maas]

Yes, physicists are respected. Most people have the idea that it takes a lot of smarts and education to be one.

Physicists don't say "I'm a quantum physicist" unless they want to sound jolly obfuscatory.

Things that people have said to me when I tell them what I do:


1. Wow, you must be smart.
2. Wow, that's sort of unusual for a girl.
3. I've never met a physicist before.
4. Cool, what do you study?
5. Hmmm, you look like a physicist.
6. Oh, what hospital do you work at?

 

[G01]

6. Oh, what hospital do you work at?

I have actually been asked if I know what med school I'm going to after I graduate with my Physics B.S.

 

[jostpuur]

I've heard jokes about jobless theoretical particle physicists, and personally know at least one. I'm not convinced theoretical physicists are respected always, at least in a sense that they would be getting employed easily. Physicists leaning more towards experimental stuff are probably considered more useful?

 

[Chi Meson]

Whether people admit to being impressed or not, notice how many times folks will say "It's not rocket science..." or "It doesn't take a degree in physics to figure out..." or "Now I don't have a degree in physics, but..."

The popular mindset is that physicists are smart. You do not stumble into a degree in physics.

Funny thing: when I say I am a high school teacher, and they ask "What do you teach?" and I say "Physics," you should see their reaction: most people get a rush of memory about physics in high school (mostly not good). I hear a lot of "that was a tough class," or "That was the only class I didn't get an A in."

Often I get a physical response (shudders or puking sounds). A few time, when the other guy remains calm and comfortable and starts talking about softball and volleyball, I realize that the guy heard "Phys Ed" instead. When I correct that situation, the follow-up question is usually "is that a science?" or "I never took that."

 

[Astronuc]

When I was studying physics, I became reluctant to mention my major. If someone asked, I would tell them "astro and nuclear physics", and then I switch to nuclear engineering. The moment one says nuclear, physics or quantum . . . the most common response from other students "Oooh, you must be smart" or something very similar. Some might mention Einstein, or relativity, or atomic bombs, and some would start asking about nuclear weapons, or fusion, or some other current event related to nuclear energy.

I much prefer an environment like PF.

 

[humanino]

From a blond waitress : "You mean, physician ?".
Me : "No, I mean physicist".
With my thick french accent, she doubts I know what I'm talking about.
To her sister : "Physicist, is that a word ?"
Sister : "Not sure"

Usually, pepole are either excited or scared away. I rarely notice indifference. If they like physics and want to talk about it, 99% of the times it's about strings.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Physics is weird, because you're seen as "smart", but not "cool", like a biochem major would be seen or something.

I get the "you must be smart" thing, too. How do you reply to that? If you say "no", it's insulting to them. If you say "yeah", it's arrogant. I just keep my mouth shut...

6. Oh, what hospital do you work at?

I have a friend who has a philosophy Ph.D. Apparently when he was talking to a girl once, she asked him what he does.

"I'm a philosopher."
"Oh, don't analyze me!"

 

[theCandyman]

The moment one says nuclear, physics or quantum . . . the most common response from other students "Oooh, you must be smart" or something very similar. Some might mention Einstein, or relativity, or atomic bombs, and some would start asking about nuclear weapons, or fusion, or some other current event related to nuclear energy.

So true, even my dad does it to some extent.

 

[moose]

-Whats your major?
--Physics...
-Oh wow, I could never do that... What can you even do with a physics degree apart from working at NASA anyway?
-...

So...at the college level its misunderstood...

 

[oedipa maas]

I get the "you must be smart" thing, too. How do you reply to that? If you say "no", it's insulting to them. If you say "yeah", it's arrogant. I just keep my mouth shut...

Usually I smile and say "but I think there are a lot of people out there much smarter than me!"

One time I was at a bar during an open mic with some physics friends. After I played my set I was standing at the bar chatting with my pals and a guy came over and complimented my performance. He offered to buy me a beer and I agreed (he was kinda cute and he wasn't inebriated). Anyways, the conversation got around to "what do you study?"... and when I replied the guy responded "oh, you must be smart... umm, I'm going to get back to my table now." So he ran off and left me to pay for the beer he'd ordered for me. I was totally crushed until I turned around and saw my friends laughing hysterically - and then I realized how funny the incident was.

 

[lisab]

Oh, it's great to read these posts! I think I've had every response here!

Like Astro, I'm very reluctant to tell people I was a physics major, at least in social situations. Maybe because I'm female, it stops conversations cold. Or people start appologizing for how bad they did in high school algebra.

As far as respect, yes I'd say having a physics education is held in high regard.

 

[Eidos]

Ladies who have studied physics are such a rarity, I've only ever met one in person.
I can't believe guys would be intimidated by that, I find it to be an attractive quality honestly :)

I think that a lot of the technical fields are so obscured from most people's day to day meanderings, its either awe or confusion when you tell them what you do :P

 

[Poop-Loops]

Does it make me an ass to wear this shirt:

In public?

 

[G01]

Physics is weird, because you're seen as "smart", but not "cool", like a biochem major would be seen or something.

You see that's the thing. People recognize other types of scientists as being smart, but people for some reason consider physics, "scary smart." I don't get it.

One time I was at a bar during an open mic with some physics friends. After I played my set I was standing at the bar chatting with my pals and a guy came over and complimented my performance. He offered to buy me a beer and I agreed (he was kinda cute and he wasn't inebriated). Anyways, the conversation got around to "what do you study?"... and when I replied the guy responded "oh, you must be smart... umm, I'm going to get back to my table now." So he ran off and left me to pay for the beer he'd ordered for me. I was totally crushed until I turned around and saw my friends laughing hysterically - and then I realized how funny the incident was.

Seriously?! What's with that guy? If I was at a bar and found a girl who agreed to let me buy her a drink, AND THEN she said she was a physicist!...:!) That may just be me though...

 

[Poop-Loops]

Maybe he thought he just didn't have a chance? I mean, you have brains, looks, talent, etc., what was the chance of that guy getting together with you?

 

[oedipa maas]

Maybe he thought he just didn't have a chance? I mean, you have brains, looks, talent, etc., what was the chance of that guy getting together with you?

About 7%.

 

[luben]

Does it make me an ass to wear this shirt:

In public?

I say i prefer the differential form
the public may like it more

 

[arunma]

Seriously?! What's with that guy? If I was at a bar and found a girl who agreed to let me buy her a drink, AND THEN she said she was a physicist!...:!) That may just be me though...

Yeah, I have to agree here. What kind of idiot doesn't know that girls doing physics is hot? It's a corollary of the spin-statistics theorem!

 

[Pythagorean]

Well, I think it's kind of shallow to respect or disrespect someone based on their profession alone.


I study physics (near graduating with a Bachelor's)

I was actually having a discussion with a creationist last night. Interestingly enough, he's a very intelligent creationist. He has a decent understanding of genetics, cell biology, differential equations, and the obvious laymen quantum mechanics stuff. He played "What the Bleep do we know: Down the rabbit hole" We don't get through the whole thing, the discussion/argument erupted about a half hour in.

Basically, my problem was that his arguments, and this video he was watching mis-characterized scientists as these cold, calculating people that have some agreed upon version of where the world come from. I told him "It's not like that... scientists each have their own niche... things they're interested in, they don't get together and conspire about the meaning of the world... they're not trying to prove some ultimate meaning; that's what you're doing right now, trying to tie all these little facts into some big point."

Anyway... the point was that it seemed like he respected scientists in some manner and he was completely willing to listen to my arguments and oddly enough we agreed on a lot of the finer points. I still felt it was somewhat disrespectful to go about spreading rumors that scientists all think they know exactly how the world works and where it came from and its purpose, and I let him know that.

He seemed to have enjoyed the conversation, though.

 

[Moonbear]

Usually I smile and say "but I think there are a lot of people out there much smarter than me!"

One time I was at a bar during an open mic with some physics friends. After I played my set I was standing at the bar chatting with my pals and a guy came over and complimented my performance. He offered to buy me a beer and I agreed (he was kinda cute and he wasn't inebriated). Anyways, the conversation got around to "what do you study?"... and when I replied the guy responded "oh, you must be smart... umm, I'm going to get back to my table now." So he ran off and left me to pay for the beer he'd ordered for me. I was totally crushed until I turned around and saw my friends laughing hysterically - and then I realized how funny the incident was.

It is funny, but also sad. It's actually easier for me to strike up conversations with people now that I teach classes at the med school. I used to get the same types of reactions when asked what I do...I'd try to weasel around with "I work at the university," first, which is less intimidating. But when they got to what did I do there, and I said I was on faculty, the next question was always, "Oh, what do you teach?" Well, when I didn't do any teaching, I had to explain I only do research, and that led to, "What type of research do you do?" There was NO good answer if the person I was talking to didn't at least have a college education (and I'm the friendly sort who enjoys talking to anyone I encounter when out). I could give very generic answers like physiology, which nobody knows what that means (and yeah, they'd mishear...physics, psychology, physician), or I could answer neuroscience, which got even wider-eyed responses (in their mind, that's close enough to a brain surgeon to be right up in the "it's not rocket science or brain surgery" category of scary smart), and I sure as heck wasn't answering, "reproductive neuroendocrinology." It's tough to gauge your audience when you've just met someone in a bar too, so there's usually this pause as I try to guess the answer that's most likely to avoid scaring them away, but not being so overly simple as to insult them. And, sometimes that's when I just resort to, "breeding sheep," or something ridiculously over-simplified and inaccurate just to not come across arrogant to someone who wouldn't have a clue on the rest of it.

Oddly enough, now that I teach some classes, it's easy. When someone asks, I just tell them I teach at the med school. When they ask what, I just tell them anatomy. They all have heard of that, and for some reason, teaching at the med school doesn't scare people away as much as being a neuroscientist does. I think they assume that makes me a physician and they all have doctors so aren't quite as intimidated (though it does mean I get more of the "My aunt has this mole..." type questions).

 

[ice109]

i abhor this question. i hate being asked it and i hate resorting to asking someone when the conversation dies down. i know i don't deserve respect for studying physics but how do you explain that to someone quickly and cogently at a party? sometimes i lie and tell people I'm undecided or just science. they usually give up after that.

it's a pointless question anyway. what does it reveal about the person if you know what they're studying? most people don't study what they're passionate about anyway and even those that do don't enjoy discussing academics on their off time.

 

[Moonbear]

...and even those that do don't enjoy discussing academics on their off time.

I agree. If I'm out at a bar just enjoying myself, I'm not interested in talking science with people unless I've gone out with a group of scientists specifically TO talk about science over a beer. But, I think part of it is the person asking the question isn't expecting you to be a scientist (they have an image in their mind of a big anti-social nerd when they think scientist, so it's the last thing they consider when asking), and are expecting something like, "I work as a receptionist for so-and-so" or "I'm a mechanic," or something that's just small-talk. The problem is, when you tell them you're a scientist, there's this sudden "awe" I guess that comes over them, and they want to ask more, but you really don't want to talk about more.

The best way to avoid it is to really quickly turn the question around on them. Give your shortest, simplest answer, "Scientist," "Student," "Teacher," "Professor," etc., and immediately ask them, "And what do you do?" Best case scenario is you distract them into changing the subject, and worst case scenario, you at least know something about the background of your audience to know what to say when they continue asking you about what you do.

At least nothing I do is top secret. It must be really difficult for people who are physicists working in labs that require security clearance when you can only tell someone, "well, I'm not really allowed to talk about what I do," except you're not really even supposed to tell them that much. Do they train you on how to change the subject when you get a job with security clearance? Or do you just get good at telling people, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you?"

 

[Poop-Loops]

My guess is they just say something really vague and dismissive, as if it weren't important.

Or flat out lie.

 

[lisab]

I never talk about science with my non-science friends. Oh they'll ask me technical questions all the time, and when they do I'll answer completely, but I'll never bring it up.

Reminds me of a dear, sweet friend I had when I was in college. She didn't finish high school but it didn't matter - we got along great. She worked at a salon doing nails. She was absolutely beautiful, turned heads wherever we went.

One time at a bar, some jerk was trying to pick her up, and was bragging about his "six figure salary." After giving him the shove-off, she said, "I can't believe he was bragging like that - I mean, I make six figures."

Then I told her most people don't count the cents columns.

 

[Moonbear]

One time at a bar, some jerk was trying to pick her up, and was bragging about his "six figure salary." After giving him the shove-off, she said, "I can't believe he was bragging like that - I mean, I make six figures."

Then I told her most people don't count the cents columns.

Hmm...I think I'll have to remember that if I encounter someone bragging like that..."Does that include the cents column?" I love to keep some ego poppers handy when needed.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Then I told her most people don't count the cents columns.

Now that is hilarious.

 

[tgt]

I get the "you must be smart" thing, too. How do you reply to that? If you say "no", it's insulting to them. If you say "yeah", it's arrogant. I just keep my mouth shut...

What you do is say back either "I just work hard" or "I just really enjoy it, that's all". Which are both respectable answers and puts a smile to both parties.

 

[Greg Freeman]

I think I have physics-envy sometimes. Some of my best conversations in recent memory were with a friend of mine that moved out of state to pursue grad school in physics.

Surprisingly, a lot of people (because of the social environment we were in) would get drawn into physics/engineering related conversations we had, and one of us (usually him, he could explain physics things better than I could) would try to break it down so that the others could follow. They usually were interested, being college students but not involved with math/science at all.

Then again when I tell my old friends that I haven't heard from in awhile what I got a job doing they tend to nuts.

 

[Poop-Loops]

What you do is say back either "I just work hard" or "I just really enjoy it, that's all". Which are both respectable answers and puts a smile to both parties.

Yes, but if I said "I just work hard", I'd be lying.

Then again when I tell my old friends that I haven't heard from in awhile what I got a job doing they tend to nuts.

What do you do?

 

[Greg Freeman]

Design spaceships

 

[Poop-Loops]

 

[Greg Freeman]

Haha

Trying not to hijack the thread here, it's still engineering, I still use and will use the same ideas that engineers before have used. The same tools and software.

Physicists are a different breed entirely. They get to actually use a lot of the math that I learned and I cried a bit inside when I found out that I wouldn't be using it.

 

[matt.o]

I get the "you must be smart" thing, too. How do you reply to that? If you say "no", it's insulting to them. If you say "yeah", it's arrogant. I just keep my mouth shut...

I normally just say 'not really, I just knew how to cheat well in undergrad'.

I think the worst response I get when I tell someone I'm an astronomer is when they ask me what their horoscope is for tomorrow...

 

[Moonbear]

I normally just say 'not really, I just knew how to cheat well in undergrad'.

I think the worst response I get when I tell someone I'm an astronomer is when they ask me what their horoscope is for tomorrow...

You should tell them you charge $5 for that, and if they pay up, then tell them something like, "You're likely to see an improvement in an area to which you apply your efforts."

 

[Poop-Loops]

I normally just say 'not really, I just knew how to cheat well in undergrad'.

Heh. Reminds me of my prepared reply for when someone asks me if I'm a musician. I've been "playing" for two years, but I have neglected all arts in my life until that time, so needless to say I suck. Anyway, my response will be "No, but I like to pretend."

 

[Eidos]

Greg had a great point, sometimes you can talk to people who are not in a technical field about it. I've often had conversations with my friends in the humanities about cool things
I've recently learned about or things that I find interesting in the sciences. A favourite quote of mine:

You don't understand something until you can explain it to your grandmother.

If the person stands in awe after you telling them what you do, you can just reassure them that in principle anyone can understand the work. Although the intuition you need to appeal to is different depending on the persons educational background.

 

[Moonbear]

I suspect Einstein might have had a smarter grandmother than I do. Currently, my grandmother is having trouble remembering which day it is; I don't think my ability to explain what I do to her has anything to do with my own understanding of it.

 

[Nabeshin]

I think the worst response I get when I tell someone I'm an astronomer is when they ask me what their horoscope is for tomorrow...

Hahaha I've gotten this too quite a good number of times. Along with the "Whoa you must be a genius or something" comments. I met a fellow on a plane once, and upon telling him I was into Astronomy he paused and said, "Well, I think my college has Meteorology" To which I politely smiled and turned back to my book.

Also, when discussing science with non-scientists, I find that the awe some people have when you explain things to them is simply exhilarating. It reminds me of the first time I figured something out. However, there are always going to be the people who, while not as well educated on the subject, still insist their point of view is correct, and those are the ones I really dislike.

 

[Greg Freeman]

It reminds me of the first time I figured something out. However, there are always going to be the people who, while not as well educated on the subject, still insist their point of view is correct, and those are the ones I really dislike.

I think I drove my dad nuts (he didn't really understand special relativity, he's an engineer too) when I kept asking about how, if you had 2 spaceships each traveling towards each other at .5 times the speed of light, from the perspective of either spaceship, the other one is going at the speed of light! I stopped trying to prove einstein wrong after I took modern physics and understood the lorentz transformation...after that all the beauty that came from e=mc^2 really captivated me and I wanted soo bad to be a physics major.

 

[Greg Freeman]

Greg had a great point, sometimes you can talk to people who are not in a technical field about it. I've often had conversations with my friends in the humanities about cool things

I once explained the idea of lagrange points to someone, and how if you placed an object equally distant from the Earth and sun, but separated from their axis such that the 3 points made an equilateral triangle, the object would orbit nothing. That really blew their mind and they were fascinated by it.

 

[Astronuc]

I normally just say 'not really, I just knew how to cheat well in undergrad'.

I think the worst response I get when I tell someone I'm an astronomer is when they ask me what their horoscope is for tomorrow...

That's one of the things that really flabbergasted me way back when I studied space (astro-) physics - other college students asking about the validity of horoscopes, the influence of the zodiac, and so on. Most would discount the influence of stars, but some still retained a lingering thought of possibility.

Whether it's nuclear or cosmology, it's hard to explain certain things without going into some level of detail, and it can't be done in 25 words or less.

 

[vanesch]

The best reply I ever got was from a guy who studied commerce (I learned afterwards). I was having a beer with a few friends and there was a new guy in the group I didn't know. So he asked a bit around, what people were doing and so on (there was a farmer, a military, a policeman...) and when it came to me, I said I was doing a PhD in particle physics. And he told me, with a straight and honest face:

"You know, people like you, I really can respect that. You are not useless, you know. You are smart, and you could make a lot of money, but you chose to do something you believe in. That's what I call: having character!"

 

[Eidos]

Not necessarily something you believe in, it might be something you find intensely fun. There are a number of reasons that people do physics, not all of them are for glory or altruism.

 

[Poop-Loops]

If you don't believe in physics, then there is something fundamentally wrong with you.

 

[Eidos]

If you don't believe in physics, then there is something fundamentally wrong with you.

What does it mean to believe in physics? Physics doesn't require my belief, the models work within a given set of constraints and assumptions.

 

[qspeechc]

That's why I hate telling people I'm studying maths. "Ooh, you must be smart" No, actually I'm just an average Joe, but if I tell people they think I'm being super-modest. Really, there are plenty of not-so-smart people studying at university, and I'm one of them.
However, my most interesting conversations are with people not studying the same thing as me. Other maths or physics major all want to show off with their physics knowledge, and it kinda bores me. Like they have no life outside science.
That's why I value my non-science friends more. We always have interesting discussions on everything but science, unless it's science from a philosophical view-point, which is also very interesting.

 

[G01]

That's why I hate telling people I'm studying maths. "Ooh, you must be smart" No, actually I'm just an average Joe, but if I tell people they think I'm being super-modest. Really, there are plenty of not-so-smart people studying at university, and I'm one of them.
However, my most interesting conversations are with people not studying the same thing as me. Other maths or physics major all want to show off with their physics knowledge, and it kinda bores me. Like they have no life outside science.
That's why I value my non-science friends more. We always have interesting discussions on everything but science, unless it's science from a philosophical view-point, which is also very interesting.

Science friends can indeed get annoying and boring sometimes. I need to find a more mixed group of friends. I hang out with too many scientists and engineers on a daily basis.

 

[Poop-Loops]

What does it mean to believe in physics? Physics doesn't require my belief, the models work within a given set of constraints and assumptions.

Exactly. If you don't "believe" in it, then there is something wrong with you. It's there whether you want it to be or not, and our models of it have been tested for centuries.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Science friends can indeed get annoying and boring sometimes. I need to find a more mixed group of friends. I hang out with too many scientists and engineers on a daily basis.

My science friends are all cool. We're in pretty much the same classes, so we know what level we are on and don't need to one-up each other. Moreover, we're in the same classes, so there's no point in talking about what is going on in class unless it's something really cool like superconductors (pun not intended).

I guess my point is my science friends don't behave like "science friends", so that's why we get along. I'm with you guys, after a long day of classes and homework I really don't feel like talking about physics or math some more.