Physicists and Their Social Interactions: Breaking Stereotypes

[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. :uhh:

 

[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.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

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.

I love PF for that! I am always getting knocked about for my interest in science! I am doing engineering, and me peers think I'm a little funny in the head cause I try to apply theoretical concepts to everyday problems. Its pissing off!

 

[vanesch]

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.

Nah, the thing that struck me was that he tried to convince me that he understood (visibly against evident common knowledge) that I was in a certain way *not useless* and that I *didn't* make a wrong career choice

 

[Nabeshin]

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!"

o.o It's not like physicists get paid jack! An interesting assumption here is that you're extremely smart and could have easily got a job considered by most people to be one requiring high intelligence (brain surgeon, lawyer, etc) and made much more money. Although, it's refreshing. Some people think you're wasting your life studying elementary particles or emission spectra of stars. They don't see it as practical, thus it's wasteful. At least someone appreciates it.

 

[matt.o]

Although, it's refreshing. Some people think you're wasting your life studying elementary particles or emission spectra of stars. They don't see it as practical, thus it's wasteful. At least someone appreciates it.

This is something that has troubled me for some time regarding my choice to go for a career in astronomy. I sometimes feel I'm not making a very useful contribution to society, but then I just think of rutheless business people who screw everyone for their last penny, and I don't feel so bad!

 

[Poop-Loops]

Don't. Instead, think of all the people who will benefit from your research years into the future when we are all zooming across the galaxy, know where the hell we are going and how to get there safely.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I love PF for that!

When I first landed at PF it was like finding the motherload! I had been traveling extensively and during that time I had met thousands of people. But I was just coming to terms with the fact that most people bore me and I'm tired of pretending to not be bored.

You can only spend so much time with people who have few or no common interests before it starts driving you stir crazy!

 

[Moonbear]

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.

You were with us in chat yesterday, weren't you? I was pretty sure that wasn't boring and all about science. In fact, I'm pretty sure we told the people who wanted to talk about science to head over to the science chat and let the rest of us talk about silly things.

Being a scientist is my job. It's one of many things I enjoy doing, but it does not define who I am. Yes, I have met scientists who never stop being a scientist and somehow think it should define their entire personality...I don't hang out with them anymore, they're no fun.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have met scientists who never stop being a scientist and somehow think it should define their entire personality...

Why do you assume that this is voluntary? Some people seem to run on only one track whether they be scientists or Amway salesmen.

 

[Moonbear]

Why do you assume that this is voluntary? Some people seem to run on only one track whether they be scientists or Amway salesmen.

Yes, you're right, it's entirely possible they are just naturally boring people who cannot talk about anything but work, regardless of what their work might have been. I was mainly trying to make the point that it's not the norm for those in the profession.

Heck, I'm off at a retreat about neuroscience right now, and while we had our science talks during the afternoon, and our time to do some networking and discussion of potential collaborations, when it was time to have dinner, all science discussion ended and topics ranged from bad jokes to political ads to the drinking habits of our students to what sorts of drinks can you make with Peach Schnapps (it seemed like a random thing being served at the cash bar when the rest of the selection was rather minimal to make any drinks we could think of that you might put that into).