Holy Questions Batman!
pentazoid said:
Once you earned all the degrees needed to qualify for being a physicist, what sort of method do you implement to solved problems? I know scientist applies(or should) follows the scientific method to solved problem. How does your research generally begin? Do most physicists look at existing problems and from there attempt to solve problems. Do all or most physicists apply their own creative approach to solving the problems they are working on beyond the scientific method?
The problems I work on are largely dependent on my background expertise, the work that my group does, and the facilities available to me.
To start with, to be a good scientist means that you have to keep up to date on the literature. You have to constantly read journal articles and go to conferences to keep up with what everyone is doing and where the "cutting edge" of research really is. In my field I keep regular track of two main journals as well as about a half dozen "peripheral" ones. Yes, this involves a lot of reading. No, it does not mean I read the journals from cover to cover. Some journals these days have email alerts that will send you the abstracts of articles in areas you're interested in.
My research always begins with a thorough literature search. One of the worst feelings in the world comes when you dump a whole lot of work into a project, come up with something that you think is publishable, only to find that it's already been done. (Of course, you can't always avoid this even if you read everything under the sun because there's usually a significant dely - on the order of months - between when the research is done and when it's published.)
I would also add that, in general, a lot of thought goes into the problems that you want to work on, because in order to tackle them, you often need funding. This comes from grants, and grant proposals require you to complete the prerequisit literature review, define the problem, anticipate the results and potential consequences of those results. The better you do at defining these, the higher the chances of your proposal receiving funding (there are of course, other variables as well - and some would argue they involve random number generators).
pentazoid said:
Typically , do most physicists work on one problem or do they try to tackle multiple problems.
I'm involved in multiple problems, but that's because there's a clinical demand for what I do. Often the research I do is driven by clinical need. If something effects more patients, in a more immediate manner, it goes up on the priority list.
pentazoid said:
Do physicists become soo frustrated with a problem that they just give up on the problem and start working on a new problem ?How long do physicists stay on the typical problem they are working on? In general, do most of the physicists that tackle the problems they are working on solved them.
Well, with most of the stuff I work on, it's not like I get down to a final line, write QED and close the book. I work on something until I have a result that would be of interest to the physics community, then write it up and try to publish. Knowing where this line is, is a skill that comes with experience. Usually, if something's not working, you work on it until you can either get it to work, or explain why it won't work. Ultimately, the work stops when the funding runs out.
pentazoid said:
When you walk into some professor's office, 9 times out of 10 you will see a bookcase filled with books that come from different branches of physicist , even though that physicist might have a pHd in astrophysics.
Of course! I keep books on anything that I need to reference on a regular basis.
pentazoid said:
I have another question to asked. Do most physicists retained all the information they've learned in their undergrad years , meaning can they recall physics laws from their heads or do they have to be remanded of basic physics concepts primarily through teaching physics undergrad course and constantly having to consult physics books that are on their bookshelves.
Like with anything else, if you don't use it, you lose it. There are principles I work with on a daily basis that I don't need to look up. But occasionally I'll come across a need to look up something that I haven't seen since undergrad. I'll even go right back to my first year physics or calculus texts on occasion.