Become a Theoretical Physicist: How to Get Started & Enhance Your Skills at 17

[micromass]

So let's assume that I was one of those 9 persons so what do you want me to do surrender or what ?

No. But I want you to be realistic about your chances. An academic position is no guarantee, even if you work hard and are very smart.

And just for you own information Albret Einstein became a professor in university after 9 years of graduation and earned his phd after 4 years you see I think Albret was one of the 9 persons you are talking about very unlucky but he knows how to turn situations to his best

No, he landed a professorship, which means he was not one of the 9 persons. The 9 persons I'm talking about will never land a professorship.

What do you think about those 9 out of 10? Did they not work hard enough? Were they not smart enough? Were they less able to turn situations to their best? Are only 1 out of 10 PhD students able to turn a situation to their best? How do you turn a situation good? What skills does it require?

 

[Physic lover]

Anyway thank you all

 

[reenmachine]

As nice as that would be, it is simply not true. If your goal from the start is to become the next Einstein, you are bound to be disappointed. As LastOneStanding said, be more realistic.

I also find it curious that many people have this romantic fascination with becoming the next Einstein or the next Newton. How come no one ever wants to become the next Gauss? Poor Gauss.

Hey , I do want to become the next Gauss.

But unfortunately for me and for mathematics in general , I won't.

 

[theoristo]

Saying you want to become the next Einstein is foolish...Just try to see what made him love physics and see if that something is in you by going far enough into physics and math...if not find something else that that you enjoy ...I'm a big fan of Feynman I loved reading his biographies and watching his videos on youtube ...and It became clear to me that I should not try to become a physicist because I'm inspired by feynman's life but because I looked far enough into physics ...So don't try to decide before you've known enough because I think you're trying to mimic einstein becauce of his life and his fame not because of your love of inquiry and doubt.

 

[nabil0]

It's now much harder to become a next Einstein than it was before because research problems are now much harder and the amount of background material you have to understand is very big and the material is intrinsically difficult ,but don't lose hope . You could be smart enough to earn the nobel prize but this is rare .

 

[ZombieFeynman]

I don't care if this is a troll. It is still worth noting that Einstein (and many of his Great Physicist Peers) were extraordinarily lucky in the time they were born:

1. Low competition. Physics was not as well established a field as chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. There were many fewer people working on developing the field.

2. Low barrier to entry. Mechanics and electrodynamics were largely classical. The whole of modern physics at the time could nearly fit into an undergraduate education.

3. Low hanging fruit; many interesting problems. There were several groundbreaking experimental discoveries in the period from 1850 - 1900 that set the stage for revolution across the board. The inner structure of the atom was just being uncovered. The notion of the aether seemed in jeopardy. The problem of blackbody radiation. Optical equipment was getting precise enough to offer the right resolution to observe thermal jiggling of suspended particles.

Einstein and his colleagues lived in a truly interesting time. Still, his genius and originality are noteworthy. My life's work will surely be incomparable to anyone of his 1905 papers. I just think we should be aware of the true golden age of physics in which he and some of his peers lived in.