Can a physicist do productive research alone?

[Redbelly98]

Just to clarify, when I say lone physicist I mean someone working on the actual theory by themselves, ie not in a group research project.

One thing that is not clear to me: do you have in mind:

• Somebody with a position at a research or university institution
  
• Somebody with no such position, but has a degree in physics
• Somebody without a degree or formal training in physics

What you are asking gets progressively harder as you go down that list, and many would argue becomes impossible (at least for practical purposes) by the 2nd or 3rd bullet point.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I am surprised that this has gone on as long as it has. People are having to look at centrury-old cases to see if they might be an example. That says something, no?

 

[Evo]

This is long done.