Can I get involved in an MIT Physics community?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of engaging with the MIT Physics community, particularly through the Center for Theoretical Physics and other local professional physics communities in eastern Massachusetts. Participants explore access to seminars and opportunities for interaction with physicists.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to get involved with MIT's physics community, noting their background in computer engineering and passion for theoretical physics.
  • Another participant suggests contacting the Center for Theoretical Physics (CTP) to inquire about public access to seminars and provides links to relevant resources.
  • A different participant shares their experience of attending physics seminars in New York City, indicating that such events are often open to the public despite being aimed at faculty and students.
  • The original poster mentions finding math study groups in Cambridge that could support their physics studies and expresses a desire for community engagement.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there may be opportunities to attend seminars, but there is uncertainty about the accessibility of specific events at the CTP. Multiple views on the openness of seminars exist, with some suggesting they are public while others imply restrictions may apply.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential assumptions about the nature of seminar access and the varying experiences of participants regarding public attendance at physics events.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in engaging with academic physics communities, particularly those in the eastern Massachusetts area or those considering involvement with MIT's physics programs.

Kevinkevinkevin
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a computer engineering degree, and, like I say in my bio, I've always been passionate about physics and math, but especially theoretical physics. I live near Cambridge, which is why I'm looking into MIT. I browsed the school's website, and I found the "Center for Theoretical Physics" and many different types of seminars that they have. However, it seems like it's reserved for faculty and post-grads... Am I wrong? Does anyone here know more? Otherwise, are there any in-person professional physics communities I can join in eastern Massachusetts? Thank you.
 
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Kevinkevinkevin said:
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a computer engineering degree, and, like I say in my bio, I've always been passionate about physics and math, but especially theoretical physics. I live near Cambridge, which is why I'm looking into MIT. I browsed the school's website, and I found the "Center for Theoretical Physics" and many different types of seminars that they have. However, it seems like it's reserved for faculty and post-grads... Am I wrong? Does anyone here know more? Otherwise, are there any in-person professional physics communities I can join in eastern Massachusetts? Thank you.
One could contact the CTP and ask about public access.

http://ctpweb.lns.mit.edu/seminars.html (Note - Other Seminars at MIT and in the Boston area)
http://ctp.lns.mit.edu/contact.html - It would be appropriate to contact and ask the CTP if one is able to attend a lecture.

As for interacting with other physicists, there is APS and AIP.
 
It's good to ask...
but in my experience, wherever there is a physics seminar or colloquium that is announced, it has been open to the public.
When I started college in New York City, I would freely drop into a physics seminar given at universities throughout the city.
Although such seminars might be directed to faculty, students, and postdocs [as opposed to the general public], they have still been open to the general public.

[Welcome: I used to live in Amherst.]
 
Thank you for the information, Astronuc. I will see about contacting the CTP. Thank you for relating your experience, robphy, and thank you for the welcome. I like Amherst a lot. I've also found some math study groups in Cambridge on meetup.com that would help give me a good foundation for the physics I want to study, some of which actually meet at MIT. So, I'll be looking into some of these as well... While I like dabbling in topics I'm interested in on my own, having people around who care about the same things I do would help me immensely.
 

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