Do scientists have a social life?

[atharv kapila]

As an aspiring physicist , it worries me to see most of the physicists and mathematicians leading a rather reclusive lifestyle.(which they tend to enjoy and I have no problem with that). I'm very social by nature; I enjoy going to parties, playing sports, going for a vacation and sometimes gaming too. I love math and physics and I also want to get deeper into these subjects and not merely restrict myself to high school level, rather get a phD and become a physicist at a prestigious university. But will I have to give up on all of this if I want to be an excellent physicist ? Do you know physicists/mathematicians who are social by nature but have contributed immensely to their field ?

 

[Bandersnatch]

Only social scientists have real social life. Physicists manage with half-life. Botanists are barely vegetating. Chemists are bonding among themselves.

More seriously, don't worry. Social ineptitude is no prerequisite for a scientific career. If you want a role model, look at Feynman - he was a social beast and a ladies' man.

 

[Vanadium 50]

it worries me to see most of the physicists and mathematicians leading a rather reclusive lifestyle

And where do get this data? Paerticulalrly the "most", which means >50%.

 

[hutchphd]

One of my favorite characters

 

[irk]

About role models I would say there are people who are incredibly gifted/talented, don't take them as role models unless you are one of them. If you are not then you have to be extremely focused on your subject giving it much higher priority than social life - unless your social life will be in the circle of people focused on the same subject which means you will be then 24/7 in the subject area .

 

[Klystron]

I can offer two data points.

Read personal histories of scientists and mathematicians involved in the 1940's Manhattan Engineering Project at secluded locations. The after work social gatherings and parties became legendary. Social and sports clubs abounded.

In more modern times I found the best work-related parties at NASA. Project milestones were often celebrated with parties. Ames Research Center hosted impromptu dining clubs, Toastmasters, flying clubs and pickup sports. I first played cricket at a pickup game behind the flight simulator building organized by mathematicians and engineers from India.

Speaking of engineers, the aforementioned activities were attended by any project participants; mostly STEM but also including operations, administration and support staff.

 

[irk]

@Klystron, these are not examples in tune with the thread initiator dreaming of becoming physicist at 'prestigious' university. Realizing such dream is like racing to the top in individual sports discipline, take tennis as an example. Examples you provide could be compared to team sports where good team spirit is very important and has to be cultivated. Overall, one could ask about motivation here: is the person driven by passion or by a dream of nice lifestyle, sophisticated edition? Thus, would be satisified by being in a less prestigious university but still in physics? Would prefer to be intensly personal theorist in arcane esotheric areas bordering on speculation, like bubbling Universes, or could also be in a down to Earth problems like theory of sh*t flows? Could imagine being physicist experimentalist, in particular a member, a minor wheel in a team of thousands?

 

[Klystron]

@Klystron, these are not examples in tune with the thread initiator dreaming of becoming physicist at 'prestigious' university. Realizing such dream is like racing to the top in individual sports discipline, take tennis as an example. Examples you provide could be compared to team sports where good team spirit is very important and has to be cultivated. Overall, one could ask about motivation here: is the person driven by passion or by a dream of nice lifestyle, sophisticated edition? Thus, would be satisified by being in a less prestigious university but still in physics? Would prefer to be intensly personal theorist in arcane esotheric areas bordering on speculation, like bubbling Universes, or could also be in a down to Earth problems like theory of sh*t flows? Could imagine being physicist experimentalist, in particular a member, a minor wheel in a team of thousands?

@irk raises interesting points. Opportunity certainly affects ability to realize cherished goals. Maturity helps one adapt to exigent reality. Coincidentally, after a decade+ at NASA, I transferred to another local 'think tank' associated and named after a highly prestigious university. While several brilliant physicists contributed to my teams, the primary focus of this laboratory involved human speech expressed in new technology, not directly physics nor math; so I did not mention the lively social activities. I can attest to the veracity of that old canard that anthropology/linguistics attracts the most beautiful scientists.

I responded to the OP's request for information concerning the social life of practicing physicists and mathematicians particularly sports and parties. People such as the OP -- outgoing, social, athletic -- can be instrumental in involving the less socially adept, possibly repressed individuals in group activities. Physically limited team members still enjoy cheering on their side and participating in group activities such as playing musical instruments and singing, dining and picnics, examining the latest in high tech, Yoga and 'Tai Chi', and the inevitable enjoyable afterhours sessions. Enjoy your career.

 

[BillTre]

As an aspiring physicist , it worries me to see most of the physicists and mathematicians leading a rather reclusive lifestyle.(which they tend to enjoy and I have no problem with that).

I suspect that this is not a good comparison to make: of the activities of mature physicists, vs. those of your (presumably student) age.
The physicists your are using as your group to emulate are now doing the behavior of those who are no longer so much in the partying age range.
In addition, they probably have families, another behavior modulator. Two big lifestyle changes for a lot of people: marriage and reproduction (having kids).

Examples of successful physicists with higher than normal social activity levels have already been given.
I would expect the frequency would be about the same in a comparison population (non-scientists, scientists, physicists, very successful physicists).
There could be some filtering that might be detected in comparisons among these groups.
I have not seen any numbers on any of this.

I'm very social by nature; I enjoy going to parties, playing sports, going for a vacation and sometimes gaming too. I love math and physics and I also want to get deeper into these subjects and not merely restrict myself to high school level, rather get a phD and become a physicist at a prestigious university. But will I have to give up on all of this if I want to be an excellent physicist ? Do you know physicists/mathematicians who are social by nature but have contributed immensely to their field ?

Labs and departments often have periodic parties/celebrations at particular times. Some have more, some less. These are pretty standard where I have been, 5 or 6 different labs.
Once you are directing a lab, you could dial these up or down to your own desire.

Most place where I have been have had opportunities for intramural sports of various kinds, both team and individual sports. This is usually done at a university level, occasionally in particular labs when someone there was very into organizing such things.

These are things that are organized and available for participation. Social activity beyond these are more of your own responsibility.

 

[irk]

You all raise good points. My concern is about the intended goal of "get a PhD and become a physicist at a prestigious university". This is too vaguely formulated job description. If it means becoming eventually a tenured full professor of physics at prestigious university it requires razor sharp focus on the topic, it is bit like long and winding track of Himalaya-climbing. If somebody is very social by nature I think the best would be to organize social life within similar Himalaya climbers. But one may also become e.g. staff member in a big experimental physics lab and then this is more like a normal job with no particular limitation on social life.

 

[atyy]

Party Loving Genius John von Neumann Changed How We See The World Through Game Theory

He also made important contributions to quantum mechanics, functional analysis and computer architecture.

 

[RPinPA]

I think you may be doing something like this:
- many physicists are introverts
- therefore physics causes introversion
- or in order to succeed in physics, I must become an introvert

Those aren't logical deductions.

I personally am extremely introverted. That doesn't mean I hate people or even that I dislike gatherings. It means that they drain me, and that I'd rather listen to the conversation than struggle to make conversation myself, and that to recharge my personal batteries I need alone time.

 

[irk]

Or
- many geniuses are party guys
- in order to succeed in phys/math, one must become party guy

So the ingenious deduction is that geniuses are made at parties:).