Does Brian Greene recommend colleges?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Brian Greene's educational background and whether he has recommended any colleges for students interested in physics, particularly string theory. Participants explore the implications of his academic journey and seek advice on selecting colleges for pursuing a degree in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that Brian Greene earned his BS at Harvard and his PhD at Oxford, questioning if he has a list of recommended colleges.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the existence of such a list and the likelihood of receiving a reply from Greene.
  • Another participant suggests that any top 50 or 100 universities in the US should have decent physics programs, emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded physics curriculum over a specific focus on string theory.
  • There is a discussion about Penn State University as a potential choice for undergraduate studies, with varying opinions on its competitiveness and suitability for future specialization in string theory.
  • Some participants argue that string theory is a specialization for a PhD rather than an undergraduate major, and that it may not be widely accepted among physicists.
  • Concerns are raised about the difficulty of gaining admission to Penn State and the differences between branch campuses and the main campus regarding physics offerings.
  • One participant shares their experience of receiving a prompt reply from Greene regarding a different topic, suggesting that he may not respond to general inquiries about college recommendations.
  • Another participant advises against basing college choices solely on popular science portrayals of string theory, suggesting a more thorough exploration of the field.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there is no known list of recommended colleges from Brian Greene, and there is uncertainty regarding the best approach to selecting a college for physics studies. Multiple competing views exist regarding the importance of string theory in undergraduate education and the competitiveness of various colleges.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the admission statistics for Penn State and the implications of attending branch campuses versus the main campus. There is also a lack of consensus on the relevance of string theory to undergraduate studies.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a degree in physics, particularly those interested in string theory, and individuals seeking insights into college selection for STEM fields.

php111
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Hey everyone,

I believe that Brian Greene earned his BS degree at Harvard, and then he specialized in string theory by earning his PhD degree Oxford which is not in the USA? Correct?

I just have a question about Brian.

Besides the colleges he went too. Did this man every come up with a list of colleges he prefers, or recommends to students? I mean did he write a list of colleges for what he does, and possibly for something good to earn a BS degree? I know he's teaching at Columbia University in NYC, and honestly, I sent him an email.
 
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It is unlikely that such a thing exists.
It is unlikely as well that you will be getting an e-mail reply, see , professors hardly reply grad students, so the probability for outsiders to get a reply is even much less lower.
 
Thank you!

Can I ask you another question, please? Could you recommend a top list of ranking colleges for physics, and string theory, but public colleges? Or what college is similar to Columbia is one exists?
 
If you live in the US, any of the top 50 (or even top 100, you know, there are thousands of colleges in the US alone) universities should have a decent physics programme.

You shouldn't look only at whether have specialists in string theory or not, there is much more to be learned in physics.
Also you never know, maybe the day you start studying string theory, you might end up hating it. So I emphasize, the whole physics curriculum is important.

You may want to look at the following ranking:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-ed...100-universities-world-physics-astronomy-2011

Bare in mind, all those listed are good schools. The physics undergrad curriculum is more or less standardized.

I came across this list too, not sure its based on what criteria:
http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~zbt/Physicsrankings.htm
 
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I do live in the US. I live in Pennsylvania which is on the east coast.
 
Hey,

I'm back! LOL. It looks like Brian didn't email me back. It figures. With that type of level, I highly doubt I'll receive anything.

Would Penn State University (PSU) be a good school to earn a BS, but transfer to a school more specialized for a PhD that offers string theorist? Am I understanding that right? Also, look for a well known school with very good faculty? Are those sites good schools for a string theory major? I'm not even sure of the stats to get into PSU. I was reading it is public, and also competive. PSU is in the same state I live.
 
You won't do your bachelors and masters/PhD at the same college anyway, so you can start pretty much anywhere. String theory is something you'd specialize in for a PhD, not a major. You'd be majoring in physics. String theory isn't even a course, nor is it generally accepted by physicists or a good plan for a research career. Penn State would be an excellent place to start.
 
eri,

What are the stats getting into Penn State? Since it's a public college, does it mean it's easier to get into? Or would it be competive the same way a private as an Ivy league would be? I know Ivy leagues are hard to get into, and I was hoping that Penn State would be easy. I mean a branch campus for two years.




eri said:
You won't do your bachelors and masters/PhD at the same college anyway, so you can start pretty much anywhere. String theory is something you'd specialize in for a PhD, not a major. You'd be majoring in physics. String theory isn't even a course, nor is it generally accepted by physicists or a good plan for a research career. Penn State would be an excellent place to start.
 
That information is on their website.

http://admissions.psu.edu/facts/studentbody/

Since you live in-state, it's easier for you to get in than someone out of state. Branch campuses tend to be much easier to get into. But they also don't tend to offer much in the way of physics classes.
 
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  • #10
Do you mean it's easier to get in at the main campus? Or for the branch campuses?

I was thinking it's easier for the main campus, but I could be wrong.
 
  • #11
I highly doubt the guy has a list of perferred universities to recommend.
 
  • #12
Branch campuses have much higher admission rates than the main campus. Many branch campuses don't even offer bachelors degrees, and serve as feeder campuses for the main campus. Most don't offer more than just the introductory physics courses, so going there will set you back at year, and won't give you many, or even any, research opportunities - which you need to get into a top grad school.
 
  • #13
php111 said:
Do you mean it's easier to get in at the main campus? Or for the branch campuses?

I was thinking it's easier for the main campus, but I could be wrong.

This might come off as mean, but I'm only being honest: If you cannot come up with reasonable answers to some of your questions by yourself or find out some of the information you have asked for by yourself, I would be highly skeptical of your prospects for success in Physics.
 
  • #14
php111 said:
Hey,

I'm back! LOL. It looks like Brian didn't email me back. It figures. With that type of level, I highly doubt I'll receive anything.

Imagine how many emails that guy must receive! He probably has a secretary who filters out email queries. Still, I admire your chutzpah. Why not write him an actual letter, that might get past the filter. Send a self addressed envelope with a stamp - such care *might* inspire a response (at least from the secretary!)

I agree, though, that he probably doesn't have a list. And its not very inspiring to be asked for such a list! Why not ask him which colleges he would recommend based on his personal experience? Ask him who were his most inspiring teachers. Also ask him what books he would recommend.

Try reading the biographies of other physicists to see where they went, what they read, and how they did it. For example:

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/wilczek-autobio.html
 
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  • #15
mal4mac said:
Imagine how many emails that guy must receive! He probably has a secretary who filters out email queries. Still, I admire your chutzpah. Why not write him an actual letter, that might get past the filter...

Well, it may get past the spam filter, but I wonder why one would think that Brian Greene has any special insights into the quality of undergrad education to begin with...

Also, to base one's choice of college and major on a popular science depiction of string theory seems a bit risky to me. The reality of what doing string theory research, and more importantly a getting a physics degree beforehand, may be quite different than how it's portrayed to laypeople, and you may not like it at all.
 
  • #16
Brian Greene did reply to an email I sent him - but that was regarding decoherence. He replied within 24 hours.
 
  • #17
StevieTNZ said:
Brian Greene did reply to an email I sent him - but that was regarding decoherence. He replied within 24 hours.

So, what your saying is he has no intentions of replying to me? I guess it wasn't an important question? I'm only guessing.
 
  • #18
php111 said:
So, what your saying is he has no intentions of replying to me? I guess it wasn't an important question? I'm only guessing.
Considering the fact that probably thousands of people send him a email asking him what they should do if they want to become a string theorist, I think it's reasonable to assume he wouldn't bother to reply...
 
  • #19
I won't ask Brian anymore questions. I know I shouldn't have sent him that email. Those kinds of questions should of been researched.

Could I ask questions on here? I don't see why not since it's a public forum?

I looked at this site that was posted in this thread.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/prize_awarder/

Do they have any professors from the USA, so I could see what colleges that went too? That link I posted is from Swedish I believe. I just want to see where they went. Would that be fine? I won't contact them with any questions.
 
  • #20
Brian Greene does not owe you a reply, sorry. He has other responsibilities, and as pointed out, his area of expertise is not undergraduate education.

You also should be aware that the number of jobs in string theory each year is some number around (at most) five. So if you're not one of the five best people at it, you're going to have to do something else. You need to ask yourself the question "if I am trying to find which Penn State Campus is easiest to get into, is it likely I will be one of the very best 5 people on the continent?"
 
  • #21
Why should we be the ones to do your legwork? You have a list of names. Find their biographies and see where they went.
 

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