Exploring the Name 'Physicsforums': The Intersection of Science and Community

[kasse]

Why the name physicsforums when there is chemistry, maths, biology and lots of other topics as well?

 

[Gokul43201]

Most of the other topics did not exist in the "beginning", when PF went online in 2001.

 

[_Mayday_]

I think of it as a forum for physics and maths. If you have a look there are a lot more physics related sections than any other, with things like biology and chemistry having a tiny portion of the total traffic.

 

[_Mayday_]

On the top of the page with the directory it says:

Physics Help and Math Help - Physics Forums

Math_

 

[mgb_phys]

All science is either physics or stamp collecting…
–Ernst Rutherford

 

[George Jones]

All science is either physics or stamp collecting…
–Ernst Rutherford

Who won a Nobel Prize in stamp collecting.

 

[Andre]

True. Chemistry stamp collecting.

 

[_Mayday_]

All science is either physics or stamp collecting…
–Ernst Rutherford

I love that quote, mainly because I have no idea what it means.​

Who won a Nobel Prize in stamp collecting.

Pauli.

http://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~jr/physstamps.html" ​

 

[Andre]

I love that quote, mainly because I have no idea what it means.

Excellent! So many would not dare to admit that. Stamp collecting is like gathering facts (stamps). No need to understand, just observe, and do the book keeping. Physics is all about finding out how things work.

 

[_Mayday_]

Excellent! So many would not dare to admit that. Stamp collecting is like gathering facts (stamps). No need to understand, just observe, and do the book keeping. Physics is all about finding out how things work.

Sweet, cheers. Now I am in the know!

 

[mgb_phys]

I think it was meant as an insult.
Understanding how biological processes work is physics, remembering the classification and latin names for creatures is stamp collecting.
Another quote is something about when the physics becomes obvious the topic gets spun off into it's own subject.

 

[Evo]

On the top of the page with the directory it says:

Physics Help and Math Help - Physics Forums

Math_

That's because we are American and know the correct way to abbreviate Mathematics. Maths.. Pfffft

 

[Andre]

I think it was meant as an insult.
Understanding how biological processes work is physics, remembering the classification and latin names for creatures is stamp collecting.

Absolutely. Problem is that you need stamp collectors to check if your physics is not exceeding the realm of observations.

 

[_Mayday_]

That's because we are American and know the correct way to abbreviate Mathematics. Maths.. Pfffft

Absolutely. Problem is that you need stamp collectors to check if your physics is not exceeding the realm of observations.

Good point.

 

[cristo]

That's because we are American and know the correct way to abbreviate Mathematics. Maths.. Pfffft

Mayday; there's not use trying to convert them...

 

[_Mayday_]

Mayday; there's not use trying to convert them...

Yeah I imagine you've tried to before, mate we'd better just quit now.