How Can Someone with a Disability and a Passion for Physics Find Fulfillment?

[Boston_Guy]

Hello everyone. I just joined the forum and I thought I'd start off by introducing myself. I'm from Boston, I have an MS in physics and I'm disabled. I thus have way too much time on my hands. I need an outlet for my passions, which are in physics and mathematics. I used to get a sense of achievement from work but since I can never work again I’ll have to get that from somewhere else. I thought of tutoring but that doesn’t seem workable. So in the end I thought it’d be nice to join a discussion forum and try to help students and others who want to learn physics. It seems like doing volunteer work in this sense is a good way to use my time. So I’m here and wanted to say that and also say Hello!

 

[SpaceTiger]

Hello everyone. I just joined the forum and I thought I'd start off by introducing myself. I'm from Boston, I have an MS in physics and I'm disabled. I thus have way too much time on my hands. I need an outlet for my passions, which are in physics and mathematics. I used to get a sense of achievement from work but since I can never work again I’ll have to get that from somewhere else. I thought of tutoring but that doesn’t seem workable. So in the end I thought it’d be nice to join a discussion forum and try to help students and others who want to learn physics. It seems like doing volunteer work in this sense is a good way to use my time. So I’m here and wanted to say that and also say Hello!

Welcome, sounds like this forum is just what you had in mind. There are lots of great people here, so don't be surprised if it turns into a learning experience for you as well.

 

[turbo]

Welcome Boston-Guy. I'm medically disabled too, and spend a lot of time here. MCS has pretty much eliminated my face-to-face contact except with a couple of people that actually understand (and one has it, too, though not as severely). I have my dog and PF for company and my wife when she gets home from work. Be sure to read the forum rules and abide by them so you won't get banned.

best regards,
Skip

 

[ThinkToday]

Welcome!

And I second the reading of the rules... as someone that has gotten a few infractions for not reading them carefully enough

 

[Boston_Guy]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I reviewed the rules as you all suggested and found the to be easy to live by.

turbo - Its nice to see someone who can appreciate what its like being in my position. MAybe you can give me some pointers about living with a disability. I can walk and go to a movie and things like that. I jut have to be very cautuious. I could easily strand myself somewhere by goiong for a long walk and find myself in so much pain that I'd be unable to move. I'm on pain medication so I can lead a normal life in my apartment. I lost most of my friends when I became disabled, which was rather a sad thing to experience after having something so dramatic happen to a person. How long have you been disabled? My spinal cord was damaged about seven years ago. I had two surgeries but they failed. Now I'm stuck wuith four herniated disks.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Welcome Boston_Guy!

 

[turbo]

Boston_Guy,

I have been fighting MCS for about 20 years, and it became debilitating about 6-7 years ago. I wish I could go to movies, restaurants, etc. That would be such a nice break from time to time. Still, I have my dog and my wife and PF to keep me relatively sane. I lost contact with most friends when the MCS took hold because people don't have a clue how the fragrances in their laundry products can debilitate others, much less colognes and perfumes. I had a really sweet second job or two every weekend hosting music jams in local taverns for about $35/hour cash plus free drinks, but had to give them up. That was the start of the hard downhill slide. So sad to give up contact with musician friends - especially young ones that would travel 1 to 1-1/2 hours to get a chance to play on stage and learn. One young fellow lived probably 45 minutes away and his father brought him to a jam at least a couple of times a month (he was too young to drive). The kid was already pretty proficient at copying Santana and others, but I was teaching him barre chords (so he could improvise in any key) and blues. Sad to lose that.

Good luck coping.

best regards,
Skip

 

[Boston_Guy]

Greg - Thank you!

Boston_Guy,

I have been fighting MCS for about 20 years,

What is MCS?

Good luck coping.

Thank you Skip. It's nice to know that you're there all day since I'll probably be here all day too to stretch my physics legs. Plus I'm sure that I'll learn a lot of stuff here since when one is around people with varying talents one is sure to come across someone with something new!

My area of expertise is relativity. I'm spending the summer brushing up on Quantum Mechanics. I haven't kept up wth it since graduate school. What about you? Do you have an area of expertise or an area of physics which you like more than the others?

 

[turbo]

What is MCS?

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. It's not fun.

 

[Boston_Guy]

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. It's not fun.

Wow. I just read about it. Sooo sorry to hear that!

 

[micromass]

Hi Boston_guy! I'm sure you'll enjoy these forums here! Be sure to drop by in chat on sunday

Oh by the way, you got a favorite fish??

 

[Boston_Guy]

Hi Boston_guy! I'm sure you'll enjoy these forums here! Be sure to drop by in chat on sunday

Thanks for the invitation!

Oh by the way, you got a favorite fish??

I'm fond of catfish, why?

 

[Evo]

Oooh catfish, nice choice. Fried?

 

[micromass]

Thanks for the invitation! I'm fond of catfish, why?

*slaps Boston_Guy with a huge catfish*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCwLirQS2-o

Now you're properly initiated!

 

[Chi Meson]

Welcome. This is the place! Once fall kicks in, you will have more than enough opportunities to help students across the world who are eager to have you do their homework for them!

With an MS, you should be able to get some shiny medals in no time. All you need to do is be consistent with correct and helpful info and have a good, not-too-confrontational attitude. There's no money in it, but you're allowed into the special lounges (jacuzzi!).

 

[Boston_Guy]

Oooh catfish, nice choice. Fried?

Baked. How is it fried?

 

[Boston_Guy]

With an MS, you should be able to get some shiny medals in no time. All you need to do is be consistent with correct and helpful info and have a good, not-too-confrontational attitude.

It's nice to be appreciated, that's for sure. As for correct, every single thing I post will be found it one physics text or another. I'm a textbook physics kind of guy. If and when there are debates on exactlyu which textbook is right or wrong then I'll step aside since I dislike those kinds of discussions.

 

[Chi Meson]

It's nice to be appreciated, that's for sure. As for correct, every single thing I post will be found it one physics text or another. I'm a textbook physics kind of guy. If and when there are debates on exactlyu which textbook is right or wrong then I'll step aside since I dislike those kinds of discussions.

Anything by Wheeler is right.

Now step aside...

 

[Boston_Guy]

Anything by Wheeler is right.

Now step aside...

I bet I'll be quoting him often. I have Gravitation by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler.

 

[drizzle]

Welcome to the forum Boston_Guy! Hope you enjoy it here.

 

[Boston_Guy]

Welcome to the forum Boston_Guy! Hope you enjoy it here.

Thank you Gad! Gee. This is such a friendly place. Thank you all for such a friendly welcome. I'll respond in kind and try to help the best I can. Agaon, thanks everyone!

I'm going to see my doctor today about my medication. After that I thought I'd treat myself to a new physics text. Probably a Dover Publication. They have good stuff at a reasonable cost. Any suggestions on what to look at?

 

[Boston_Guy]

Good news. The doctor tells me I'm still alive, so that's always good.

I found a little book text while I was at the MIT Coop yesterday. It's caled Classical Dynamics by Donald T. Greenwood, Dover Pub, (1977). Seems like a great book so far. Has anyone hear ever read it?