Is Applied Theoretical Physics a Viable Field of Study?

[r.clark]

Hello

This is my first post and i was wondering is their a possible field know as applied theoretical physics? i am very interested in both applied physics and theoretical physics but i want them to be combined. this is taken into consideration that in college i want to double major with one major being mechanical engineering. so i really wanted to know if this field existed.

Im at the end f my junior year of high school.

so this is very important.

 

[Curl]

First you need to figure out what you want to do instead of asking "who will take me".
I'm in ME and unless you go to MIT and get Ph.D I doubt anyone will care about the theoretical physics part. That stuff is more of a hobby since you won't make money off of it.

 

[r.clark]

well MIT is a major possibility i feel very secure getting into MIT but i wanted to know if applied theoretical physics existed?

And ME was my main focus but still just curious, physics is also my passion.

 

[Pengwuino]

... why do you feel very secure getting into MIT? No one has any real reason to feel secure about getting into MIT.

 

[Curl]

You study physics and if you are good (after a lot of experience) you'll get a research position somewhere where you can apply the physics knowledge you have. I doubt any major school has a curriculum on "how to apply physics". That stuff is up to your imagination, and if you don't have it you can't learn it.

 

[Curl]

well MIT is a major possibility i feel very secure getting in to MIT but i wanted to know if applied theoretical physics existed?

And ME was my main focus but still just curious, physics is also my passion.

... why do you feel very secure getting into MIT? No one has any real reason to feel secure about getting into MIT.

Yeah to get into MIT you need to score 2400 on the SAT which includes a verbal part. If you don't know the difference between "into" and "in to" then your chances of pulling that off are very slim.

 

[r.clark]

Well i have all ready taken courses their through the seed program and mites and i feel confident in myself being that I am a junior in high school and i have already completed multivariable and linear a lgebra as well as quantum mechanics through harvard extension school. now i know this is nothing to guarantee me a seat but i feel good about it. plus if i don't get in undergrad theirs always graduate school.

 

[r.clark]

Yeah to get into MIT you need to score 2400 on the SAT which includes a verbal part. If you don't know the difference between "into" and "in to" then your chances of pulling that off are very slim.

well I am not good at writing but i got a 2395 so don't troll plus i type fast and make a lot of grammatical errors.

 

[Pengwuino]

Well i have all ready taken courses their through the seed program and mites and i feel confident in myself being that I am a junior in high school and i have already completed multivariable and linear a lgebra as well as quantum mechanics through harvard extension school. now i know this is nothing to guarantee me a seat but i feel good about it. plus if i don't get in undergrad theirs always graduate school.

Are you applying to more than one high end university?

 

[r.clark]

Are you applying to more than one high end university?

yes i am i am applying to Harvard, Boston University, M.I.T, I am not sure but i wanted to apply to the University of Cambridge but i wouldn't know how that would work seeing as how i live in Boston and i don't know their acceptance policy yet. I am also considering California institute of Technology and North Eastern University. I don't really want to leave boston to go to school and almost all of these schools are within a 20 minute driving distance from me.

 

[Pengwuino]

yes i am i am applying to Harvard, Boston University, M.I.T, I am not sure but i wanted to apply to the University of Cambridge but i wouldn't know how that would work seeing as how i live in Boston and i don't know their acceptance policy yet. I am also considering California institute of Technology and North Eastern University. I don't really want to leave boston to go to school and almost all of these schools are within a 20 minute driving distance from me.

Good, the biggest problem for certain students is that they say "I'm going to MIT, thus I'm only applying to MIT". No matter how good you think you are, there's always luck involved at the undergraduate level, so applying to multiple schools is always a fantastic idea.

 

[r.clark]

Good, the biggest problem for certain students is that they say "I'm going to MIT, thus I'm only applying to MIT". No matter how good you think you are, there's always luck involved at the undergraduate level, so applying to multiple schools is always a fantastic idea.

I have always been worried about undergraduate acceptance so even though i feel confident in my chance of getting in i don't want to get rejected and not have a plan B.

 

[KingNothing]

Sounds like kind of an oxymoron.

 

[r.clark]

Sounds like kind of an oxymoron.

It is lol.

 

[AstrophysicsX]

Applied theoretical physics? Not in our lifetime.

 

[r.clark]

Applied theoretical physics? Not in our lifetime.

thanks for being the first to answer my question. =) lol

 

[Pengwuino]

thanks for being the first to answer my question. =) lol

Oh you wanted an answer? :P

So yah, an applied theoretical physicist doesn't really make much sense. The thing to realize is that theoretical physicists do their theory, but sometimes do try to keep in mind of how to experimentally figure out if their theory is true. On the other hand, experimental physicists can't be completely withdrawn from theory as the theory is of utmost importance as well. Being good at both is a rare talent, however.

 

[r.clark]

Oh you wanted an answer? :P

So yah, an applied theoretical physicist doesn't really make much sense. The thing to realize is that theoretical physicists do their theory, but sometimes do try to keep in mind of how to experimentally figure out if their theory is true. On the other hand, experimental physicists can't be completely withdrawn from theory as the theory is of utmost importance as well. Being good at both is a rare talent, however.

That leaves me in a tight situation in which i want to know which field i want to enter theoretical or applied.

 

[jtx37]

thanks for being the first to answer my question. =) lol

Are you here to talk about physics?
Or argue about who can and can't get into college?
Maybe this will help.
Einstein's success theory.

A = X+Y+Z

Need to change your Negative X to a Positive.
Probably could use more Y in your diet.
Definitely need more Z.

 

[r.clark]

Are you here to talk about physics?
Or argue about who can and can't get into college?
Maybe this will help.
Einstein's success theory.

A = X+Y+Z

Need to change your Negative X to a Positive.
Probably could use more Y in your diet.
Definitely need more Z.

I don't know what you mean by "Are you here to talk about physics?" my initial question was purely physics based but the conversation about college came as a secondary conversation. and even though i enjoyed reading your post you didn't contribute to my initial question so my question to you is,

Are you here to talk about physics or are you just here to impose upon a rather productive conversation.

 

[AstrophysicsX]

In my opinion, theoretical physics doesn't seem like the type of thing any scientist would want to pursue. The science is pure theory. How I see it, "theoretical physicist" is just another name for "philosopher".

 

[Pengwuino]

That leaves me in a tight situation in which i want to know which field i want to enter theoretical or applied.

Naa it doesn't. You don't really specialize until graduate school, so you have at least 4 years to get a feel for which path you want to take. Everyone who gets their bachelors simply gets it in Physics.

 

[jtx37]

I don't know what you mean by "Are you here to talk about physics?" my initial question was purely physics based but the conversation about college came as a secondary conversation. and even though i enjoyed reading your post you didn't contribute to my initial question so my question to you is,

Are you here to talk about physics or are you just here to impose upon a rather productive conversation.

Initial question = possible (X). Substance of conversation became (-X). To much (-X) and (X) is lost.

Solution: For every question you have answered with a negative response, count them up and give a positive response for each question. (Maybe something like, Hey Kid! Here are 5 really good things you can try that might help you get into MIT.)

This should get you back to your Initial Question. I am sorry it got lost. :(

btw... (-X) is never productive, its actually quite the opposite. :) Cheers

 

[Vanadium 50]

In my opinion, theoretical physics doesn't seem like the type of thing any scientist would want to pursue. The science is pure theory. How I see it, "theoretical physicist" is just another name for "philosopher".

Your opinion is very ill-informed. (That's the thing about science - all opinions are not equal.) What most theoretical physics spend their time on has approximately zero overlap with what most philosophers spend their time on.

 

[jtx37]

Your opinion is very ill-informed. (That's the thing about science - all opinions are not equal.) What most theoretical physics spend their time on has approximately zero overlap with what most philosophers spend their time on.

But if we can't make any money at Theoretical Physics, then who's going to feed the Monkey?

 

[eri]

MIT has a physics major. It does not expect you to decide if you want to do applied or theoretical physics; you just learn physics. You'd make the distinction at the graduate level, if you get that far. Most of the research you'd do as an undergrad would be on the applied side, since there's not much you can do in the way of theory without extensive coursework, math, and time spent learning about the field through the journals.

 

[r.clark]

Initial question = possible (X). Substance of conversation became (-X). To much (-X) and (X) is lost.

Solution: For every question you have answered with a negative response, count them up and give a positive response for each question. (Maybe something like, Hey Kid! Here are 5 really good things you can try that might help you get into MIT.)

This should get you back to your Initial Question. I am sorry it got lost. :(

btw... (-X) is never productive, its actually quite the opposite. :) Cheers

I have to say you do have great posts.

 

[r.clark]

Naa it doesn't. You don't really specialize until graduate school, so you have at least 4 years to get a feel for which path you want to take. Everyone who gets their bachelors simply gets it in Physics.

True, thank you've been a huge help. I appreciate it.

 

[r.clark]

MIT has a physics major. It does not expect you to decide if you want to do applied or theoretical physics; you just learn physics. You'd make the distinction at the graduate level, if you get that far. Most of the research you'd do as an undergrad would be on the applied side, since there's not much you can do in the way of theory without extensive coursework, math, and time spent learning about the field through the journals.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Curl]

Hey can I ask you a question? Why did you say you want to do mechanical engineering? I'm about to finish that major and it feels like special ed. and has zero overlap with medium/high-end mathematics and physics. I'm not at MIT but even their program can't be too much better, a few notches higher, yes, but I don't think its enough.

If you are rich just do a double major in pure mathematics and physics, that's all you need to know.