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Nano-Passion
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Whats the work life of an experimental physicist like? Hours? Pay? Activities and duties? etc. etc.
Norman said:Useless question. It is much too broad. Because the question is too broad, the associated variance on the answers is going to swamp out their validity.
I know experimentalists who make 30k and ones who make 300K/year. I know experimentalists that work 9-5, 5 days a week. And ones who work 60 hour weeks consistently.
Norman said:The guy did his PhD in astronomy, but he focused on the optics used and how to design optical systems. He now works for a company designing, testing, researching, etc. gun scopes. He loves his job and they pay him really well.
Nano-Passion said:Interesting. But it seems like an mathematical outlier in the data.
Nano-Passion said:I would rather have the average
Sheets said:I'm not sure how insightful asking for the average of what experimentalists overal make--my guess is it is similar to theoreticians. It is probably more meaningful to think about where you want your career to go: national lab, R1 university, slacs, or industry and then compare mid-career wages.
As for a 'typical' workweek for this experimentalist: Lately I've spent a lot of time writing C++/python code to analyze data, thought long and hard about tricky statistical problems, built and ran monte carlo simulations of physics events and detector simulations, and actually found time to go the lab and measure something.
Vanadium 50 said:Dismissing a data point because it doesn't agree with your prejudices is the mark of a poor scientist.
There is no "average". That's what people have been trying to tell you. I don't understand why you ask questions and don't pay any attention to the answers. This is also a mark of a poor scientist.
An experimental physicist is a scientist who conducts experiments to test and validate theories and hypotheses in the field of physics. They use a combination of observation, measurement, and data analysis to understand and explain physical phenomena.
A typical day for an experimental physicist may involve designing and setting up experiments, collecting and analyzing data, writing reports and papers, and presenting findings to colleagues. They may also spend time reading and researching current literature in their field.
Some essential skills for an experimental physicist include a strong background in mathematics and physics, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and proficiency with laboratory equipment and computer software for data analysis.
Experimental physicists can work in a variety of industries and fields, including academia, government research labs, and private companies. They may also specialize in specific areas of physics, such as astrophysics, particle physics, or materials science.
Experimental physicists have made numerous significant contributions to our understanding of the physical world, from discovering new particles and forces to developing groundbreaking technologies. Some famous experimental physicists include Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.