Poll: What type of person are you?

[LightFantastic]

I've met three different kinds of people in my life: breadboarders, PCBers, and theorists.

Do you like to tinker (breadboarder) or are you more of a finished product type of person (PCBer)? Perhaps you're just satisfied knowing how something works (theorists)?

Me? I can't help but notice my electronics stash dwindle in size. I'm turning into a theorist. You can get a lot more done this way


So who are you?


edit: I guess I don't know how to create a poll, lol

 

[DennisN]

Fun question! I was actually about to write a post and ask if anybody else than me thinks soldering is meditative (yes, it's true, I find it meditative ).

I don't know who I am really, I think I'm partly all three. I always like theory, and I also love tinkering, modifying things and making things work (and sometimes accidentally destroy them ).

 

[lendav_rott]

I'm the tinkerer or bread boarder or what are youmacallit.

 

[WannabeNewton]

I'm definitely none of those. Where's the pancake option?

 

[Enigman]

Try a myers-briggs test.

 

[AlephZero]

Fun question! I was actually about to write a post and ask if anybody else than me thinks soldering is meditative

Its only truly meditative if you can pick up the soldering iron by the hot end, and not notice.

Of course the ultimate goal of meditative soldering is to pick up the soldering iron at the hot end and then use the cold end to make a perfectly soldered joint.

 

[DennisN]

Its only truly meditative if you can pick up the soldering iron by the hot end, and not notice.

Of course the ultimate goal of meditative soldering is to pick up the soldering iron at the hot end and then use the cold end to make a perfectly soldered joint.

 

[LightFantastic]

Fun question! I was actually about to write a post and ask if anybody else than me thinks soldering is meditative (yes, it's true, I find it meditative ).

I never liked soldering. I have a tendency of putting things in my mouth

I created this thread because I worry. What's a guy do with himself when he's got it all figured out?

 

[LightFantastic]

I'm definitely none of those. Where's the pancake option?

Who are you?

You either build it or consume it. You do niether, and you must be a theorist. Why else would you be on a Physics forum?

 

[WannabeNewton]

Who are you?

I ask myself that same question every night

Why else would you be on a Physics forum?

Camaraderie.

 

[Enigman]

What's a guy do with himself when he's got it all figured out?

Make pancakes.

 

[AlephZero]

You either build it or consume it. You do niether, and you must be a theorist. Why else would you be on a Physics forum?

You missed option 4: do both. That's the only sensible way to go with pancakes, IMO.

 

[jtbell]

Try a myers-briggs test.

We had a poll about that a couple of years ago:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=531612

 

[DennisN]

I created this thread because I worry. What's a guy do with himself when he's got it all figured out?

Oh, don't worry. There are two possibilities:

1. You will never figure all of it out.
2. If you figure all of it out, then it's time to go into research. Build me new components worthy of Mordor.

 

[StrayCatalyst]

Breadboard, with a side of kitbashing.

 

[mesa]

Fun question! I was actually about to write a post and ask if anybody else than me thinks soldering is meditative (yes, it's true, I find it meditative ).

I don't know who I am really, I think I'm partly all three. I always like theory, and I also love tinkering, modifying things and making things work (and sometimes accidentally destroy them ).

Yes! Sometimes I look around the photolab for things that 'need' repaired

 

[LightFantastic]

1. You will never figure all of it out.

Leibniz had a question like this, for if you start with nothing, then you are left trying to explain why there is something rather than nothing

I think humans have been pushing why questions to such an extent that they become irrelevant. For instance, science can explain phenomenon through constants or laws, but can science explain why these laws are the way they are in the first place? Most people would say no. I think other. If the laws/constants weren't the way they are or so finely tuned, then I wouldn't be here to address the question.

So yeah, I do think you can figure it all out.

 

[DennisN]

So yeah, I do think you can figure it all out.

And how would you know you had figured it all out?

Leibniz had a question like this, for if you start with nothing, then you are left trying to explain why there is something rather than nothing

Perhaps, but this is a bit too much philosophy for my taste .

When I said "you", I really meant you - it was not meant as any general principle or philosophy. And when I said "you", I could have talked about myself:

1. I will never figure all of it out (and with "all of it" I mean understand all of a contemporary scientific field or - which is pretty impossible - understand all contemporary science*).

2. If I figure all of it out, then it's time to go into research. I will try to build new components worthy of Mordor (or try to solve unsolved problems in a field/find new problems).

My point is that it is highly unlikely scientists and engineers will be out of work any time soon.

* I'm pretty terrible at chemistry. Can't say I know much about biology either. Or medical science. Etc.

 

[BobG]

Breadboarder.

The problem with the finished product is that you try it out, it does exactly what you expected, you say, "That was fun" - except it's only fun for a few times and then having it do exactly what you want every time is kind of boring.

Not that boring is bad. In fact, having the finished product do interesting things is usually bad.

Hence, the development being a lot more fun.

 

[Nunchi]

the type that wishes I was one of those or something like that

 

[stardust]

Try a myers-briggs test.

I'm sorry, but I have to say I think these psychometric tests are absolute pseudoscience. They're more of test of how you see yourself than who you actually are. Even that is within a narrow set of boundaries one set of authors create.

Of course, the results always seem accurate because they are mainly positive, complimentary general tapioca pudding words. Much like astrology in fact.

 

[bluemoonKY]

Pcb

What does PCB stand for?

 

[DennisN]

What does PCB stand for?

I'm pretty sure the OP meant Printed Circuit Board.

 

[jbunniii]

I don't like building things. (Well, maybe software if you pay me enough.) "A solution exists" is good enough for me, as long as it is accompanied by a proof.