What Makes Physics So Fascinating?

[jerromyjon]

Let's face it as scientists we should know that the reason we all "like" Physics is that the Serotonin levels in the brain spike when we do it.

That's what I meant by "It likes me back"... That rush you get with the "A-Ha!" moment when you discover something new for yourself.

I could only imagine what it is like to discover something new to science... perhaps someday I'll know!

I have a sneaking suspicion it would go something along the lines of your Kindergarten teacher announcing to the class that you were correct, we do not use periods after metric abbreviations. In USA in those days NO ONE used metric, except scientists. I never once doubted I was correct.

The real tear-jerker is all the classmates who learned by example, believe in yourself!

 

[Enclose]

I am fascinated by physics because, as was stated above, I consider it to be the most fundamental of sciences (lets leave out that mathematics debate eh ;) ). The realization that everything in our world follows unchangeable laws that we can discover is ... well, fascinating!
Unlike human-made laws, rules or constructs that often aren't based on logic (or faulty logic) and usually become a big mess, nature is actually extremely structured in a logical way (not always at first sight though). One might argue that taking nature apart this way makes it lose much of its mystery, but to me it only adds to the magic. It actually raises more, deeper questions.
Maybe paradoxically, it also gives me a sense of purpose. The thought that I as a person, or even we as humanity, am insignificant compared to the greater scheme of things is not the least bit bothersome to me. I believe I would find it more disturbing if we actually were a very significant part of it all. It makes me want to search for what the actual greater reasons are (if there even is such a thing). I enjoy the deeper philosophical questions that arise when exploring the edges of our knowledge.

 

[mpresic]

I like physics because it was supposed to be simple. At age 7, the encyclopedia said that atoms were like tiny solar systems with electrons in orbit around protons and neutrons. What could be simpler. All you have to know is the atoms of about a hundred different elements, and you know everything. Age 14, I learned that gravity weakens as the square of the distance. So did electromagnetism. What is simpler than that. There must be a connection. I also learned about age 12 about mu-mesons (as they were sometimes called back then; today they are muons) that apparently lived too long unless time behaves differently at high-velocities. Most people think physicists look for complexity, but this is incorrect. physicists look for simplicity. In high school my best marks were in chemistry. Math was second and physics was third or fourth. I was balanced between Math and physics but I thought only physics could tell me why the sky is blue or the grass is green.
Just before grad school, I really wanted to do modern physics specifically QM as applied to High-Energy physics. My first year of grad school, I took a class in theoretical mechanics (classical) with an inspiring professor, whose research area was theoretical High-energy physics. (I also had excellent quantum mechanics courses which I started out liking better). After my coursework, I still thought I wanted to get involved in a modern area, but the more I studied classical mechanics, the more I got involved,in it. My coworkers told me one day "I do not think you are quite so good at QM as a Classical Mechanics". I started to correct him that he never saw me approach a quantum nechanical problem because most of our work was in applied physics. Then I reflected, he was right. This was not an insult. Despite the fact that most current physics research explores the modern theories, the fact is the "older" physics is fertile ground for research as well. I have to say my favorite branch of physics is classical mechanics, with some statistical mechanics and mathematical physics thrown in.

 

[ShayanJ]

My signature!

P.S.
I remember reading a book containing a series of sci-fi short stories which had some little science between the stories. That was the first time I saw length contraction and time dilation. There was also things about tachyons and other parts of physics which are more exciting for lay people but I remember I was only fascinated with special relativity. Then I started reading about physics on internet and a few month later, I joined here. It goes back to when I was in high school, 2007 or 2008!
Basically I do physics because I enjoy it, and it was then that I discovered I enjoy it.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Also because I get bragging rights to my friends.

This is easily the most honest answer so far.

 

[mpresic]

Sorry Wannabe, Most of my friends are either physicists themselves or they couldn't care less. So much for bragging rights.