Me As Physicsholic

Me, at my workshop

Why do I love physics? I know most people are learning physics simply for homework help or just trying to pass the class. But I think there are others who truly are interested and LOVE physics. Why? What aspect of this particular science appeals to you? I have heard physics being called "the poetry of mankind used to explain the universe". What do you think?

Well, I must admit I was a VERY poor student through High School. I was bored, and didn't consider that the things we were studying at the time would be a foundation for the more interesting things to come.

When I discovered the joy of physics, for the first time in my life I WANTED to learn the math, and to build the foundation I had earlier failed to build. Physics gives meaning and insight to the world around us.

As Feynman so succinctly put it "There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe..."

How true! And now that I'm getting my act together, I'm starting to see this excitement more every day.

Well maybe because it is deals with the 'fundamentals' of nature and is strongly related to philosophy and mathematics. But my definitive answer is 'Quantum Physics', when we had that in high school, that is the first time I can remember i thought 'physics is cool man', just beacause nature is not 'intuitive'.

I love physics the other motive is because it dives into the basic nature of how things work. Even if the subject itself doesn't completely come together in the end, there are still moments of clarity where parts of things come together and you can say to yourself, "Oh, so that could account for why this happens." It is enormously satisfying when these moments happen. 

Chemistry is an empty subject without physics explaining how and why things are happening, and almost all of the useful ideas in Biology are built on the backbone of Chemistry. Therefore, Physics is not only potentially the most satisfying of the main sciences, but if your goal is to achieve a deep understanding in another related science it is also the most important (it is simply a shame that it is the most difficult of the sciences as many are turned away from the subject long before they see the beauty in it).

Physics (non-quantum) is essential in understand how things operate and what one should expect in witnessing or being part of a physical happening. I believe physics should be required as a pre-requisite to obtaining a driver's license.

Some physics lessons are learned by default as one does things like...fall down...get hit with a "softball"...sink in water...burn one's hand on the stove...spit into the wind..."fly" one's hand outside the car window...microwave an egg without venting it...get a palette blister from a hot pizza...get an "ice cream headache" from eating it too fast...have one's pants fall down for lack of a belt...wear out a pair of shoes...&c. These things do not require an understanding of mathematics.

My lecturer showed us how to derive a formula of Quantum Mechanics (Something to do with Bohr's theory of hydrogen, I think. It was just basic algebra.) because I kept asking him to go into QM. I had a strong interest in the 'watered down' books put out by Brian Greene, Lisa Randall etc etc, but I have to say, those two higher level physics courses I took in high school (Along with the coolest teacher I have ever had) sparked my interest in math, physics and science. It's the biggest reason why I enrolled in college this year. I have to understand what it all 'means' in a mathematical sense!

Hmmm.. Finally I want to say, "To learn much about physics, one must also understanding math...the more the better...!"