Popularity of physics

[Royston]

This is just an observation based on the popularity of the physics forum on SFN and a few others which I'm not a member...but physics 'as an area of interest' is rife, however as an interest of study it's dwindling. I realize this isn't a good comparison to measure interest of a subject, but it's easy to take interest, but not participate.

 

I see this as saddening, what do you guys think...there appears to be a popularity of interest, but a lack of anyone who really wants to put the work in.

 

It is (without a shadow of a doubt) a 'hard' subject, but the fact there is still scope for discovery is a very appealing aspect of physics, as much as it is refined there is still scope for new ideas, but this requires a huge amount of work to be tangible and compliant.

 

For me, the fundamental principles of physics will still invite new ideas...obviously, but the growing number of people that would rather sit by the wayside is worrying...not sure, is there any substance in this viewpoint ?

[Royston]

Errr, I don't even remember writing that last night

[bascule]

Awesome

 

Well not being a physics deparment I can't really say whether those studying physics are dwindling. My gut instinct would be that number is going up.

 

Physics has such a learning curve and so much prerequisite knowledge that it's immensely difficult to make the leap from interested laymen to learned participant. That's a leap which, if I wanted to make, I would likely have to quit my job, spend several months relearning the fundamentals of calculus, then enrolling in a local undergraduate physics program.

[MulderMan]

From my limited experience, I can vouch on a small scale that the polularity is dropping.

For someone that usually has a high aptitude for science, I lasted for aprox. 1 week in my AS Physics class, and in that time he only covered basic mechanics! Safe to say I was joined by many other students.

[woelen]

Popularity of science on a whole is diminishing. A lot of people talk about science (and pretend they know quite a lot of it, and draw far reaching conclusions from it), but only few people really do science. This is true in society in general, and it is true for SFN also.

[Comandante]

I don't know about the entire academic population but speaking from my own perspective I'm turning more to physics than to any other subject lately, vastly inspired by other books and documentaries which deal with physics. Having done some physics in high school I found it pretty attractive, then in my first year of biomedical science I missed it! Now decided to use all my elective-spaces for physics but was then advised of its difficulty and prerequisites. Well, so far I've ignored the warnings and took the prerequisites as well (math modelling, calculus and multivariable calculus) so you can see that it is indeed very demanding - which causes it to drop in popularity, but I'll give it a good go nevertheless, and perhaps report in this thread of my experiences after a year or so

 

Just one more thing, when I say I was advised it was very difficult I was also (as a biomedical science student) advised not to do it! I found this quite interesting to hear from a doctor who teaches there but he actually advised not to do it?! Isn't he meant to encourage people to do what they want? And this didn't come from one person, but from a few. Later I insisted so they agreed it's ok if I really want it. I can only hope they were wrong! If physics puts me down with other subjects I am very likely to discourage anyone else from studying it, and this is where pattern forms - why the popularity is dropping.

[Royston]

I don't know about the entire academic population but speaking from my own perspective I'm turning more to physics than to any other subject lately, vastly inspired by other books and documentaries which deal with physics. Having done some physics in high school I found it pretty attractive, then in my first year of biomedical science I missed it! Now decided to use all my elective-spaces for physics but was then advised of its difficulty and prerequisites. Well, so far I've ignored the warnings and took the prerequisites as well (math modelling, calculus and multivariable calculus) so you can see that it is indeed very demanding - which causes it to drop in popularity, but I'll give it a good go nevertheless, and perhaps report in this thread of my experiences after a year or so

 

I'm currently studying the prerequisites you mentioned, I'm studying towards a degree part-time, and there's certainly truth in that statement...I've spent the entire day putting off a maths assignment

 

Just one more thing, when I say I was advised it was very difficult I was also (as a biomedical science student) advised not to do it! I found this quite interesting to hear from a doctor who teaches there but he actually advised not to do it?! Isn't he meant to encourage people to do what they want? And this didn't come from one person, but from a few. Later I insisted so they agreed it's ok if I really want it. I can only hope they were wrong! If physics puts me down with other subjects I am very likely to discourage anyone else from studying it, and this is where pattern forms - why the popularity is dropping.

 

What was the reason they gave for not taking physics ?

 

Personally, a lack of interest in studying physics is really a good thing, it means more job opportunities if I pass. I'm not entirely sure why I asked the question to start with (I was more than a little drunk.) I'm well aware of the problem over here, some schools IIRC are dropping physics as a subject due to the huge lack of interest.

 

I think what bothers me, is that I'm sure there's a hell of a lot of people out there who are fascinated by the big questions, but are not interested in the methods of tackling the big questions. For instance, you could use an analogy for gravity on the Planck scale, but throw a book of the geometry needed to explain it, and (me included) would run for dear life. I don't want to run for dear life when I see a mass of equations, I want to understand the language of maths, as much as I'm fascinated with the big questions...hence I decided to do a degree.

 

In the UK, studying media is quite literally out of control, (lots of students, lack of job opportunities) it's mainly luck if you land a good job in the media sector anyway, and the amount of work is nothing compared to a scientific discipline. It just seems a worrying trend, and I hope there will be measures to nurture an interest in the sciences, because lets face it, you can't get a more fascinating subject than understanding nature.

[Comandante]

What was the reason they gave for not taking physics ?

 

First I agree with the part where you said more jobs This is actually what this doc was saying; Understanding of physics and physical world coupled with maths gives you a BIG advantage for employment (in research). But the reason why he suggested not to do it was that the thought it was simply too hard (I think he had the impression that I was one of those only-biology-loving students, and the truth to be known those are plentiful!), and then after he'd seen I did lots of math in high school and that I really wanted to do it, he agreed, but sent me off with caution! But as far as I'm concerned I'm looking at a pass - at least! Yes I have to look into biochemistry on top of that but I'll cope.

 

And Snail, how long do you spend studying one of these units per semester say, on average day? Give me some stats (for both physics and math if you can) I'd like to have some idea

[Royston]

And Snail, how long do you spend studying one of these units per semester say, on average day? Give me some stats (for both physics and math if you can) I'd like to have some idea

 

On average I'd say 3 to 5, hours a day (more on weekends), and have a couple of days break during the week. As the courses are split into various disciplines, it would entirely depend how comfortable with a subject I am, and how much extra study that may require. Of course it doesn't always work like that, and right now I'm cramming in a load of work to finish an assignment. As a general rule though, I try to fit study in, to and from work on the bus, and go over what I read when I get home.

[Comandante]

Is this for 2 subjects, 5hrs a day, or for one only? In either case that sounds about what I'd expect.

[Royston]

Is this for 2 subjects, 5hrs a day, or for one only? In either case that sounds about what I'd expect.

 

I have two maths courses crossing over at the moment, but usually it's just the one. 5 hours would be a good day, I can't usually manage that more than a couple of times a week.

 

Just finished one assignment, hence I'm on here having a break

[Comandante]

That's alright. See there goes the popularity I don't think many students would find it exciting to work 5hrs a day for one subject.

 

Also, is this just to get you a pass or are you hitting some high notes there?

[Royston]

Also, is this just to get you a pass or are you hitting some high notes there?

 

Currently just a pass, but I'm trying to be as methodical as possible, which takes time. Courses with exams start next year, (level 2) at the moment, I'm in the equivalent of my first year at uni.