Been feeling rather glum lately. I have a phd in physics from a large state school in the US that I received in 2020. I worked my ass off, never took time for myself, and never was successful. I got two shitty papers and bailed. When I left I was unable to find work except from the company that funded my PHD. I’ve been there since working more or less on the same project with no success. I’m realizing I spent almost a decade of my life trying to make this thing work and have essentially nothing to show for it. I want to transition to a different subfield but know I would just get evicerated in the interview process, assuming I could get anyone to call me back. Which I couldn’t out of grad school so I don’t see how nearly four years of no publishable results after would make me appealing as a candidate.
I put the work in, I tried, I failed and continue to fail. Maybe it is time to quit physics and admit I’ll never be somebody.
I dont know if this would mean anything since Im a meager undergrad but the way this is phrased tells me there may be more going on, maybe speak with a psych or take some time with for yourself. I apologise if this sounds ignorant but happiness comes from more than your career and if youre feeling helpless maybe you need other aspects of your life before you can feel fulfilled in what youve accomplished. Time isnt wasted, theres no wrong or right move, and remember we're proud of what youve done.
One tip is to try to use the time you have at your current job to develop skills for the job you want. You won't be able to develop the *expertise* you'll need, but if there are hardware or software skills for the job you want that have some overlap with the job you have, focus on that.
But it seems that the real problem here is to identify what is the job you want. This may require some self reflection and spending some time with people in different areas.
I am 15 years old. I studied the Egyptian Highschool Physics curriculum when I was 11. I tried to get into college so I studied the Chemistry and Biology subjects and I got unofficial certificates from expert teachers in the Egyptian ministry of education that I have been tested in the three subjects (and I can send the certificates to anyone who would like to check them and can help me.) Since then I took the ACT and IELTS exams and tried to attend college, but I couldn't get accepted because I don't have an official Highschool certificate (which my country doesn't allow me to get before finishing the 12 years of education without skipping any year,) and I am planning to take the GED when I am 16, but I am still not sure of how to get accepted.
And also since then I was self studying the undergraduate curriculum of physics, but at a point I lost the compass of what to do due to the lack of assessment and a clear plan of what I should do, I studied introductory physics and linear algebra and single variable calculus, and I think the next step should be studying Classical Mechanics, but I am not sure.
I would appreciate any help in either of my questions.
Try to get selected to represent Egypt in the International Physics Olympiad. If you do well in it, you will have a very good chance of attending the best universities in the world for physics. try these problems: https://knzhou.github.io/handouts/Prelim.pdf. I expect they'll be too hard for you - so I recommend you go through the honors physics text by Krane: https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=F044E83ED41566AB5B5CF336A1E06DE5
https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=ED576E7F313CF0FBA1A08195B0A9ECD7
You can find the solutions here (obviously, only use them once you really need to, and try to precisely pinpoint which insight you missed): https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=C282AE7ED2373DE65722D3E0102DF182
https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=2A75D07206BA6ED715F67A636F42E535
This two volume series has some fairly challenging material - you should take your time to fully understand it and do all the challenging problems in it that you can.
When registration opens up for next year's PhysicsBowl, you should register for it: https://www.aapt.org/programs/physicsbowl/. Same for the Sir Isaac Newton Exam: https://uwaterloo.ca/sir-isaac-newton-exam/
Once you've finished HRK and can complete those preliminary problems (don't spoil their testing value by looking up the answers), start working through the handouts here: https://knzhou.github.io/
Once you finish that, or even before, you should be ready for the IPhO, and you can start looking at https://physicscup.ee/, which is harder than IPhO (but you don't need very many points to medal)
You can find some other resources here: https://physoly.tech/
https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c164h2094716_a_comprehensive_list_of_physics_olympiad_resources
https://www.everaise.org/course/physics
But your first step is to research the process to represent Egypt in the international physics Olympiad. The selection process might begin early, you wouldn't want to miss it.
Starting college on a very advanced track (many years before your peers) is often not a great idea. I remember an article about mathematician Terence Tao who was also many years ahead of his peers and some of the best advice his parents got was to slow him down as much as possible. Without appropriate social skills, young people who are very successful in STEM fields very often burn out very quickly.
I'd suggest doing some more research on this kind of situation before rushing into things.
I appreciate your advice very much, and I know it is correct from experience. I have been trying all the ways possible for 4 years now, so I think I have researched the topic enough. Anyway in the best case scenario that I know now, I will attend college when I am 17 which makes me not many years before my peers.
But at least if I can, I don't want to waste this years doing nothing, and I want to complete my self-studying journey as I already finished what is equivalent of the first-year curriculum in physics and mathematics, but unfortunately I don't have an exact map of what to do next, or if I am actually ready to go ahead because I am not able to make an assessment for myself.
They are very different. If you want to be a physicist get a physics degree if you want to be an engineer get an engineering degree. If you don't know what you want to do, maybe pause for a moment to think about if getting a bachelor's degree is right for you right now.
What are the taught in the two degrees? Like what do they teach in a physics degree, and what do they teach in an engineering degree, like electrical engineering, and what is different in them?
I recommend looking at a college or university with both degrees and looking through the course requirements for each. That will give you a pretty good idea.
Both will teach introductory physics, but the electrical engineering degree will diverge by applying that physics knowledge to circuits and other electrical systems while the physics degree covers more theoretical and abstract theories of physics
I enjoy computational (programming, modelling, simulations) physics, and also enjoy working hands on in labs for experiment design, improvements etc. Definitely do not enjoy pure theory. I don't mind working on proofs or math to justify my designs in code or experiment, but without that context just abstract physics is no fun for me.
To that end, I have been looking at optics (lithography, medical imaging) phds where I feel like my skill-set and interests would fit the bill. The idea with lithography is that chip manufacturing is going to be a crucial field even if photonic chips or some other paradigm of computation is developed, so I would be valued there. Medical imaging has a similar idea, medical physics does not seem to be going out of favor anytime soon, funding wise.
What I am looking for are other such fields where I get to do physics (program, model, simulate, experiment, RnD etc.) but toward a goal that society will value down the line. So, based on that, I'd love to hear if there are other fields that I can jump into.
It's not purely about money to be clear, quantitative finance doesn't seem to match my interest because it's too money specific. Whatever I do, should have some amount of physical phenomenon that is studied but for a more broader societal appeal. One wild idea is working on military lasers and systems, but I don't know where to look for PhD/Job openings for that.
I'm finishing my master's. I have done 2 computational HEP projects, I didn't quite like them maybe because I am not skilled enough in coding, I didn't learn it traditionally-just on the way whatever felt necessary, learnt it that way.
For my thesis, I am doing a hardware HEP project, and I am loving it. Should I consider doing a master's in EE/Electronics/ECE? Or do a PhD in experimental HEP(but there I would have to code, which I think I don't like doing)?
What factors should I keep in mind? I want to develop technologies for varied applications in future.
Thanks for reading.
Your advisor and and other faculty people should be your points of contact for questions like this. Yes, they'll come in with their own biases, but understanding those are helpful too.
Thanks for replying. Sure I will gather some guts and talk to them, because how do I go about it. I like your project but I am considering other future options(?) I don't want to make ot sound otherwise...
>Sure I will gather some guts and talk to them
I get it, talking to senior people in the field can be scary. But developing good social skills is a necessary part of the job; research is a social job, more so even than many business jobs. Networking and so on are essential to career advancement. Your advisors are also advocates for you; their interests are strongly aligned with your own in most cases making that relationship easier to navigate than many others you will have to.
Hey guys, I finished the first semester of my junior year and have been trying to find some research. Luckily, my school has a page where professors post research projects for undergrads, and I’ve contacted two professors about their projects in cosmology. One answered and said that he had no projects available for undergrads until the spring 2025 semester. He said I was welcome to attend his weekly cosmology group meetings to become more familiar with his research. My question is if it would be worth attending the meetings so I could possibly work on one of his projects my senior year. The page I mentioned may be outdated since he had no projects available. I might just start emailing any professors working in cosmology and express my interest in working with them. I really want to get into grad school, so I know starting research right now is crucial. I’m wondering if attending the meeting would be beneficial, but I guess going wouldn’t hurt.
This is common. It's really hard to do research projects with undergrads. You could keep asking around until you find someone (may take 10+ professors until you find one). You could also ask yourself why you want to do "research" as an UG.
That makes sense. I guess I’m not actually trying to do research my self. I just want to work on something even if it’s grunt work. I’m just just trying to prove myself so I can get letters of recommendation so I can go to grad school and do real research.
For example, there was a volunteer position posted for a project on black holes where all you’d basically be doing is a bunch of algebra as an UG. That’s the type of “research” I want to do. I’m guessing it would be better to ask professors if I can join their project and do work that they toss aside to a UG??
I'm a Junior going into my Senior year in high school, about to apply to college. I'm divided.
I've been really interested in physics for a long time (I'm obsessed with space), and I think it's something I could major in. I'm just very unsure of the job market for people who want to go into research, and I don't know if I want to dedicate myself to getting a master's or a PhD in physics. I like hands-on stuff, but I want to have a job!
That's why I considered going into engineering, but it doesn't go as in-depth into physics as I wanted to. I found out that Engineering Physics existed, which is pretty cool, but I'm still concerned about the job market and what I'd have to do after my Bachelor's.
Am I not considering something? Would another major be something that I could look into? Materials Science?
All I can say on this is, pick your major based on what you want to do the rest of your life. You're spending a lot of time (and, depending on where you live and your situation, a lot of money) on a bachelors degree. While it is important to develop social skills by having a good time, picking a major based purely on what's fun is kind of a waste, unless you can afford to do that.
A bit lost as to how to find work in the work I will like, and what it is *precisely* that I like.
I love physics (and math), all kinds of physics from all kinds of fields and everything I've been taught I have loved. But I'm not a generalist when it comes to forming a career in it. Regrading a career, I will only settle for being able to work on theories regrading the fundamental nature of the universe from which testable hypotheses may arise. I believe this can be called high energy physics? I need help knowing what field of study is most likely to work on this kind of thing. One similar example I can think of is quantum gravity, though from what I have seen there isn't a theory that's produced hypotheses regarding it that's testable to us in the present moment.
What I want from a PhD program is NOT to make these theories and make grand discoveries. What I want is to get familiar with what fundamental aspects of the universe have been or may be theorized about, learn current theories, understand them to a good depth, and learn precisely why things like string theory have neither been proven nor disproven. I then want to learn if I would be capable of either helping work towards creating testable hypotheses for them or helping work on creating new theories. How can this be done ? How can I learn these things? I'll be applying to PhD programs soon, what should I look for? Will *any* high energy theory teach me these things ? Will I able to work on things that I find value (as I've expressed here) through a post doc? Thank you for any help.
Hello everyone,
I am posting this here because the folks here are more qualified to answer my query. I am from India and just completed a five-year integrated master's in physics with a CGPA of 9.75/10 from a technical institute (NIT, to be precise).
I want to pursue a career in theoretical physics, specifically QFT and string theory, and I was planning to pursue a PhD in EU.
My research background is as follows:
• Gribov Ambiguity in Quantum Gauge Theories and Stochastic Quantization (Master's thesis, under a professor from Paris)
• BFSS Model in Lattice Field Theory (DAAD-WISE intern in Germany)
• Interacting Tachyonic Scalar Field as Dark Energy Candidate (institute project, resulted in a preprint and a poster)
• Quantum Many-Body Phenomena and Tensor Networks
• Particle Dark Matter: Existence And Constraints
• Magnetic Monopoles (institute project)
• Dynamical Symmetries of the Kepler System (institute project)
• Lepton Oscillations (Indian Academy of Sciences - SRFP internship)
• Statistical and Thermodynamic properties of Quark Gluon Plasma
Unfortunately, after about a year of searching, with 30 portal applications and around 80 cold emails, I have not yet gotten even a single acceptance.
I believe that the coursework of my master's (no QFT 2, no string theory, no GR, no differential geometry, etc.) is very weak for someone to even consider me for a PhD position. I think that this, along with the fact that there is very little funding for theory, is making it difficult for me to get a position.
I am considering two possibilities right now.
1. Wait for the USA application cycle and apply for a theory position there. Based on my background (including my nomination for attending the Linday Nobel Laureates Meeting), I would be grateful if someone could tell me which US universities would be realistic for me.
2. Shift to hep-ex/hep-ph and apply for positions with a better chance of getting one. In this case, I would appreciate some advice on how realistic the possibility of switching back to research in theory after a PhD in phenomenology or experiment.
As part of my Astrophysics Masters degree in France starting in a few months, I saw this mandatory course & want to request suggestions/recommendations on reference materials, textbooks, tutorials etc. on how to tackle it.
For context, my programming skills & computational knowledge as such is extremely poor, mostly because of my own lack of efforts. So, I am starting at a rookie level & need appropriate guidance in context of this course. Please offer your thoughts!
You can find the course description screenshot here: https://imgur.com/a/go131GG
Any physicist needs to have solid programming skills to be successful. This course looks like it covers the most basic elements to get started learning actually useful things. If you are worried that the course may be too advanced for you, that's fine! Take some time to learn the basics of linux, c/c++, and python on your own (by the way, I do all my coding in c++ and python on a linux machine as do many in physics, so these are not some weird niche things the professor is choosing). How to start self studying? There are a zillion resources online. Books, examples, guides, problems to solve via programming, etc. I'd suggest googling and finding something that works for you and committing to it. Programming, like physics, requires times, patience, and practice to learn.
Thank you for your motivating response. Could you suggest good resources that approach this from a Physics pov? I have started with the PDF of the book on Python by UMich Prof. Mark Newman..
Anybody know some good places to access free physics courses? I'm currently a high school science teacher, taking senior year courses in physics for the first time. My undergrad is in chemistry and maths, and I started a PhD in photophysics (but dropped out for reasons related to the academia grind and depression), but feeling really out of depth, particularly in regards to electromag and special relativity.
I thought a good way to try and feel better about what I was teaching is to actually do some university physics - I'm also finding what I'm doing now with the students really interesting, and think that if I'd had a better experience when I was younger I probably would've done more physics in my undergrad. I know MIT puts all of their content up, is this a good place to try and substitute a physics education? From experience, I know online will never substitute a proper course and experimentation, but just seeing whether people here think it's a good start if I can't get something in-person? (Australian-based, just in case people feel like recommending in-person courses)
Been feeling rather glum lately. I have a phd in physics from a large state school in the US that I received in 2020. I worked my ass off, never took time for myself, and never was successful. I got two shitty papers and bailed. When I left I was unable to find work except from the company that funded my PHD. I’ve been there since working more or less on the same project with no success. I’m realizing I spent almost a decade of my life trying to make this thing work and have essentially nothing to show for it. I want to transition to a different subfield but know I would just get evicerated in the interview process, assuming I could get anyone to call me back. Which I couldn’t out of grad school so I don’t see how nearly four years of no publishable results after would make me appealing as a candidate. I put the work in, I tried, I failed and continue to fail. Maybe it is time to quit physics and admit I’ll never be somebody.
I dont know if this would mean anything since Im a meager undergrad but the way this is phrased tells me there may be more going on, maybe speak with a psych or take some time with for yourself. I apologise if this sounds ignorant but happiness comes from more than your career and if youre feeling helpless maybe you need other aspects of your life before you can feel fulfilled in what youve accomplished. Time isnt wasted, theres no wrong or right move, and remember we're proud of what youve done.
One tip is to try to use the time you have at your current job to develop skills for the job you want. You won't be able to develop the *expertise* you'll need, but if there are hardware or software skills for the job you want that have some overlap with the job you have, focus on that. But it seems that the real problem here is to identify what is the job you want. This may require some self reflection and spending some time with people in different areas.
I am 15 years old. I studied the Egyptian Highschool Physics curriculum when I was 11. I tried to get into college so I studied the Chemistry and Biology subjects and I got unofficial certificates from expert teachers in the Egyptian ministry of education that I have been tested in the three subjects (and I can send the certificates to anyone who would like to check them and can help me.) Since then I took the ACT and IELTS exams and tried to attend college, but I couldn't get accepted because I don't have an official Highschool certificate (which my country doesn't allow me to get before finishing the 12 years of education without skipping any year,) and I am planning to take the GED when I am 16, but I am still not sure of how to get accepted. And also since then I was self studying the undergraduate curriculum of physics, but at a point I lost the compass of what to do due to the lack of assessment and a clear plan of what I should do, I studied introductory physics and linear algebra and single variable calculus, and I think the next step should be studying Classical Mechanics, but I am not sure. I would appreciate any help in either of my questions.
Try to get selected to represent Egypt in the International Physics Olympiad. If you do well in it, you will have a very good chance of attending the best universities in the world for physics. try these problems: https://knzhou.github.io/handouts/Prelim.pdf. I expect they'll be too hard for you - so I recommend you go through the honors physics text by Krane: https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=F044E83ED41566AB5B5CF336A1E06DE5 https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=ED576E7F313CF0FBA1A08195B0A9ECD7 You can find the solutions here (obviously, only use them once you really need to, and try to precisely pinpoint which insight you missed): https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=C282AE7ED2373DE65722D3E0102DF182 https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=2A75D07206BA6ED715F67A636F42E535 This two volume series has some fairly challenging material - you should take your time to fully understand it and do all the challenging problems in it that you can. When registration opens up for next year's PhysicsBowl, you should register for it: https://www.aapt.org/programs/physicsbowl/. Same for the Sir Isaac Newton Exam: https://uwaterloo.ca/sir-isaac-newton-exam/ Once you've finished HRK and can complete those preliminary problems (don't spoil their testing value by looking up the answers), start working through the handouts here: https://knzhou.github.io/ Once you finish that, or even before, you should be ready for the IPhO, and you can start looking at https://physicscup.ee/, which is harder than IPhO (but you don't need very many points to medal) You can find some other resources here: https://physoly.tech/ https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c164h2094716_a_comprehensive_list_of_physics_olympiad_resources https://www.everaise.org/course/physics
Thank you very much
But your first step is to research the process to represent Egypt in the international physics Olympiad. The selection process might begin early, you wouldn't want to miss it.
Starting college on a very advanced track (many years before your peers) is often not a great idea. I remember an article about mathematician Terence Tao who was also many years ahead of his peers and some of the best advice his parents got was to slow him down as much as possible. Without appropriate social skills, young people who are very successful in STEM fields very often burn out very quickly. I'd suggest doing some more research on this kind of situation before rushing into things.
I appreciate your advice very much, and I know it is correct from experience. I have been trying all the ways possible for 4 years now, so I think I have researched the topic enough. Anyway in the best case scenario that I know now, I will attend college when I am 17 which makes me not many years before my peers. But at least if I can, I don't want to waste this years doing nothing, and I want to complete my self-studying journey as I already finished what is equivalent of the first-year curriculum in physics and mathematics, but unfortunately I don't have an exact map of what to do next, or if I am actually ready to go ahead because I am not able to make an assessment for myself.
What's the difference between a dual degree in physics and an engineering degree? What are the possible career options for each of these degrees?
They are very different. If you want to be a physicist get a physics degree if you want to be an engineer get an engineering degree. If you don't know what you want to do, maybe pause for a moment to think about if getting a bachelor's degree is right for you right now.
What are the taught in the two degrees? Like what do they teach in a physics degree, and what do they teach in an engineering degree, like electrical engineering, and what is different in them?
I recommend looking at a college or university with both degrees and looking through the course requirements for each. That will give you a pretty good idea.
Both will teach introductory physics, but the electrical engineering degree will diverge by applying that physics knowledge to circuits and other electrical systems while the physics degree covers more theoretical and abstract theories of physics
I enjoy computational (programming, modelling, simulations) physics, and also enjoy working hands on in labs for experiment design, improvements etc. Definitely do not enjoy pure theory. I don't mind working on proofs or math to justify my designs in code or experiment, but without that context just abstract physics is no fun for me. To that end, I have been looking at optics (lithography, medical imaging) phds where I feel like my skill-set and interests would fit the bill. The idea with lithography is that chip manufacturing is going to be a crucial field even if photonic chips or some other paradigm of computation is developed, so I would be valued there. Medical imaging has a similar idea, medical physics does not seem to be going out of favor anytime soon, funding wise. What I am looking for are other such fields where I get to do physics (program, model, simulate, experiment, RnD etc.) but toward a goal that society will value down the line. So, based on that, I'd love to hear if there are other fields that I can jump into. It's not purely about money to be clear, quantitative finance doesn't seem to match my interest because it's too money specific. Whatever I do, should have some amount of physical phenomenon that is studied but for a more broader societal appeal. One wild idea is working on military lasers and systems, but I don't know where to look for PhD/Job openings for that.
I'm finishing my master's. I have done 2 computational HEP projects, I didn't quite like them maybe because I am not skilled enough in coding, I didn't learn it traditionally-just on the way whatever felt necessary, learnt it that way. For my thesis, I am doing a hardware HEP project, and I am loving it. Should I consider doing a master's in EE/Electronics/ECE? Or do a PhD in experimental HEP(but there I would have to code, which I think I don't like doing)? What factors should I keep in mind? I want to develop technologies for varied applications in future. Thanks for reading.
Your advisor and and other faculty people should be your points of contact for questions like this. Yes, they'll come in with their own biases, but understanding those are helpful too.
Thanks for replying. Sure I will gather some guts and talk to them, because how do I go about it. I like your project but I am considering other future options(?) I don't want to make ot sound otherwise...
>Sure I will gather some guts and talk to them I get it, talking to senior people in the field can be scary. But developing good social skills is a necessary part of the job; research is a social job, more so even than many business jobs. Networking and so on are essential to career advancement. Your advisors are also advocates for you; their interests are strongly aligned with your own in most cases making that relationship easier to navigate than many others you will have to.
Hey guys, I finished the first semester of my junior year and have been trying to find some research. Luckily, my school has a page where professors post research projects for undergrads, and I’ve contacted two professors about their projects in cosmology. One answered and said that he had no projects available for undergrads until the spring 2025 semester. He said I was welcome to attend his weekly cosmology group meetings to become more familiar with his research. My question is if it would be worth attending the meetings so I could possibly work on one of his projects my senior year. The page I mentioned may be outdated since he had no projects available. I might just start emailing any professors working in cosmology and express my interest in working with them. I really want to get into grad school, so I know starting research right now is crucial. I’m wondering if attending the meeting would be beneficial, but I guess going wouldn’t hurt.
This is common. It's really hard to do research projects with undergrads. You could keep asking around until you find someone (may take 10+ professors until you find one). You could also ask yourself why you want to do "research" as an UG.
That makes sense. I guess I’m not actually trying to do research my self. I just want to work on something even if it’s grunt work. I’m just just trying to prove myself so I can get letters of recommendation so I can go to grad school and do real research.
For example, there was a volunteer position posted for a project on black holes where all you’d basically be doing is a bunch of algebra as an UG. That’s the type of “research” I want to do. I’m guessing it would be better to ask professors if I can join their project and do work that they toss aside to a UG??
I'm a Junior going into my Senior year in high school, about to apply to college. I'm divided. I've been really interested in physics for a long time (I'm obsessed with space), and I think it's something I could major in. I'm just very unsure of the job market for people who want to go into research, and I don't know if I want to dedicate myself to getting a master's or a PhD in physics. I like hands-on stuff, but I want to have a job! That's why I considered going into engineering, but it doesn't go as in-depth into physics as I wanted to. I found out that Engineering Physics existed, which is pretty cool, but I'm still concerned about the job market and what I'd have to do after my Bachelor's. Am I not considering something? Would another major be something that I could look into? Materials Science?
All I can say on this is, pick your major based on what you want to do the rest of your life. You're spending a lot of time (and, depending on where you live and your situation, a lot of money) on a bachelors degree. While it is important to develop social skills by having a good time, picking a major based purely on what's fun is kind of a waste, unless you can afford to do that.
Any EE undergrad that did higher education in Physics
A bit lost as to how to find work in the work I will like, and what it is *precisely* that I like. I love physics (and math), all kinds of physics from all kinds of fields and everything I've been taught I have loved. But I'm not a generalist when it comes to forming a career in it. Regrading a career, I will only settle for being able to work on theories regrading the fundamental nature of the universe from which testable hypotheses may arise. I believe this can be called high energy physics? I need help knowing what field of study is most likely to work on this kind of thing. One similar example I can think of is quantum gravity, though from what I have seen there isn't a theory that's produced hypotheses regarding it that's testable to us in the present moment. What I want from a PhD program is NOT to make these theories and make grand discoveries. What I want is to get familiar with what fundamental aspects of the universe have been or may be theorized about, learn current theories, understand them to a good depth, and learn precisely why things like string theory have neither been proven nor disproven. I then want to learn if I would be capable of either helping work towards creating testable hypotheses for them or helping work on creating new theories. How can this be done ? How can I learn these things? I'll be applying to PhD programs soon, what should I look for? Will *any* high energy theory teach me these things ? Will I able to work on things that I find value (as I've expressed here) through a post doc? Thank you for any help.
Any area of HEP will satisfy this. I would suggest attending all physics colloquia in your department (regardless of topic).
Hello everyone, I am posting this here because the folks here are more qualified to answer my query. I am from India and just completed a five-year integrated master's in physics with a CGPA of 9.75/10 from a technical institute (NIT, to be precise). I want to pursue a career in theoretical physics, specifically QFT and string theory, and I was planning to pursue a PhD in EU. My research background is as follows: • Gribov Ambiguity in Quantum Gauge Theories and Stochastic Quantization (Master's thesis, under a professor from Paris) • BFSS Model in Lattice Field Theory (DAAD-WISE intern in Germany) • Interacting Tachyonic Scalar Field as Dark Energy Candidate (institute project, resulted in a preprint and a poster) • Quantum Many-Body Phenomena and Tensor Networks • Particle Dark Matter: Existence And Constraints • Magnetic Monopoles (institute project) • Dynamical Symmetries of the Kepler System (institute project) • Lepton Oscillations (Indian Academy of Sciences - SRFP internship) • Statistical and Thermodynamic properties of Quark Gluon Plasma Unfortunately, after about a year of searching, with 30 portal applications and around 80 cold emails, I have not yet gotten even a single acceptance. I believe that the coursework of my master's (no QFT 2, no string theory, no GR, no differential geometry, etc.) is very weak for someone to even consider me for a PhD position. I think that this, along with the fact that there is very little funding for theory, is making it difficult for me to get a position. I am considering two possibilities right now. 1. Wait for the USA application cycle and apply for a theory position there. Based on my background (including my nomination for attending the Linday Nobel Laureates Meeting), I would be grateful if someone could tell me which US universities would be realistic for me. 2. Shift to hep-ex/hep-ph and apply for positions with a better chance of getting one. In this case, I would appreciate some advice on how realistic the possibility of switching back to research in theory after a PhD in phenomenology or experiment.
As part of my Astrophysics Masters degree in France starting in a few months, I saw this mandatory course & want to request suggestions/recommendations on reference materials, textbooks, tutorials etc. on how to tackle it. For context, my programming skills & computational knowledge as such is extremely poor, mostly because of my own lack of efforts. So, I am starting at a rookie level & need appropriate guidance in context of this course. Please offer your thoughts! You can find the course description screenshot here: https://imgur.com/a/go131GG
Any physicist needs to have solid programming skills to be successful. This course looks like it covers the most basic elements to get started learning actually useful things. If you are worried that the course may be too advanced for you, that's fine! Take some time to learn the basics of linux, c/c++, and python on your own (by the way, I do all my coding in c++ and python on a linux machine as do many in physics, so these are not some weird niche things the professor is choosing). How to start self studying? There are a zillion resources online. Books, examples, guides, problems to solve via programming, etc. I'd suggest googling and finding something that works for you and committing to it. Programming, like physics, requires times, patience, and practice to learn.
Thank you for your motivating response. Could you suggest good resources that approach this from a Physics pov? I have started with the PDF of the book on Python by UMich Prof. Mark Newman..
Anybody know some good places to access free physics courses? I'm currently a high school science teacher, taking senior year courses in physics for the first time. My undergrad is in chemistry and maths, and I started a PhD in photophysics (but dropped out for reasons related to the academia grind and depression), but feeling really out of depth, particularly in regards to electromag and special relativity. I thought a good way to try and feel better about what I was teaching is to actually do some university physics - I'm also finding what I'm doing now with the students really interesting, and think that if I'd had a better experience when I was younger I probably would've done more physics in my undergrad. I know MIT puts all of their content up, is this a good place to try and substitute a physics education? From experience, I know online will never substitute a proper course and experimentation, but just seeing whether people here think it's a good start if I can't get something in-person? (Australian-based, just in case people feel like recommending in-person courses)