Physics studies matter and energy and their interactions. Specializations include astrophysics, geophysics, atomic and nuclear physics, quantum physics, and theoretical physics. These fields have contributed to various branches of science and may lead to the theory of everything. A career in physics can be rewarding for those with a sharp mind and sense of wonder.
Physics applies scientific methodologies to understand the most fundamental principles of nature: matter and energy, and how they interact. A physicist usually specializes in one area of physics, although many disciplines overlap.
Astrophysics and cosmology are examples of sciences charged with unraveling the mysteries of life as they unfold on a massive scale. From black holes to supernovae, it’s up to this branch to explain the birth of stars, the fall of galaxies and the beginning of the universe.
Geophysics deals with understanding the earth from the point of view of electromagnetic, seismic and radioactive phenomena. Plate tectonics, geology, atmospheric science, climatology, and oceanography are just a handful of the sciences that fall within the scope of this field. Thanks to this branch of physics, scientists have a better understanding of events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain formation and continental drift.
Atomic and nuclear physics, together with their various disciplines, undertake one of the most fundamental areas of nature: the understanding of the atom. Nuclear energy, radioactivity, medical imaging systems, pacemakers and the atomic clock are just some of the benefits derived from these branches. The study of the atom also led directly to the emergence of quantum physics.
Quantum physics is perhaps the most fascinating branch of physics, as it reveals a world so foreign to what most people know, it’s almost unbelievable. This field’s job is to take scientists into the smallest particles known to man, unlocking the most fundamental levels of matter and light. Here, quantum particles behave in counterintuitive ways, as likely to travel backwards in time as they are forwards, or to appear simultaneously in two places at once. Quantum physics has contributed in unique and far-reaching ways to various branches of science. It has also led to a new theoretical understanding of particles and what may be the holy grail of science: the theory of everything.
Theoretical physics is at the forefront of pioneering hypotheses for unresolved questions in all areas of physics. In some quarters, theoretical physics is not well received, because theories are not proven and often there are no tools to do so for decades, if at all during the scientist’s lifetime. However, circumstantial support and mathematical consistency have led to a breakthrough in superstring theory which may be the so-called theory of everything. This theory would combine Einstein’s Theory of Relativity with the quantum world, explaining the relationships between the four known forces: gravity, strong and weak nuclear forces, and electromagnetism. While mathematical consistency is on the side of superstring theory M, there is currently no way to test it conclusively.
The best science fiction writers are often physicists who use their knowledge of hard science to extrapolate a plausible future world. For anyone with a sharp mind and a sense of wonder, the puzzling world of physics can provide an excellent and rewarding career path.
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