Why physics? Am I mental?
The short answer is: Yes, I have a note from my doctor. Math would be easier.
The longer answer might be more interesting.
I jokingly tell people that I went in to physics for the toys. But it isn't really a joke. In my mind, the universe and everything in it is a toy; but the humor in the statement comes from the connotation that toys are childish, foolish, trivial and essentially disposable. I wholly reject that connotation.
"Play" is learning behavior. You play with toys. You poke at them, stack them up, roll them down stairs and in doing so you learn how they work. Bouncing a ball teaches you about motion, mass and momentum. Clay teaches you about shape and the properties of viscous fluids. You learn about basic machines like inclined planes and wheels. You gain an understanding of the world by being able to play with stuff.
Quantum mechanics is hard precisely because we can't really play with it. Our brains are not wired to learn and understand the consequences of Schroedinger's wave equations. Relativity suffers from the same problem, in that we lack the capability to directly experience and observe it.
So yeah, I'm in it for the toys. The concepts and tools that let me continue to learn about and explore the world; new pieces to add to my Lego set so I can make cooler space-ships; a Slinky to roll down the stairs.
The longer answer might be more interesting.
I jokingly tell people that I went in to physics for the toys. But it isn't really a joke. In my mind, the universe and everything in it is a toy; but the humor in the statement comes from the connotation that toys are childish, foolish, trivial and essentially disposable. I wholly reject that connotation.
"Play" is learning behavior. You play with toys. You poke at them, stack them up, roll them down stairs and in doing so you learn how they work. Bouncing a ball teaches you about motion, mass and momentum. Clay teaches you about shape and the properties of viscous fluids. You learn about basic machines like inclined planes and wheels. You gain an understanding of the world by being able to play with stuff.
Quantum mechanics is hard precisely because we can't really play with it. Our brains are not wired to learn and understand the consequences of Schroedinger's wave equations. Relativity suffers from the same problem, in that we lack the capability to directly experience and observe it.
So yeah, I'm in it for the toys. The concepts and tools that let me continue to learn about and explore the world; new pieces to add to my Lego set so I can make cooler space-ships; a Slinky to roll down the stairs.