It is not particularly appropriate to translate the word "physicist" into "physicist". Saying "home" in Chinese is too solemn, just like saying "martial artist" and "martial artist" have completely different meanings. It seems too subtle to imitate the translation of the British popular magazine The Economist and translate it into a "physicist". I think the best translation should be "dry physics", but I really prefer the name "physicist". So I'm actually a physicist. I am a general physicist.
These disgusting words still hold true today after many years, just like a child saying that the sun is round, and this view is correct. Outsiders talk about physicists, and even many graduate students in physics departments talk about physicists, which are often so lyrical and literary. There are so many heroes in physics that people always talk about physicists in the extreme tone of "stopping at the top of the mountain or" XXX is so much ".I think this view is unhealthy.
Some people may think that scholars despise each other, and people in science and engineering should agree. In fact, real physicists always quarrel. One of the most interesting phenomena is the presentation at the physics academic conference. Few people ask you questions because they are curious about your work. Many times people ask questions or question your theory, or remind you why you didn't mention his own related work. And it is almost certain that your opponent will ask questions. Recently I saw someone say that two physicists are as red as villains on APS. In fact, the red-faced physicist is the real physicist.
What is written in the textbook and taught in class should actually be called "physical knowledge". Real physics is full of variables and is a battlefield for physicists.
It is a very appropriate metaphor to describe the physics industry with "Jianghu". Every group is like a different sect, and every old man is like a martial arts expert who is really punching his face. Different from the literati's rivers and lakes, the physical rivers and lakes have obvious victories and defeats. Over time, there will be a statement about right and wrong. It can be seen that compared with the struggle of physicists, the fight of scholars is like chatting.
After working for several years, I found that the "non-material factors" that inspired me to be diligent in scientific research may be various meetings. For graduate students who attend the physics conference for the first time, perhaps only things similar to their own topics are the most interesting. For physicists, an academic conference is almost like a championship. You will find that many people's work is worthless, you will find that some old men have talked about a picture for several years, and you may even find that some people's results are even wrong. Of course, more importantly, you will find that many people have really done very beautiful work.
But for a real physicist, the most valuable discovery in a meeting may be to find other groups doing what you are doing! The game has already started. Whoever does it first will do it. I have had this experience several times, which is very exciting. Once I wanted to do it, but seeing that others had already done it, I had to give it up. Another time, when I was almost finished, I suddenly saw that others were doing it, and I quickly finished the surprise publication of the article.
After studying physics for several years and doing physics for several years, I still find that physics is the best job in the world. Chairman Mao said that there are three endless "struggles", all in the physical world. There are many industries with sects and struggles, but football players usually retire in their thirties. There are both young people and old people in the physics field, and they all talk on an equal footing at meetings. It is true that biochemistry is also an academic industry, but only in the physics industry can there be so many important and interesting things to do. What's more, physicists often do some amazing things, such as LHC, NIF, all kinds of huge telescopes and ITER.
At the beginning of your career, maybe you just want to send PRL as soon as possible. After you send PRL, you want a real breakthrough. Some people may say that this is a very utilitarian attitude. I know many physicists, but I haven't seen a physicist without such a utilitarian attitude.
Second, you shouldn't talk about "elegant anecdotes" of those senior physics heroes on your blog. It is said that a 16-year-old basketball player from China went to the United States to attend a training camp. Jordan came up to ask for his autograph, but his coach stopped him. The coach said that your goal is to surpass him in the future, and you are not a fan. We dare not say that we have surpassed Feynman, but we are Feynman's colleagues and they are Feynman's fans.
Fourth, you can't pretend to be smart. You must work very hard to get the right to live by physics. In fact, this is almost a privilege that many people can't imagine. Of course, the competition in the physics industry is fierce, and there is no shame in not getting it.