Why Physics?

Many people asked me this simple yet profound question before. Why Physics? What makes physics so interesting to you? What is the significant of physics to you? It took me awhile to figure out why, I mean ---exactly--- why I like physics. And here are my own explanation on why I enjoy physics.

A common cliche answer might say that we study physics because of its practical purposes. While that is the reason why many people get into physics, that is not the primary reason I got into physics. In contrast, I personally see that going into physics with practical purposes is some sort of 'dull' reason. I hold a different reason for me to enter physics.

To highlight the essence of my reason, I will offer this quote from Richard Feynman:

Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical 

results, but that's not why we do it. - Richard 

Feynman

This quote essentially caught my reason to study physics, to pursue physics. Yes, physics may produce some practical results, but for me, the most interesting reason as to why one study physics should originate from the motive that one study physics simply for the pleasure of doing it. In my opinion, one should just focus on producing good physics (just for the pleasure of producing good physics), rather than producing good physics for some practical purposes like getting a Nobel Prize in Physics. I think this is important to have the right motive to study physics because the right motive gives the right drive, the right energy to keep on doing physics. One will not get disappointed simply because no recognition is given to oneself who produces good physics. This can be quoted from Terence Tao, one of the youngest Field Medalist mathematician, from his "10 essential career lessons":

2. Focus on contribution

One should never make prizes or recognition a primary reason for pursuing mathematics; it is a better strategy in the long-term to just produce good mathematics and contribute to your field, and the prizes and recognition will take care of themselves. -Terence Tao

Yes, one should focus on contribution, enjoy the pleasure of pursuing and striving to just produce good mathematics (this applies to physics, too). Many of young aspiring academicians make Nobel Prize their primary reason to do physics (or mathematics, chemistry, biology, etc), in which I think is a 'bad' reason to focus on achievements. Focusing too much on achievements can drain one's brain energy and focus when one fails to get recognition desired for a long term. I think it is essential to focus on contribution, but one should note that one should enjoy the pleasure of making contribution, just like Richard Feynman. One of the most remarkable thing I love about Richard Feynman is that he loves doing physics just for the fun of doing it. He never takes in practical purposes as primary focus, instead, he just loves the process of producing physics. He emphasizes the fun of producing physics, and the fun of producing good physics is like going to an adventure. One should not care too much about what comes out at the end of adventure, but one should just enjoy the adventure itself. For me, the same thing applies to physics. I see physics as an exciting adventure. It's like climbing a rugged, rocky mountain without knowing what lies at the peak. Even though one may not be able to reach the peak, the moments and memories during the climb is splendid, and one should not focus too much on the end results. I cherish my journey and experience with physics, and that makes physics interesting to me.

The adventure in physics can also be interesting because I think of it as a sense of discovery. There is always something new in physics, many new discoveries are found day by day. Yes,the discoveries might or might not make significant contribution to society, but I just love the thrill of having discover something new. I'm not a talented inventor myself - never feel interested to create some new gigantic machine or mind blowing technology. I have a heavy declination to build theory - theorem builder. I love to just produce good theories and have them experimented rigorously in great laboratories like NASA (making astrophysical observation), CERN (particle physics experiment), Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, etc. That's why I am never suitable to be an engineer and work in the corporate ladder where one always focuses on practical usage of certain invention. I'd love to work in great laboratories in the world, and I am undecided whether to be a theoretical physicist (Richard Feynman, Albert Einstein, James Clerk Maxwell are famous example of theoretical physicists) or an experimental physicist (Michael Faraday is a widely known example in experimental physicist). I don't know yet which part of physics interests me the most --- it can be quantum physics, it can be astrophysics, it can be cosmology, it can be particle physics or nuclear physics --- I don't know, but I will explore all areas of physics and find one field that interests me badly, and specialize in that field when I further my education pathway to graduate level and postgraduate level.

So this post has captured all the essence on the "why physics" for me. Hope you enjoy. If any one of the readers get interested into physics after reading my post, then congratulation, a physicist is born!

My favorite physicist, Richard Feynman. 

Terence Tao, one of the most profound mathematicians that  I admire

Michael Faraday, whose experimental discovery of electromagnetism contributed heavily to today's technology of electricity, and much more!

James Clerk Maxwell, regarded as one of the top ten physicists who impacted the world heavily with his Maxwell equations

4 Maxwell's equations, It unifies everything we need to know about classical electromagnetism. Heavily contributed to society along with Faraday's discoveries

Albert Einstein, my 2nd favorite physicist