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Choosing which field to study: Applied or Pure Physics?

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LAN_403

RB26DETT

Mon Apr 17 2006, 01:28PM

Registered Member #250 Joined: Fri Feb 24 2006, 11:22PM
Location:
Posts: 3

I am fast approaching college and I have the fortunate circumstance that I can pay for my own education. Not yet, but soon. (COME ON LOTTERY TICKET!)

Anyway, my interest is in Physics.
My goal is to work at CERN or some other laboratory that has been ill represented by an American author. Los Alamos and Rivermore National come to mind as well, maybe even DARPA.

My question is this. For the above stated goals, which am I better off studying?
If I go to CERN, then I am going to be doing something with the LHC. Or just studying how neutrinos interact with Cancer cells.
Thats what I want to do. I would also want to be Evil mad scientist at night, making a tesla coil on wheels and attacking stray cats.

How ever, I may focus myself on medicine, specifically, plastic surgery. But that is another story, of which needs a premedical education, along with a degree of my liking. Which one would be more adventageous to me as a B.S (and, depending on my take on life after the b.s, a p.Hd)? Pure Physics or Applied Physics?

Ps. Google only talks about Pure and Applied Math, Wikipedia is vague as well.

AndrewM

Mon Apr 17 2006, 06:01PM

Registered Member #49 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:05AM
Location: Bigass Pile of Penguins
Posts: 362

Well, I'm going to assume that your university functions similarly to mine, and suggest that its really up to you.

The core curriculum of Applied and pure was virtually identical, with a second semester of quantum for the pure guys. A pure physics major usually specializes in high energy, solid state, etc etc etc. Applied majors can really pick whatever they like, usually an engineering like materials science or an earth science like atmospheric or geology.

So, you may think CERN would love to have pure Physics majors, with a high energy spec. And yet, the difference in coursework that CERN would actually care about is one or two courses at best, which means almost nothing at the Bachelor level. Some may even argue that an applied major with a specialty in something CERN-ish would make you more valuable, since you'll have to do a LOT of coursework in that area, instead of the handful of courses a pure physics major would.

At my university, applied's take the core, plus 36 hours of electives in their applied area. core guys do the core + more quantum + ~6 hours of non required classes in their specialty. Your uni may be nothing like this.

I'm finishing Applied in... gasp... half a month! I made my applied electives aero. eng. classes, so I killed 36 hours automatically and picked up the second engineering degree as well.

Steve Conner

Tue Apr 18 2006, 12:13AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

And for anyone wondering what "RB26DETT" is, I found a picture of one:

If you want a tesla coil on wheels that goes incredibly fast, this could be the engine for you

Desmogod

Tue Apr 18 2006, 01:04AM

Registered Member #139 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 11:01AM
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 358

RB(RaceBlock) 26 (2600cc) D(Dual overhead cam) E(Electronic timing) TT(Twin Turbo)

The legendary Nissan motor from the "Godzilla" skyline.

RB26DETT

Tue Apr 18 2006, 12:00PM

Registered Member #250 Joined: Fri Feb 24 2006, 11:22PM
Location:
Posts: 3

hehehhe. I wish there was an evil, devil icon.

Who knew that there were car enthusiasts that just tinkered with tesla coils :D

Are you sure that the RB26DETT conversion can work? I mean I want my movile telsa coil to be in that..
"God (or Science) kills a kitten" photo.
mod edit for language

Simon

Thu Apr 20 2006, 12:24AM

Registered Member #32 Joined: Sat Feb 04 2006, 08:58AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 549

I'm doing pure physics at uni while getting lots of practical experience with outside work.

I want to be the go-between for the physicist who knows everything but can't make anything work and the engineer who can make things work, but just doesn't know how they do.

True anecdote:

Physics Professor: Hey Simon, can you make me a digital low-pass filter?
Simon: Okay, what kind?
Professor: You know, a low-pass filter.
Simon: Alright... here's a low-pass filter...
Professor: Nice. Can you make a better one?

Steve Conner

Thu Apr 20 2006, 09:15AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Haha, that sounds like my job for the past two years.

Boss: Can you make a tunable laser spectroscope for sensing tiny quantities of methane?
Me: (after 18 months of tinkering with lasers and DSP chips) Here's one
Boss: Can you make it work any better? Actually, can you scrap it and start from scratch with a different DSP that isn't code compatible?
Me: GAH

I guess a lot of people here like cars. I'd rather like a Pulsar GTI-R (with a nice set of rims, stupid big bore muffler, front-mount intercooler, and increased boost of course) but I can't afford the insurance on it. I'd probably just wrap it and myself round a tree anyway.

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