Large Hardon Collider

[Mizango]

What we need to do is get everyone from this topic in the same YIM/MSN chatroom at the same time.

Exactly.

[MrW]

I need to start watching that show. Brings me back to a time when I was really young. I probably still have all of those random space and meteor books I used to grab at libraries when they used to sell them for like 50 cents.

[Eliseos]

Oh by the way, I hear that betelgeuse might explode in our life time, and may have already done so. It's "only" about 600 light years away, so it would be a very spectacular sight to see from Earth. And it's just barely far enough away to not destroy us all (we think).

Edit: Anyone have that .gif that compares star sizes? That would be perfect in this topic.

This one?
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...2609635165.gif

[Eliseos]

Also, I've heard that too about Betelgeuse. Like I was saying about the Crab Nebula, would be fucking awesome to see it first hand.

[Neosutra]

Sorry for the possible triple post, but I have a question for Neo.

How hard is it to get a job with a Ph.D in physics? When I went to the APS meeting in march, every single person there discouraged me from going into theoretical physics. So if I do go into solid state/Condensed matter physics, how hard is it to get a job there as a professor, and how hard is it to get a job in the indurstry?

From the statistics I saw, the vast majority of people with particle/theoretical/astro physics degrees end up doing something completely unrelated because it's so incredibly difficult to find a job.

People who go into solid state/condensed matter physics seem to have a very easy time finding a job in the industry, it seems. And the median starting salary was like 120k per year based on the statistics the guy provided. As for being a professor, it's slightly harder to find a job there. How hard is it to get to be a full fledged professor? And how hard is it really to find a job in the industry?

Since you actually have experience there, I want to know what your opinion on the matter is.

Phd in Solid state/Condensed matter physics = easy as hell to get a well paying job. Professorship however would be challenging, but not as bad as some of those fields that require 2-3 post docs just to get an associate professor job (like astronomy).

However, what you do your thesis on HEAVILY effects your recruitment and starting pay. If you do an easy thesis just to get your degree finished, you will "get hired" at a company that uses your expertise. However, if you do your thesis and demonstrate cutting edge experiments/understanding of that field, then companies will actively recruit you. It is pretty funny going into an interview and going "oh, ya, I'm the guy that developed the new masking techniques that allowed you to upgrade your silicon manufacturing ability and hit 40nanometer transistor processors, you're welcome".

Anything in Optics, Condensed matter, advanced physics, nuclear physics, or bio-physics will have no problem getting jobs in industry and minimal problem getting post docs. Anything in astronomy, quantum mechanics, string theory, or astro-physics will have a slightly harder time getting industry jobs and a really hard time getting associate professor gigs.

[Eliseos]

Anything in astronomy, quantum mechanics, string theory, or astro-physics will have a slightly harder time getting industry jobs and a really hard time getting associate professor gigs.

That's comforting for me, since I don't really want a professorship. I'd rather just be the guy analyzing the data from a telescope, or researching new areas in astronomy/astrophysics. Next summer I plan on taking an internship through school in either astronomy, or physics; even if it's just grunt work like making solenoids or something, it'll still be experience. Another week and classes start, I'm really excited for my modern physics class.

[Mizango]

Anything in astronomy, quantum mechanics, string theory, or astro-physics will have a slightly harder time getting industry jobs and a really hard time getting associate professor gigs.

Yeah I'm working over NDT for this very reason. I will keep that card close to my vest in hopes of a letter of Recommendation and as a reference. I also can play my Neil Shubin card as well so I'm hoping those pay off in my favor.

[Kryssan]

Yeah I'm working over NDT for this very reason. I will keep that card close to my vest in hopes of a letter of Recommendation and as a reference. I also can play my Neil Shubin card as well so I'm hoping those pay off in my favor.

I read NDT as Nil-Ductility Temperature. Sometimes I hate myself.

[Eliseos]

Does anyone like Leonard Susskind? I read his book "The Black Hole War", and I thought he came off as an arrogant prick. He always made himself to be better than Hawking, and he seemed that all of his ideas were correct. Susskind was on the show about Hawking on Sunday (which was basically "The Black Hole War"'s main points), and I still got the same arrogant attitude about him.

[Neosutra]

A physicist that is arrogant? Say it aint so!?

Just wait till you find a physicist/army commander (like me)... You might not be able to fit in the same room as their ego.

[Kryssan]

A physicist that is arrogant? Say it aint so!?

Just wait till you find a physicist/army commander (like me)... You might not be able to fit in the same room as their ego.

I wonder which will get here first; his ego or him?

Fortunately, the rooms on the 'net don't have dimensions, so I'd say its relatively safe.

[Eliseos]

Hmm, I guess it isn't his arrogance that bothers me(I guess you have to be in this field, or you'll never be confident you are correct), more his constant berating of Hawking, even though he says countless times that he is Hawking's "friend".

[Woozie]

Phd in Solid state/Condensed matter physics = easy as hell to get a well paying job. Professorship however would be challenging, but not as bad as some of those fields that require 2-3 post docs just to get an associate professor job (like astronomy).

However, what you do your thesis on HEAVILY effects your recruitment and starting pay. If you do an easy thesis just to get your degree finished, you will "get hired" at a company that uses your expertise. However, if you do your thesis and demonstrate cutting edge experiments/understanding of that field, then companies will actively recruit you. It is pretty funny going into an interview and going "oh, ya, I'm the guy that developed the new masking techniques that allowed you to upgrade your silicon manufacturing ability and hit 40nanometer transistor processors, you're welcome".

Anything in Optics, Condensed matter, advanced physics, nuclear physics, or bio-physics will have no problem getting jobs in industry and minimal problem getting post docs. Anything in astronomy, quantum mechanics, string theory, or astro-physics will have a slightly harder time getting industry jobs and a really hard time getting associate professor gigs.

Thanks. Since I'm still an undegrad, I have a long time to decided on what I want to do. But I think I'll probably go towards condensed matter physics because of the job opportunities, and keep studying theoretical physics as just a hobby.

That's comforting for me, since I don't really want a professorship. I'd rather just be the guy analyzing the data from a telescope, or researching new areas in astronomy/astrophysics. Next summer I plan on taking an internship through school in either astronomy, or physics; even if it's just grunt work like making solenoids or something, it'll still be experience. Another week and classes start, I'm really excited for my modern physics class.

I always thought that many of the people who analyze data and work with the huge radio telescopes and stuff actually were professors? I thought getting a job just doing the research part would be hard here because there are no industries investing in here, meaning you'll have to work for the government or a university? I mean, government scientist get nice money, but it's not like they invest a lot in the space/astronomy programs. They slash budgets on an annual basis, and unless Kryssan - Mizagno win the democratic ticket in 2012 against Obama - Biden, I don't see the situation getting much better. I don't mean to discourage you, I'm not even sure if what I'm saying is even right. I could be very wrong about this. Astrophysics was the field I first fell in love with but when I started to ask people about it, it got discouraging (and plus my interests shifted to particle physics, but they're situation isn't really any different).

Does anyone like Leonard Susskind? I read his book "The Black Hole War", and I thought he came off as an arrogant prick. He always made himself to be better than Hawking, and he seemed that all of his ideas were correct. Susskind was on the show about Hawking on Sunday (which was basically "The Black Hole War"'s main points), and I still got the same arrogant attitude about him.

I've never even heard of him.

A physicist that is arrogant? Say it aint so!?

Just wait till you find a physicist/army commander (like me)... You might not be able to fit in the same room as their ego.

I obviously haven't met as many physicists as you have, but the one's I have met were all really nice. But maybe that's because I'm just an undergrad, so they feel no need to try to prove themselves around me.

Social sciences, on the other hand....I went to a conference with my brother to see his presentation, and for the most part, the people there were extremely arrogant. I don't know if they're all like that or if it was just that one conference. I know if the APS people would have been like that, I would got kicked out on my first day for punching someone in the jaw.

[Kryssan]

...and unless Kryssan - Mizagno win the democratic ticket in 2012 against Obama - Biden...

I just want you to know that I love you for spelling my name right and spelling Miz's name wrong.

[Woozie]

Also, has anyone ever read this?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...SH20_OU01_.jpg

Seems really interesting, but like I mentioned before, I tend to not be able to read through his books. I have this entire book on a PDF file and I'm wondering if it's worth reading.

[Woozie]

I just want you to know that I love you for spelling my name right and spelling Miz's name wrong.

lol, my bad. I usually just call him "Miz" anyways instead of the whole name. I was like 100% sure I was spelling yours wrong. The fact that I happen to type it correctly was pure luck.

[Kryssan]

That's why it made me chuckle. Usually people spell it wrong or assume that it is supposed to be like Chris-san or something rather than just Kryssan. The name has nothing to do with the Japanese culture but I guess that's my fault for having picked that particular name 4 years ago without having put enough thought into it to see that people would derive that correlation. Oh well, still made me smile.

[Neosutra]

I obviously haven't met as many physicists as you have, but the one's I have met were all really nice. But maybe that's because I'm just an undergrad, so they feel no need to try to prove themselves around me.

Social sciences, on the other hand....I went to a conference with my brother to see his presentation, and for the most part, the people there were extremely arrogant. I don't know if they're all like that or if it was just that one conference. I know if the APS people would have been like that, I would got kicked out on my first day for punching someone in the jaw.

Different types I guess. Usually you will get the "I know more than you" vibe from physicists (mostly because it is true), while you get the "im better than you" vibe from other areas of expertise (like econ or sociology).

In the end, there are physicists, and everyone else. And nothing really comes close to the amount of knowledge and understanding of the universe that one field can offer than physics! (Incoming war of degrees)

[Kryssan]

Different types I guess. Usually you will get the "I know more than you" vibe from physicists (mostly because it is true), while you get the "im better than you" vibe from other areas of expertise (like econ or sociology).

In the end, there are physicists, and everyone else. And nothing really comes close to the amount of knowledge and understanding of the universe that one field can offer than physics! (Incoming war of degrees)

I think Woozie's sig is probably already speaking for him.

[Khamsin]

I found something cool I would like to share. Click the link and scroll down to the Spectral classes and you will see how close our Sun is to coming to it's end. Granted that is still a few billion years away, which is nothing when talking about space time.

Isn't the universe only about 14 billion years old? A "few" billion isn't nothing compared to that. Even just 3-4 billion years would be a quarter of the universe's current age, that's a lot.

It is the ultimate GAME OVA! Our Sun will inflate and get rid of all of its outer levels leaving behind a white dwarf. We will have our very own nebula!

Nah, even after the giant comet destroys the outer planets, and the sun's subsequent supernova destroys the inner planets, we'll still be around. It only deals a few hundred damage, IIRC.