Physics applies scientific methodologies to understand the most
fundamental principles of nature: matter and energy, and how they
interact. A physicist usually specializes within one area of physics,
though many disciplines overlap. Below are a few examples of the
different areas of physics, with very general definitions.
Astrophysics
and cosmology are examples of sciences charged with unraveling the
mysteries of life as they play out on a massive scale. From black holes
to supernovas, it is the job of this branch of physics to explain the
birth of stars, the tumble of galaxies, and the beginning of our
universe.
Geophysics deals with understanding the earth from
the standpoints of electromagnetic, seismic, and radioactive phenomena.
Plate tectonics, geology, atmospheric science, climatology, and
oceanography are just a handful of the sciences that fall under the
purview of geophysics. Thanks to this branch of physics, we have a
better understanding of events like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, the
formation of mountains, and continental drift.
Atomic and
Nuclear Physics, along with their various disciplines, undertake one of
the most fundamental areas of physics; understanding the atom. Nuclear
power, radioactivity, medical imaging systems, pacemakers, and the
atomic clock are just a few benefits derived from these branches of
physics. Studying the atom also led directly to the emergence of quantum
physics.
Quantum physics is perhaps the most fascinating branch
of physics, as it reveals a world so foreign to the one we know, it is
all but unbelievable. The job of this area of physics is to take us into
the tiniest particles known to man, unlocking the most fundamental
levels of matter and light. Here quantum particles behave in
counterintuitive ways, as readily to travel backward in time as forward,
or to appear simultaneously in two places at once. Quantum physics has
contributed in unique and far-reaching ways to varied branches of
science. It also led to a new theoretical understanding of particles and
to what might be the Holy Grail of science: The Theory Of Everything.
This leads us to theoretical physics.
Theoretical physics rides
the forefront of pioneering hypotheses for unsolved questions in all
areas of physics. In some circles, theoretical physics is not well
received, because the theories are unproven, and there are often no
tools to do so for decades, if ever in the scientist’s lifetime.
However, circumstantial support and mathematical consistency led to a
breakthrough in superstring theory that might be the so-called Theory of
Everything. This theory would unite Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
with the quantum world, explaining the relationships between the four
known forces: gravity, the strong and weak nuclear forces, and
electromagnetism. While mathematical consistency is on the side of
superstring’s M-theory, there is currently no way to conclusively test
it.
The best science fiction writers are often physicists who use
their knowledge of hard science to extrapolate a plausible future
world. For anyone with a keen mind and a sense of wonder, the enigmatic
world of physics can provide an excellent and rewarding career path.
