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Curious about fundamental physics
Aug. 24th, 2023 05:56 amWhen applying to universities for my first degree, I largely targeted four-year courses in theoretical physics. I achieved A grades in A-level pure maths, applied maths, physics, and was most curious about fundamental physics. I am not a genius but I am interested and capable, I could have hoped to understand plenty and figure out at least something more.
What actually happened is that I noticed that the University of Cambridge's tripos system at the time allowed me to apply for computer science, switch to natural sciences after the first year, and still do as much mathematics and physics as the physicists. I considered applying for maths there instead but did not want the hassle of caring about STEP papers on top of my examination load (I actually took four A-levels and another GCSE).
Once studying at Cambridge, I was bothered by that, in the final term of my freshman year, we were getting ongoing updates from physics lecturers about what may or may not be examinable. It turned out that they were in the midst of redesigning the physics course. Then, the mock examination was far easier than the real final. Reasoning that they were incompetently making up a new undergraduate course as they went along, I bailed and stuck with computer science, rather than remain among their year of guinea pigs.
The above is background for: I never lost my curiosity about physics, even though I know that, by the time I might plausibly get to study properly, I will be decades behind others and my faculties will be waning. I read things about, say, parity violation and the weak force: how we have only left-handed neutrinos that experience only that force, that it doesn't affect right-handed electrons, etc., and there is such a sense of
What actually happened is that I noticed that the University of Cambridge's tripos system at the time allowed me to apply for computer science, switch to natural sciences after the first year, and still do as much mathematics and physics as the physicists. I considered applying for maths there instead but did not want the hassle of caring about STEP papers on top of my examination load (I actually took four A-levels and another GCSE).
Once studying at Cambridge, I was bothered by that, in the final term of my freshman year, we were getting ongoing updates from physics lecturers about what may or may not be examinable. It turned out that they were in the midst of redesigning the physics course. Then, the mock examination was far easier than the real final. Reasoning that they were incompetently making up a new undergraduate course as they went along, I bailed and stuck with computer science, rather than remain among their year of guinea pigs.
The above is background for: I never lost my curiosity about physics, even though I know that, by the time I might plausibly get to study properly, I will be decades behind others and my faculties will be waning. I read things about, say, parity violation and the weak force: how we have only left-handed neutrinos that experience only that force, that it doesn't affect right-handed electrons, etc., and there is such a sense of
what is going on?that demands explanatory hypotheses investigated using maths and computing. I envy those who get to search for the answers even though, regarding the greenness of grass, I probably took the better-paid option.
