The field is mired with images of weird old men electrocuting themselves, strange equations, esoteric concepts, indecipherable books, etc. To most, physics is simply unapproachable. We say "NO WAY" give it a chance!

The authors of this site have been involved with physics for 15 years. This includes college, graduate school, Ph.D. degrees, government funded research, national conferences, and teaching at the university level. WE LOVE PHYSICS. Unfortunately, not many people feel this way!

You know conversations like this: you've just met someone, or you start talking to someone while waiting in line, or on an airplane, etc. Invariably you exchange stories about "what you do for a living?" We, of course, say how we're involved with physics. Strange as it is, but nine times out of ten, we get one of these 4 responses:

1. "Physics....< pause >....Wow!"

   Not as in a "Wow!" of amazement; sort of a "Wow!" as in "I have no idea what to say next. Nothing more to say. I know that little about physics."

2. "Oh yeah, physics. I like physics. I read they found that new atomic particle. What's a quark?"

   Unfortunately, physics at the world's many "atom smashers" always get the news headlines. There's much more to physics than atom smashing.

3. "Ewww, physics. Those old men with white lab coats on."

   Physics is a very diverse, and modern field, involving men and women of all ages, all over the world. It continues to serve on the front lines of basic scientific research.

4. "I like physics, but I was too busy with my major's required courses to take many classes on it ."

   Physics is not a very popular choice for a college major. Most science majors are required to take one full year of introductory physics, and that's the most physics many engineers, doctors, biologists, architects, etc. ever see.

What would you say? By the way, our all time favorite is:

Once, in college, one of us was asked what our major was. We said "physics." Their response was: "Oh, so you want to be a physician?" (Editor's note: you know what's wrong with this response, right?)