Expert: Daniel Mazur - 7/8/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi there! I'm am currently a freshman at university and I'm pursuing a Bachelors degree in Engineering. I wanted to know if it is really necessary to have an undergrad degree in pure science in order to become a theoretical scientist? or can I become one after completing a Bsc in engineering and pursuing some graduate and Ph.D courses in theoretical science?

thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Ankit,

there is no law against it but it IS impossible for most people. An engineering Bc will give you virtually no skill or knowledge that would help you after you change the career to theoretical physics (TP)... Well, this may be too harsh a statement, because you will use bits and pieces like the practical calculus and computer awareness. TP involves a different way of thinking from engineering or even experimental physics. It is a very mathematically rigid field, so you must learn to obey the rules of logic instead of getting things approximately correct (because that's what's sufficient in most instances of experimental physics and engineering).

You can go and try to enroll a Ph.D. in TP, but I have a feeling that it will be as good as starting over from a freshman year. As an engineer you just cannot be taught all the necessary maths - even the Physics undergraduate curricula cannot contain as much maths as TP needs and TP prospects must study extra, take optional courses in various math. methods etc.

I must admit I was always amazed at how large portion of scientific students everywhere want to become TP. What attractions does it have to you, say, compared to your engineering or experimental science?

Cheers,
Daniel

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for your answer :) i think that TP is quiet interesting because I'm always curious to know about how the laws of nature apply at a nanoscale level since i was 16. I usually dont like arriving at accurate answers but I'd rather prefer applying different laws to see if there's a connection. I primarily wanted to be involved in Nanotechnology/Nanoscience for Research so I thought about being a TP. Do you know any other way in which i could become a research scientist in Nanotech?

thanks :)

Answer
Dear Ankit,

Nanotech is just an applied branch of Solid state physics (SSP). It is a highly specialized field in TP's point of view, SSP is, but in nanoscience theory has the biggest chance to meet experiment, because there TP can dare try predict phenomena exactly (!) instead of just approximate and "on average" predictions. I should probably tell you, that wherever you see the words "tech" aka "technology", it is always about the APPLIED side of science, opposite direction from theory. If you do "tech", you are not doing TP and vice versa. At least that's how I take it. You can merely try doing both in parallel.

That said, you can obviously become a nanoscientist through experimental physics - there are many more experimental sciences than theorists in nanoscience. Instead of studying all the purely theoretical methods and only then specialize in 'nano', you can spend time studying electrons, atoms, photons etc. hands-on and then "nano" is second nature to you.

Good luck in making the right career decisions!
Daniel