"Physics majors are trained to be able to do everything but are not trained to do anything" - A popular joke around our physics department, the cause of much uncomfortable laughter amongst the undergraduates, and the source of much contemplation on my part. Originally I became a physics major because of my interest in astronomy but as I began taking physics courses I quickly realized there was nothing else I could possibly study. As if watching a strange movie, physics undergraduates must engage themselves in a willing suspension of disbelief in the hopes that one day the importance of ladder operators and partition functions will be revealed. From conservation of angular momentum to optical depth, the study of physics leads a pupil through the many ways of solving problems in a dynamic, physical world by applying known principles to unknown situations. Although the repetition of algorithmic processes builds our cities, runs our businesses, and provides our food and energy, the problems humans face in the twenty first century require creative solutions by people who understand the fundamentals of the physical world and the nature of the human race as a system of interacting beings. To a student of physics, the first step to solving a problem is understanding the issues at hand and identifying what principles to apply to each part.
-andres
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