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[Vector]

Hey, he may have been bat shit crazy but the man had to invent calculus for his law of motions. He deserves some credit.

No, no.  Newton, Gauss, and Riemann are beloved to me.

I do not trust modern physicists (i.e. ones that are not also mathematicians) farther than I can throw them.

[MrWiggles]

Hey, he may have been bat shit crazy but the man had to invent calculus for his law of motions. He deserves some credit.

No, no.  Newton, Gauss, and Riemann are beloved to me.

I do not trust modern physicists (i.e. ones that are not also mathematicians) farther than I can throw them.

I find that funny, as String Theory, the chaffing leg that Physicist have been dry humping, is just really nice looking math.

[Vector]

I find that funny, as String Theory, the chaffing leg that Physicist have been dry humping, is just really nice looking math.

Yup.  We don't want it, though.  It seems like most mathematicians see physics people as strangely incontinent little yappy dogs that must constantly be cleaned up after.  At the very least, most pure math students seem to feel that way >_>

[MrWiggles]

I find that funny, as String Theory, the chaffing leg that Physicist have been dry humping, is just really nice looking math.

Yup.  We don't want it, though.  It seems like most mathematicians see physics people as strangely incontinent little yappy dogs that must constantly be cleaned up after.  At the very least, most pure math students seem to feel that way >_>

Yea, but you both need each other though. No matter how well balance a proof is, or elegant it is, without real world analog it can't present application or foster as much new understanding.

And with mathematical models physicist would surely lack the predictive models they need to foster further understanding and sideways understanding.

[Armok]

Physic math is ugly. The point of physics isn't to be beutifull, it's to build faster computers and bigger powerplants.

[Virex]

Is it just me or do people always jump to physics when they think of science? I'd be just as interesting with a ground-breaking theory concerning biology or sociology. Hell, everyone always talks about physics, but to our world, chemistry is just as important, if not more important. We chemists need some love too 

Anyway, why are you asking this? Because to me, it seems like almost everyone would be intersted, with a few of us being (slightly) sceptical. There doesn't seem to be much to debate about....

Also, if your math is ugly, you can often group a lot of it under a constant (reaction rate constants for example) Or a function (error function anyone? Or Gamma function?)

[Zironic]

Chemists and Chemical Engineers take physics - and the notions and theories they have, and make them actually do something. The last group of physicists to actually do something with a new theory was Oppenheimer.

[Virex]

Chemists and Chemical Engineers take physics - and the notions and theories they have, and make them actually do something. The last group of physicists to actually do something with a new theory was Oppenheimer.

Everything eventualy remotely boils down to physics (friggin definitions!), but this usualy means people value physics over chemistry and that's what stings a bit. It's like you're brewing one of the best beers in the world and then someone claims it's all hop and yeast and therefore farmers are more important then you are.

[Vector]

Also, if your math is ugly, you can often group a lot of it under a constant (reaction rate constants for example) Or a function (error function anyone? Or Gamma function?)

Yes, but then the constant becomes ugly >_> <_<

When looking at the entire picture, it's still massively disturbing to one's finer sensibilities.

Everything eventualy remotely boils down to mathematics (friggin definitions!), but this usualy (for unknown reasons) means people value every other subject ever over mathematics and that's what stings a bit.

Gets my goat, every time.  You want to know a conversation stopper?

"I'm a math student."

The worst part is when someone asks if you're going to become a secretary or an accountant (I've had quite a few people ask this).  HARHARHAR no.  That's like asking a chemistry student if he's going to become a janitor.  Or an art student if he's going to turn into one of those people who paints traffic stuff in the road (arrows, STOP, BIKE LANE, whatever).

... I also hate all the people who say "Cool, your degree and desired career path are completely useless.  Why don't you use those smarts on something worthwhile that can actually help people?"  I'm doing what I can :I


Oh, well.  Though it may not seem like it from everything I've said, I do respect those who have the guts to think up applications.  We'd be absolutely nowhere without them.

[MrWiggles]

It boils down to each other. Math and applied science is interdependent on each other.

[bjlong]

Oh my god.

Not all physics is theoretical! We're EXPERIMENTALISTS too! We come up with new applications ALL THE TIME! WE INVENTED FRICKIN' LASER BEAMS!!!

Sorry. But most experimentalists are trying to come up with something nifty without all the clusterfuck maths that our more theoretical bretheren generally immerse themselves in, and end up creating new applications when not discovering something that throws a wrench in one theory or another.

[Nilocy]

Oh my god.

Not all physics is theoretical! We're EXPERIMENTALISTS too! We come up with new applications ALL THE TIME! WE INVENTED FRICKIN' LASER BEAMS!!!

Sorry. But most experimentalists are trying to come up with something nifty without all the clusterfuck maths that our more theoretical bretheren generally immerse themselves in, and end up creating new applications when not discovering something that throws a wrench in one theory or another.

You also invented the nuclear bomb. How'd that go for you?

[MrWiggles]

Oh my god.

Not all physics is theoretical! We're EXPERIMENTALISTS too! We come up with new applications ALL THE TIME! WE INVENTED FRICKIN' LASER BEAMS!!!

Sorry. But most experimentalists are trying to come up with something nifty without all the clusterfuck maths that our more theoretical bretheren generally immerse themselves in, and end up creating new applications when not discovering something that throws a wrench in one theory or another.

You also invented the nuclear bomb. How'd that go for you?

It went awesome, as countless lives have been saved or extended over the number harmed or killed from two nuclear blast, thanks to variety radiotherapy for cancers and other illness.

This is also not counting the lives saved on both side from the US dropping the A bomb instead of the postulated years land battle in the Japanese island chains to end the conflict with conventual means.

[Vector]

Oh my god.

Not all physics is theoretical! We're EXPERIMENTALISTS too! We come up with new applications ALL THE TIME! WE INVENTED FRICKIN' LASER BEAMS!!!

Sorry. But most experimentalists are trying to come up with something nifty without all the clusterfuck maths that our more theoretical bretheren generally immerse themselves in, and end up creating new applications when not discovering something that throws a wrench in one theory or another.

Yes.  I happen to like experimentalists, since they don't tend to be dicks and they don't leave much to clean up after in the way of "mathematics forced to fit the experiments."  Feel appreciated :3

[Jreengus]

This discussion reminds me of this xkcd:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Also I agree with Vector, we awesome maths students deserve more credit.