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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Very few kids live in the DCUM bubble and can afford to major in something frivolous knowing that their school’s prestige and parental connections will ensure they do well anyway. Most kids are forced to be practical.[/quote]
Yet many study the sciences...Not to be anti-intellectual, but many scientific pursuits are purely meaningless, require a PhD, and pay $30k-40k[/quote]
So friggin true it hurts. Studying physics was great but possibly one of the most useless things I have done in my life. It is mostly a field that generates no profit and has been consistently a mess for the pass 50 years with little progress to the fundamental questions still lurking. Overall, I would not recommend a science degree over a mathematics or engineering pursuit.[/quote]

Physics majors can opt to study engineering in grad school. At some universities applied physics is even considered a form of engineering. Physics is at the forefront of many areas expected to have high impact applications in the coming decades.  Fusion, quantum computing, nano tech, directed energy systems, materials science and much more benefit from a strong foundation in physics. I would argue many of the most innovative engineers started in physics or chemistry, as understanding nature is a wise first step before trying to build things with it.

As far as salaries go, this link may be of interest. For mid-career earnings, physics majors fare reasonably well considering that many do opt for lower pay lab or academic positions for the sheer satisfaction of the work.

https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:outcomes-by-major[/quote]
Are you a physicist/done a physics major? You can go into certain grad engineering programs, but it’s a big learning curve and a time sync when you can get an engineering undergrad degree. A lot of the research positions you are talking about are uber competitive- hardly anyone can get a position in quantum computing, and the training for it doesn’t begin until undergrad. Materials/energy are the most in need, but you’re competing often with people much better at chem (what you actually need). Physics is a great degree for pivoting, except most physics majors don’t have time to do physics, pick up various coding courses, work on independent projects, and get the right internships to leave college confident.[/quote]

Yes I have a degree in physics, have hired physics majors, know well
some who have gone from physics to engineering, and all that. It is a very versatile major, and the above was far from an exhaustive list. Some of the most successful sw developers I’ve known studied physics. AI was pioneered by physicists and arguably still is. Pharma companies need physicists to predict protein folding and help design targeted drugs. Medical imaging and treatment technology is a related example.  Physics and philosophy majors historically have the highest LSAT scores. Quantum computing grad work obviously benefits greatly from physics undergrad foundations. Physics itself has applications nearly everywhere, and the skills acquired in its study are also broadly applicable. I certainly wouldn’t recommend physics for everyone; it’s not as prescribed as engineering, for one. But earlier venting about how the field lacked utility or had become stagnant showed astonishingly little understanding of what a physics major is good for.  But it’s certain our future adversaries are delighted by such sentiments![/quote]

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