Physics is an organized way of conversing with nature. Physicists ask questions; nature responds.

For many questions, the answers are almost predictable, but when the question is a particularly
good one, the answer can be unexpected and give us new knowledge of the way the world works.
These are the moments physicists live for.
The fundamental ideas of physics underlie all basic science -- astronomy, biology, chemistry,
and geology. Physics also is essential to the applied science and engineering that has taken

our world from the horse and buggy to the supersonic jet, from the candle to the laser, from the
pony express to the fax, from live smoke signals to live satellite transmission, from the beads of
an abacus to the chips of a computer.

Today physics is as exciting as ever. The animated conversation between physicists and nature
goes on and it shows no sign of stopping.

The most basic of the sciences, physics, is all around us every day. If you've ever wondered what
makes lightning, why a boomerang returns, how ice skaters can spin so fast, how Michael Jordan
can "fly," why waves crash on the beach, how that tiny computer can do complicated problems,
or how long it takes light from a star to reach us, you have been thinking about some of the same
things physicists study every day.

Physicists like to ask questions. They try to find answers for almost everything_from when the
universe began to why soda fizzes. If you like to explore and figure out why things are the way
they are, you might like physics.
If you've had a back-row seat at a rock concert, and could still hear, you experienced physics at
work! Physicists studying sound contribute to the design of concert halls and the amplification
equipment. Knowing more about how things move and interact can be used to manage the flow
of traffic and help cities avoid grid lock.
Lasers and radioactive elements are tools in the war on cancer and other diseases. Geophysicists
are developing methods to give advance warning of earthquakes. The work of physicists made
possible the computer chips that are in your digital watch, CD player, electronic games, and
hand-held calculator.

The laboratory of the physicist extends from the edge of the universe to inside the nucleus of an
atom. A physicist may work in a laboratory designing materials for the computer chips of
tomorrow, or smashing atomic particles a in a quest to understand a laboratory designing
materials for the computer chips of tomorrow, or smashing atomic particles against one another
in a quest to understand how our universe began. Physicists have orbited the Earth as astronauts,
and plumbed the oceans' depths. Individuals who have studied physics seek to make instruments
that diagnose and cure disease; to develop safer and cleaner fuels for our cars and homes; to
harness the power of the sea; to calculate the movement of arctic glaciers; and to create smaller,
faster electronic components and integrated circuits.

Research physicists work in industry and government, in laboratories and hospitals, and on
university campuses. Some physicists serve in the military, teach in high schools and colleges,
teach in high schools and colleges, design science museum exhibits, write books and news
articles about science, give advice to federal, state, local, and foreign governments, run
businesses, even become artists. Students not interested in pursuing a science career can still
benefit from courses in physics. The study of physics helps you acquire very special problem-
solving skills and teaches you to better observe and understand the world. We all employ
physical concepts in everyday life.
Pole vaulters and drummers aren't research physicists, but they make use of physical concepts
such as elasticity, momentum, conservation of energy, vibration, reverberation, and reflection to
sharpen their skills.

The aim of physics is to understand how nature works. Developing this understanding begins with careful observation and
experimentation, followed by tentative hypotheses and eventually formal theories to explain the phenomena. Predictions made by
the theories are in turn tested against new experiments, which may lead to refinements in the theories, and so on in an ever-
tightening spiral.

Historically, the first successful theory of universal scope was Newtonian mechanics, which explained how forces cause objects to
change their motion. Later physicists developed equally successful theories of electromagnetism, light (optics), and heat
(thermodynamics).

Early in the 20th century, refined experiments forced physicists to extend Newtonian mechanics in two ways. To describe objects
moving near the speed of light or in strong gravitational fields, Einstein developed his famous theories of relativity. Even more
radical was quantum mechanics, a theory that explained the behavior of particles at the atomic scale.

Today, the scope of physics extends from the smallest subatomic particles to the entire observable universe. In between, physicists
study nuclear reactions, the interactions of atoms with light, properties of solids, chaotic dynamics of fluids, atmospheric processes,
pulsations of stars, and the evolution of galaxies. One of the fascinating aspects of all these seemingly disparate fields is that they
are so closely related to each other. For example, the mathematics that describes electrons in a metal can also be used to predict
the size of a neutron star. On a grander scale, our understanding of the earliest history of the universe depends entirely on our
knowledge of the forces that act between elementary particles.

Any person with a curiosity about the physical universe can benefit from studying physics. One needs not have aspirations to be a
professional physicist, although that is certainly a career option. In general, everyone needs an understanding of physics because of
the bearing it has on the wide range of issues facing us in today's world such as energy resources, the environment, space
exploration, communication, medicine and arms control.