Scientists with an edge at computational prowess and mathematical techniques are in great demand ever since information technology has taken a central position in modern society. Here we discuss a couple of themes where data analytics and stochastic modeling tools have shown impressive track record for young graduates in the physical sciences to dream for that 'incredible career path'. Sound logic, experimental precision and computational powers have been increasingly harnessed to build efficient systems and arrive at prudent decisions. Godel's incompleteness theorem asserts that no formal theory that contains arithmetic can be both complete and consistent at the same time. Hence we are forced to carry out scientific computation using advanced numerical schemes using as many data points as available for better precision.
[Refer: Computing over the reals: Where Turing Meets Newton-BY LENOR BLUM]
In another direction we also require computational tools for market analysis, trading and investment analysis. Taking a cue at stochastic environments involved in quantum physics, the academia and industry recognized the value of engineering financial decisions using powerful mathematics. To narrate the story in a nutshell, financial decision making invariably involves numerical calculations, spreadsheet models for simple what-if- analysis, cost of capital calculation and business valuations. Of late research trends in risk management require sophisticated stochastic analysis. For instance asset price dynamics, evolutionary trends in commodity prices, interest rate analysis and derivative products. We shall quote A.Brown (of the Morgan Stanley group) "In the olden days of risk management you could take decisions looking at the data while now we have tons of millions of positions and hundreds of thousands of market factors Each position can have so many attributes and each market factor has thousands of data points and the market factors themselves are becoming very abstract, we dont have prices in there any more we have implied volatalities and implied correlations"
[Ref: Convergence of Technology and Pure Studies-Bulletin of Science Popularization]
-- J V Ramana Raju
It’s a common question that a student doing a pure science course is posed with –“are you going to be a teacher?” or may be it gets asked in a much polite manner as “are you planning a career in teaching?”. This misconception has somehow crept into our society. One reason probably could be that most of those who wished to be in teachers in non-engineering and non-medical streams had to do a pure science courses only at undergrad and graduate levels due to the industry norms. In Indian context the scenario is worst. Many a times the pure science streams are chosen out of no-other-option mindset rather than this-is- my-option basis. In the recent past the number of students taking admission into the pure science streams due to the reason that they haven’t been able to procure a seat in any engineering or medical courses has increased. This trend doesn’t seem a very promising one. Though one can list of several reasons as to why this is happening and debate over it, I shall refrain to just opening up the minds of people to the several job prospects that a student with a degree, a UG or a PG, in physics would fit into and be very successful.
It’s indeed evident that a person with degree in Physics can take up a successful career as a Researcher in several sub-disciplines like Nano-physics, Astrophysics, Material Science, solid state physics etc. This could be in any Govt. funded laboratories, organizations, Institutes, Universities or even in organizations and institutions that are privately funded. And of course take much noble profession of teaching at different levels – school level, senior secondary, undergraduate levels. But that’s not end of the story or end of the world. Today science has become more an inter-disciplinary affair, where expertise in one stream might be in great demand in another stream that never even struck wildest of our imaginations.
One of the immediate streams that these graduates can jump into is Geo-physics which is less explored streams and has very high potential and scope. They could be theorists, analysts. The field of seismology goes in hand with geo-physics and hence with suitable additional qualifications they could even become seismologists or Seismic interpreter. There is a much greater scope if the student has some background in computers. They could be Computer programmers or even Computer Scientists. With Big data and analytics taking over the field, many high end organizations and research laboratories are in need of experts that have good subject knowledge and also good at computers. With a better qualification they could emerge as developers and facilitators for specific sub-disciplines in Physics. Engineering and technology are interdependent with physics to a very deep extent. And thus the scope for physicists is also very high. Students with physics degree could be hired for many aspects such as product design, development, crisis management, testing among others. Associated industries including Aeronautics and aerospace, Space, nuclear and defense, Energy, Communication and telecommunication related establishments have openings for physicists. Many times physicists are chosen for the posts like metallurgists.
Students with inclination towards biology along with physics could venture into many associated industries and sectors in life sciences as well. Bio-physics and Medical physics are interesting fields with good-profile openings for physicists. Radiology and related sub-disciplines like radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, are famous among physicists. Physicists could be involved in design, development and maintenance of medical instruments along with biomedical engineers. With additional qualification they might be able to escalate in the healthcare sector, research centers as well.
Totally off beat opportunities include investment analysts, patent attorney, media and entertainment, journalism, gaming and animation, architecture, transport, banking etc. Interested candidates could even get into civil services by taking up examinations like UPSC, IAS, IPS etc, and even get into Army and Naval services.
In simple, a student of physics can easily shift his/her streams with suitable additional qualifications. The same is true with any student from pure science background. This is due to the fact that they are exposed to a much broader spectrum of subjects and have a very strong foundation of basics which seems to lack in technical and non-pure science courses. This reality has to be brought to the notice of every section of society and more students should be encouraged to take up courses in pure sciences.
Are we there yet?
Author: Swati Routh
So I asked "What is it within and what is it beyond ?
Where it ends and where it is born?
What is it which binds us all?"
And the echo replied ,
"There is silence and there is noise,
waves of continuum or mesh of your choice,
quarks, electrons, atoms or nuclei,
playing to rules of J or Psi,
When you try to knot that string,
Revealed what is within everything.
A new world begins each time a question is born,
and every universe ends when the search is forlorn."
Where the air is buzz with busy hums,
And the eyes glitter in recognition,
Where the roads turn in between peaks,
Evening shoulders don't droop at doorway,
Now the path is to be found, now it's time
for you to ask your shadow,
"Are we there yet"?
