How cool is physics?

The United Nations has designated 2005 as the World Year of Physics. It is also the Einstein Year in commemoration of the centennial of the year Albert Einstein rewrote physics theory with his groundbreaking research papers. But how popular is the subject among the youth today? Notes finds out

Dull, dry, abstract, boring … for many high school and college students physics simply fails to excite and inspire. I remember physics classes bringing tears of boredom to my eyes.

Our teacher, a gold medallist in the subject, droned on, furiously scribbling equations on the blackboard, oblivious to the paper arrows and chalk pieces flying across the room the minute his back was turned.

But consider this: physics governs practically every aspect of our lives. It makes the kettle boil, mobile phones ring. We tune in to a radio station, switch on the television, heat food in the microwave. Our feet are firmly planted on earth; once again physics lies behind it.

The subject sounds pretty cool. Then why is it that not many students choose to major in it? In fact, in the UAE there is probably only one university that offers a bachelor's in it.

Einstein's miracle year

March 1905, exactly a hundred years ago, 26-year-old Albert Einstein published research papers on the special theory of relativity, quantum theory and the theory of Brownian Motion.

His theories so drastically changed the understanding of physics that physicists called 1905 his miracle year or annus mirabilis.

Its centennial has therefore been designated the World Year of physics in a move endorsed by the United Nations. A number of countries are observing the year as Einstein Year. April 18 also marks 50 years since Einstein's death in 1955.

The year is therefore being commemorated through conferences, books, contests and games, a talent hunt for future physicists, lectures and other activities.

UAE University (UAEU) is leading celebrations in this country. Among the various activities it has organised is a road show in which a mobile lab visits high schools in Al Ain, and teachers show students various experiments in the hope of kindling their interest in the subject.

Dr Mohammad Assad Abdul Rauof, Professor of Physics at UAEU, believes the road show has been very successful. He says it has shown that physics can be a lovely science when introduced through its practical applications.

The popularity of physics has decreased worldwide, he agrees, for four reasons. Lack of career options, the greater appeal of border sciences such as computer sciences, bioengineering, biophysics and the lack of charismatic figures such as Einstein are three of them.

"Science in general and physics in particular appear in the media as very strange or very dangerous," says Abdul Raouf, who specialises in atomic and nuclear physics.

"Scientists and physicists are characterised in the media as though they possess psycho or comic personalities."

A lack of media savvy is another reason that Dr Neeru Bhagat Banerjee, Assistant Professor of Physics at BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus, lists as contributing to the dull, boring image that physicists have.

"Most scientists are a little reserved and don't harp about their achievements," she says. "They consider themselves as one among many."

Banerjee, who specialises in nuclear physics and nano-crystalline alloys, made up her mind to become a scientist while still in class 9.

Her colleague in the department, Assistant Professor Dr K.K. Singh, who specialises in early universe theories, got hooked on the subject in class 10. Both had to fight parental pressure to specialise in Physics.

According to them, parents often play a major role in turning their children away from pure science and towards professional courses. They regard the two main career options that science graduates can choose - research or teaching - as low-paying and tedious.

"You can count the number of people who come into the field of pure science," says Singh.

"The thinking is that you might pursue the stream, spend 10 years specialising and at the end of it still find yourself on the road looking for a job. Whereas if you do a four-year professional course, you can immediately get a job."

This impatience to get ahead in life, particularly in a rapidly-evolving society such as the UAE's, is probably the primary reason for a lack of scientific temper among its youth.

"In Dubai, you have no research," says Banerjee. Besides, the city is making a name for itself as a major trading hub.

"The best in the field of business come here." Business management, computer science and software development are naturally highly attractive programmes.

Both Banerjee and Singh are teaching physics as an applied science and part of the engineering curriculum at BITS. "However," says Singh, "without the development of pure science, we can't develop applied science which is basically a by-product of the first."

In other words, scientific research has to be encouraged. Not only will it result in more jobs for those wedded to a life of science, it will also result in newer technology and applications, which in turn will lead the country to greater development. "Why do you think that countries such as the US spend so much on research?" Singh asks.

So do today's youth have it in them to match Einstein's brilliance? "Yes I think they have," says Abdul Raouf, "but the media is misleading them. The media makes superstars out of those who do not deserve it.

"It invites an artist, who made one or two films, sang one or two songs, didn't even finish school and make him or her the idol of the nation. He or she is then invited on television programmes to speak about philosophy, science, God and the world. Isn't that misleading?"

As for Banerjee, she believes given the right direction at the school level, it is possible to get students interested in Physics. "My teacher told me that she was very happy when I chose Physics, now I feel the same happiness when a student of mine chooses the subject."

The student perspective

Anant Patel, a final year computer science student at BITS, Pilani - Dubai Campus, has loved science since childhood. He grew up reading religious books side by side with books on black holes, the universe, the Big Bang theory and evolution.

The inherent controversy between physics and religion, he says, led him to the various streams of physics.

"I feel physics is interesting, but not all fields, though," he says. "A few of my friends find it boring. In general I feel people like the subject, but don't like to go into it in depth.

"They are interested in topics such as the Big Bang, but when you come to hardcore physics, calculus and things like that they get bored. They want to be presented with facts, but wouldn't like to get into research themselves."

It is difficult

Rohan Suri, a first year electronics student at BITS, believes that students find physics difficult because the subject is heavily dependent on mathematics, more so today than a century back.

"If you want to do any research in physics, then you have to be very thorough in the mathematical principles. Earlier maybe you had only calculus, but now the mathematics has advanced to such a level that you probably need to put in year