Sharjah: Dr Ahmad Nemer, a graduate of American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) class of 2010, earned his doctoral degree in atomic and molecular physics at Auburn University, Alabama, US, and has recently been appointed to a prestigious post-doctoral position at Princeton University.
He tells students who wish to take up physics why it is such a rewarding pursuit.
Why I was fascinated with physics:
Growing up, I was always intrigued by sciences, and particularly, I was fascinated by Einstein’s theory of relativity without really understanding what it really means.
Despite the cumbersome hours I had to spend preparing for homework and exams during school days, there was always something magical in possessing the knowledge on how things work.
Despite the cumbersome hours I had to spend preparing for homework and exams during school days, there was always something magical in possessing the knowledge on how things work.
Physics is nothing but the study of how the universe behaves and why is it so.
That enquiry extends from the smallest scales (e.g. the sub-atomic) to the largest ones (e.g. astronomical), and there are always shared patterns that are observed in all walks of life.
This perception offers a deeper understanding and appreciation to the tasks performed by humans on a daily basis. For example, observing different colours in the sky within the same day, keeping time and date accurately with the imperfections of the calendar systems used by different cultures, and the measures taken by specialists to operate various machines and vehicles are all related to how things work.
And if you look deep into all these patterns, you will realise that everything is connected somehow.
There is nothing difficult about physics:
I personally view learning physics as completing a puzzle with numerous features; it is challenging at the beginning since those shapes are unfamiliar, but it becomes much more instinctive when you have a grasp on the meaning of the whole and how these shapes are connected.
It can be difficult to appreciate physics if every subject is studied separately and forgotten. Truly acquiring the knowledge takes a sense of commitment and a tendency to tying loose ends and seeing things through.
I did not know where would physics take me when I embarked on my journey, but I was merely driven by passion. Most people suggested that I will become a teacher of some sort, and that I would not have the financial freedom ever. But I learned that a degree in physics is respected and appreciated in most organisations.
But I don’t know of any field that doesn’t require these traits to succeed.
It pays to have physics pave the way to the future:
I did not know where would physics take me when I embarked on my journey, but I was merely driven by passion. Most people suggested that I will become a teacher of some sort, and that I would not have the financial freedom ever. But I learned that a degree in physics is respected and appreciated in most organisations.
Surely the obvious track would be to get a higher degree and then settle in a university as a professor, but that is only a limited set of opportunities that this profession can offer. I have seen physicists end up in the stock market, head of HR, or even took their skills to the movie industry.
The technical knowledge in science is not what is needed in these jobs, but rather the sound way of thinking disciplined by studying physics. I personally chose this field because of the joy that spreading the knowledge gives me.
Working in the field of sciences gives you the opportunity to interact with school students within various outreach programs, and I had the pleasure of watching the eyes of kids sparkle when I explained some experiment I performed to them, with a satisfying explanation.
Overcoming the negative perceptions:
I realised in my early career when interacting with students that they have a pre-conceived idea about physics, and usually it is a negative one.
I completed my bachelors’ degree at the American University of Sharjah, and I had the chance to be educated with the highest standards and in a stimulating approach which I found valuable when I had to be on the giving end.
The best class I ever taught was one with students that had interacted minimally with physics before. I had the chance to present the topic to them, for the first time, in an exciting way that can be related to their daily lives and things that interest them like music and movies without posing the barrier of solving complex equations before they can even enjoy it.
The importance of everyday lessons physics can teach:
I love how a theory on paper can be applied directly to things you see everyday like why you should not speed on a roundabout, or that if you leave a window slightly open it helps close the door better. It can be difficult, specially in college, to decide what career choice will bring you happiness in the future.
I think it is very important to listen to your heart when making major decisions even if things do not make sense at the time. I learned that usually you are better equipped to connect the dots and make sense of where you’re headed when you look back and things are blurred by doubt and fear when anticipated instead.
Excelling is all about a sense of purpose:
I found that what brings a person happiness usually comes from a sense of purpose and having an effect on the life of others. It can be more comfortable to conform to the common life drawn to you by your environment, but it is more fulfilling to “be the change you want to see in this world” as Gandhi says.
How to enjoy physics: Dr Nemer’s tips
1) Physics is better when you do not memorise anything.
Physics makes the person think more effectively, and rarely do you have to spell out an equation to tackle a problem. Rather, you should know which equation to use (and how) from the available references.
2) Study of physics is often mis-identified as abstract and dry.
On the contrary, it is a riveting experience to build an experiment from scratch while you have control over all the parameters of the set-up. Between having the idea on paper and obtaining the final results of your experiment, there is a lot of fun work in the lab to understand how things work.
3) Physics is about asking questions and solving problems.
It teaches you how to approach situations in a simple, logical way.
4) Often you will physicists who branch out to study philosophy (and vice versa) which cannot be said about other fields of science.
These two fields scrutinise the deepest mysteries of nature, from different perspectives. Often they meet, such as in time travel or an examination of truth.
5) Every day life is all about physics.
From daily occurences such as observing depths and speeds, swirling water in the sink, perception of colours, workings of speed radar cameras, GPS systems, physics lessons are embedded everywhere.
Big plans
In his new role at the Ivy League institution, Dr. Nemer will pursue further research on the modelling of protoplanetary disks and matching the models with observations from ground and space telescopes from all over the world, and will draw from data analysis conducted at AUS.
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the AUS College of Engineering, Dr. Nemer received a doctoral degree in atomic and molecular physics at Auburn University in June this year, before his appointment at Princeton.
“My research will be about the early stages of stars at their infancy. At that point, the gravitational pull of the star will collect all the materials (atoms and molecules) from the surrounding Interstellar Medium. These atoms and molecules will create a rotating disk around the star.
"It is hypothesised that this disk of materials is the birth place of planets (hence the name Protoplanetary disks), and understanding this environment at these early stages will shed some light on how our planet was formed some 4.6 billion years ago.” said Dr Nemer.
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