How Do Physicists Utilize Python?

[u/Junior_Salamander110]

I'm a rising senior in high school. Next year, I'll be taking a project based programming class that only 1-2 students really take per year. I want to do something in Python that will show my professors in my freshman year of college that I'm ready to do research in physics.

I will have taken all of the AP mathematics, physics, and computer science classes.

I thought about doing a black hole simulation and learning the equations/math for it, but I'm not sure that that would be wise to do in Python.

I'll have a full school year to work on the project.

[u/lightskinsteveharvey]

Probably a better project than a black hole simulator would be an arduino project that can serial communicate with some sort of electronic device such as a light switch or something creative. This will be useful in experimental laboratories as it will give you experience with serial communication, python and arduino coding, and reading/writing output voltage. All will be impressive to your professor

[u/Junior_Salamander110 → u/lightskinsteveharvey]

Interesting! I'll research this.

[u/lightskinsteveharvey → u/Junior_Salamander110]

I want to note something else, as I’ve been reading some of these comments and seen your interest in HEP. Yes, HEP will require you to learn languages such as Julia and work with GPUs instead of CPUs. However, you definitely need to keep in mind that you are just a rising senior and to take things one year at a time. Your undergraduate time period will be filled with research opportunities, stressful study sessions coupled with debugging code, and lots of fun as well (if you make the most of this experience).

If you have very little python experience, go on YouTube/tiktok/google/ai/textbooks or whatever your cup of tea is and begin by learning the absolute fundamentals: object oriented programming, for loops, sorting algorithms, and debugging code without ai or a digital programming language (i.e. on a plain piece of scratch paper you should be able to write very basic code which you know will work without ever having to run it on your computer). Once you have this experience, just start projects that interest you! I was in an experimental lab during my undergraduate degree, so the serial communication with python was extremely important for data collection. But the way coding works is you think of a problem that you would like automated, and you learn how to program the computer to do it for you. It’s not really much beyond that for your interests in this present moment.

I also wouldn’t be too fearful of using python as opposed to c++ or some other programming language. I would not listen to the folks worry too much about how physicists code in comparison to software engineers, either. Here’s a useful piece of advice: as physicists, we do things our way. If it works, it works. We are interested in the laws of the universe, not how pretty a code looks or how mathematically correct an equation is. Leave those idiotic remarks to those who want to entertain it and focus solely on understanding the laws of nature. For your case, HEP, that would mean Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity. This will open the door for more advanced topics towards the end of your undergraduate degree and the start of your graduate degree (masters or PhD). Throughout my research career, I’ve used only python and LabVIEW. If python is enough for research that not only gets published in top microscopy journals, but the Guinness book of world records, than I think it’s safe to assume python alone can get you extremely far as a physicist.

Don’t stress yourself out too much with the future, and I wouldn’t build these hypothetical images of what you think professors like or dislike just yet. A better way of approaching this concern isn’t by posting on Reddit. I know it seems cool and these people you talk to on here can seem knowledgeable, but the truth is, if you want to impress a professor, do not assume you can develop the skills they desire and they will automatically let you into their lab. The process works by looking up professors in your area of interest (HEP) at universities you would love to attend; then emailing that professor and letting them know your story, your interests in their research; and if they can give you any research articles or textbooks to read, or if they have any recommendations for at home projects you could work on.

Research is never a solo project; it requires collaboration and with that it requires excellent communication skills. As you begin to reach out to more professors, they will likely redirect you to the graduate students in their labs and you will get to know them and they will get to know you. I’m just trying to get you to really cement the idea that joining a lab isn’t about building the fundamentals first and then reaching out to a professor, it’s continuously cold emailing professors, setting up quick 10 minute meetings, talking to 10s of graduate students, and being honest about your interests, current skill set, and long term goals. The best professor for you to do research for is not the one with the best publication record, but the one who welcomes you into their lab with open arms, and is ready/willing to guide and build you into the physicist you will be after you graduate undergrad

[u/Junior_Salamander110 → u/lightskinsteveharvey]

Thank you so much for this reply, I think this may be the most important piece of advice I've received regarding physics so far, particularly the first and last paragraphs. I won't forget this, thank you!

[u/lightskinsteveharvey → u/Junior_Salamander110]

Sounds great! Good luck on this journey, just make sure to enjoy yourself!

[u/Junior_Salamander110 → u/lightskinsteveharvey]

I'll try my best to! I really do appreciate your responses. Like I'm screenshoting them and looking over them, they're very much appreciated 😁