Some people may have an image of the physicist-scientist as a shy, disheveled absent-minded professor who wears socks that don't match and who would rather talk to a computer than a real person. Nothing could be further from today's reality. Physicists come from all walks of life, have a wide variety of interests, and are more likely to go to parties and meetings than to lock themselves away in a laboratory and forget what day or year it is. In fact, the most famous scientist the modern world has known, Albert Einstein, was a physicist who had a keen interest in many social issues and questions. Most people enter the field of physics because it is a science that is almost entirely devoted to the exploration of the unknown. Physics and physicists often deal with the big questions, like "Where did the Universe come from?" or "What happens when you travel at the speed of light?" But they are not content with just asking the questions. They want to find the answers.

Of course physics does not just deal with cosmic questions. The science of physics is involved in nearly all aspects of technology and science that have become the practical realities of our day-to-day lives. Physics has been integral to many advances in medicine, computers, national defense, lasers, transportation, energy efficiency, and the environment. Physics is a fundamental science because it deals with the fundamental elements of nature and life, like force and motion, gravity, electricity, light and heat, and sound. Physics also deals with the basic particles of life, from atoms, electrons, and protons to the fundamental particles of matter known as quarks, which combine to form composite objects like protons and neutrons.

As a result, physics is a basic building block for such sciences as chemistry, biology, medicine, electronics, and geology. In essence, physicists study how the universe works and then take their knowledge and apply it to solving problems. Some have obvious practical applications concerning food and energy supply, or advancing communications technology. Others deal with more theoretical problems such as how space bends or curves. But, even with the more esoteric questions, the physicist is ultimately looking for practical applications that will increase our knowledge about the world around us and improve our lives. Because physics is such a fundamental science, people with physics degrees work in a wide variety of fields and jobs - for private companies, universities, schools, research centers, and governmental agencies. In fact, a complete list of the types of jobs that physicists work in would be very, very long.

Here is a sampling of some of the areas and industries a physicist may work in:

• Aerospace
• Astronomy
• Biophysics
• Computer Systems Engineering
• Research Assistance
• Education