To Switch or Not to Switch...

I have recently picked up a copy of The Elegant Universe as suggested by Jennifer, the subject of my profile. It's a book that outlines the struggles in modern physics to explain the universe, and to unify the theories found in relativistic physics and quantum physics. And it supposedly does all this in layman's terms. I've begun reading it, and it's very well written. I have been thinking about math, how it's interesting to play with numbers, but at the same time I find quantum physics to be very alluring as well. It's a lot of theory, but I think there are answers out there that are much simpler than we can imagine right now. For instance, Einstein's general theory of relativity was absolutely revolutionary in the world of physics, yet the concept itself isn't all that complicated. It basically says that there is no specific vantage point for the universe. For instance, planet A might be traveling 5,000 mph through space relative to planet B, but in relation to another planet it's only traveling 2,000 mph. There is no set "stationary" in space, movement can only be defined relativistically. Then throw in the simple concept that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. So now there's an insanely simple concept that has so many complex implications. I think it's that sort of thing that the new research in physics is looking for.

So I've been wondering if turning back to the first instinct for a major I had would be a good idea. That was seven years ago when I decided I wanted to go the quantum physics route. I suppose I could go after a double major possibly. Either way, I won't have to set anything in stone at least for a couple more years since physics and math pretty much go hand-in-hand for a while.