Personal opinion

When I talk about physics to my friend, usually the response from them were none too good. Generally, we all think the same way - that if one dwell deep in academics, especially physics, mathematics and computers, we are going to be branded as geeks or nerds.

This is how society builds now. People abhor mathematics as much as they can because it involves data processing. We are just too lazy to think. Ignorant. Apparently, indulgence is the top priority due to the so-called nature.

Think again. If there were no mathematics, we wouldn't have the technology as we know it today. Even a simple taste of music with your iPod is not possible.


Thing is, personally, I'm not interested in building an iPod from scratch too. Heck, I even hated physics back when I was studying in high school. It's something else in physics that makes me want to pursue it. It's what I call cosmic understanding.

In all my high school years, I have only meddled with what today we call classical physics. Which contained all the scary names you've probably heard of in your high school years. These people contributed it, i.e Newton, Maxwell, Faraday, et cetera and the stuffs we learn are quite simply arithmetic and simple derivations.

It was until my pursuit of pre-university education, I smelled modern physics. For the first time, I encountered exotic names such as photons and anti-matter, and finally one book change it all.

It was "A Briefer History of Time" by Stephen Hawking

Here, I will not elaborate on the contents. But I'll share on how the book has influenced me on choosing Physics as my major in studies.


That book literally changed my understanding about the cosmos. I finally understand the story of how this universe begin and how it will possibly end. Studies of subject like these is called cosmology. The question posed by cosmologists are profound and yet difficult; the possible answer stretch the imagination.

Has the universe always existed?

Did it have a beginning of time?

Why are we here?


I have always been interested to look for the truth. Especially on the questions like: What I am here to do? What role do I play in this world?

Hence, the search is on. I'm confident that through logic and reason, and mathematical beauty, we are able to explain the ultimate question - and I want to be a part of it.