What Would Life Be Without Science?

Imagine your life without any science in it. You can instantly forget about smartphones, the Internet, painkillers, antibiotics, electricity, and any sort of transport.

Science isn’t important only within the walls of a GSU physics lab. Science is behind all of those blessings of civilization – and more. Science, in all its forms, helps us understand the world around us and shape it to make our lives safer, more comfortable, and more convenient.

Science isn’t some ethereal force doing all of it on its own. Behind it, there are thousands of scientists coming up with hypotheses and theories, testing them, and applying them to life. Whether they study Atlanta astronomy, physics, or chemistry, they all move our society forward.

But what draws people like Nicole Cabrera to choose the life of a scientist? And why do they pick physics and astronomy as their field of study and research?

Why Physics Is a Rewarding Field to Study

One of the oldest sciences, physics tackles one of the world’s most profound mysteries: how the universe behaves. From gravity and electricity to nuclear fusion and dark matter behavior, physics studies the universe on multiple levels, from the tiniest particles to whole galaxies.

The goal? Understanding the universal rules that govern how everything around us functions. And once scientists pin down those rules, they use them for new inventions, like television, solid-state drives, or nuclear energy.

Physics GSU courses require analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as imagination and creativity.

What makes this field so rewarding? According to Nicole Cabrera Salazar, it’s because physics is intertwined with all other disciplines. Its principles determine how a human body functions, how your laptop and our essaypro reviews work together, and how whole galaxies behave!

5 Crucial Physics Discoveries of All Time

Archimedes’ Principle

First described in 246 BC by Archimedes, this principle draws an equal sign between the weight of fluid an object displaces when immersed and the upward buoyant force. This principle is foundational for fluid mechanics. And it helped humanity understand how objects float!

Without this discovery, we wouldn’t have been able to create ships and submarines. You can test it in a GSU physics lab to see Archimedes’ principle in action for yourself.

Inertia

Another fundamental principle still in use today, inertia, states that objects will resist any change in motion (direction, speed, etc.). It also means that objects can’t change direction or start moving on their own without some external force applied to them. Inertia helped humanity send satellites into orbit and protect car passengers during collisions.

Pascal’s Law

Named after Blaise Pascal, this law is also known as the principle of transmission of fluid pressure, as any physics GSU student must know. In a nutshell, it means that if you apply pressure to a fluid in a vessel at any point, this pressure will be evenly distributed throughout it.

Pascal’s law made most vehicle braking systems’ force amplification possible. It’s also a must-know for scuba divers: they use it to calculate pressure underwater.

Law of Gravitation

Newton’s law of universal gravitation describes how two objects pull on each other with the force of gravity. How strong this force is depends on those objects’ mass and the distance between them.

This law helped us understand, for example, why Earth and other planets orbit the Sun and not the other way around.

Electricity

This phenomenon deserves a separate talk at Atlanta Science Tavern, of course. But in a nutshell, the 19th century marked the discovery without which our society as it is today wouldn’t exist. Edison and Tesla managed to generate electricity. Today, electricity powers virtually everything, from ICU beds to heaters and the Internet.

Why Astronomy Is a Rewarding Field to Study

Have you ever looked up to the night sky and wondered about other planets and stars or how galaxies come to be? Have you ever pondered the possibilities of the cosmos, with all of its dark matter and black holes?

If so, a GSU astronomy major is for you. This discipline seeks to catalog and understand everything that lies beyond Earth. Astronomers study how planets and stars form, behave, and die, how black holes function, and what the future holds for the universe.

Sounds intriguing? Head to Nicole Salazar Facebook page and see how awesome working in astronomy can be!

4 Amazing Astronomical Discoveries

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

A fundamental discovery studied in any GSU astronomy class, cosmic microwave background radiation is exactly this: faint relic radiation that fills the cosmos. It’s thought to be the remnant from billions of years ago when the Big Band occurred.

Dark Energy

How does the universe expand? What drives this expansion? Dark energy is the force thought to be behind it. Much is still unknown about it, and even what form it represents is unclear. There are two theories on dark energy form: it may be a cosmological constant or a scalar field.

Dark Matter

Another hypothesis in astronomy, dark matter, is the subject of heated discussions in the GSU physics and astronomy circles. It’s believed to represent 85% of all matter in the universe; however, it’s elusive to detect as it doesn’t interact with the electromagnetic field.

Astrophysicists concluded that dark matter might exist as certain observations in the cosmos (like some gravitational effects) couldn’t be explained by established theories.

Exoplanets

A favorite subject of the Atlanta Astronomy Club, exoplanets, are all planets that exist beyond the Solar System. The first exoplanet was confirmed to exist in 1992. Now, there are over five thousand confirmed exoplanets in almost four thousand planetary systems, with most of them located in the Milky Way.

What Studying Astronomy & Astrophysics Means in Practice

For thousands of years, humans have looked up to the sky and pondered what lies beyond Earth. Now, some of them dedicate their lives to this science and become astronomers and astrophysicists. Nicolle Salazar, for example, opted for a GSU astronomy program to earn her Ph.D.

Astronomers use telescopes and spectrographs, along with cameras and computers, to detect celestial objects, observe their behavior, and theorize their origin and evolution.

What exactly an astronomer studies in their career depends on their chosen specialization. Some focus on solar astronomy during their GSU physics and astronomy program, for example, while others choose to study planets.

Astronomy encompasses these six subfields:

Solar astronomy;
Planetary astronomy;
Stellar astronomy;
Galactic astronomy;
Extragalactic astronomy;
Cosmology.

Astrophysics, in its turn, applies the laws of physics to astronomical objects and events to better understand them. Astrophysicists need to have a strong foundation in both disciplines, so prospective scientists take both astronomy and physics GSU in-depth classes.

In their career, astrophysicists can choose the observational or theoretical path:

Observational astrophysicists use telescopes and other equipment to collect various data about the universe and space. Then, they use this data to draw conclusions on the inner workings of the universe and prove or disprove theories and hypotheses.
Theoretical astrophysicists rely on others’ data and research, as well as calculus, to build their theories and hypotheses about the universe. These scientists may investigate, for example, general relativity, Solar System formation, or cosmic rays’ origins.

The Best Place to Study Astrophysics, According to Nicolle Salazar

A Georgia State University alumna herself, Nicolle Salazar, would recommend anyone interested in the study of physics and the universe to attend GSU. Its Department of Physics and Astronomy is unparalleled in its research capabilities in multiple areas of study, from nanophysics to stellar astrophysics.

GSU physics and astronomy programs include several graduate, undergraduate, and research experience for undergraduates (REU) opportunities. Undergraduate programs in Physics & Astronomy allow you to choose one of the following majors:

Astronomy;
Biophysics;
Pre-medicine;
Geophysics;
Applied physics.

GSU can boast a state-of-the-art CHARA with access to the largest optical/infrared interferometer in the whole world. GSU physics lab is also world-class: it allows students and researchers to observe and test magnetic resonance, condensed matter, and semiconductor optoelectronics.

Plus, Georgia is home to multiple associations and organizations of professional and hobbyist astronomers, physicists, and astrophysicists. Atlanta Astronomy Club is just one great example here.

About Nicole Cabrera Salazar

Born in Chile and raised in Miami, Florida, Dra. Nicole Cabrera Salazar is a first-generation student and a GSU astronomy graduate who dreamed of becoming an astrophysics professor. She defended her doctoral dissertation, “Fundamental Properties, Activity, and Planet-Hosting Potential of Young Suns Near Earth,” in 2016.

However, she decided to leave science due to a toxic workplace environment exacerbated by the white supremacy culture. Now, she runs Movement Consulting and seeks to help other marginalized students feel included in their studies and research.

Dra. Nicole knows how challenging studying can be at times, be it in a physics GSU class or elsewhere – and how burnout can destroy you as a student.

So, if you feel you’re on the precipice of burnout and need help with a physics or astronomy assignment, don’t hesitate to turn to Essay-Reviews.com, maybe that's what essay pro reviews is for There, you’ll find the best essay writing services that can take this weight off your shoulders.

In Conclusion

Scientists like Nicole Cabrera Salazar drive the world as we know it forward. Yes, science isn’t for the faint-hearted; it’s full of challenges and requires both passion and discipline. Yet, if physics or astronomy is what fosters curiosity in you, it’s worth pursuing, no matter the obstacles.

Plus, you don’t have to go it alone. As tough as physics and astronomy assignments can be, you can always turn to EssayPro reviews and get the much-needed help to overcome a rough patch in your life. And then, you’ll be able to drive science forward with your own research!

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