Most people still think that physicists means people who work in esoteric field of study such as particle physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics, or worst still, String Theory! :)
It is a fact that the largest division under the American Physical Society is the division of condensed matter/material science. This field studies the property of matter and material, and how large number of particles interact with each other. It has a direct impact on many of our lives, including all of our modern electronics. Yet, most people are not aware of the existence of such fields.
This news report, in conjuction with the APS March Meeting currently going on in Denver, highlights the field of condensed matter physics, and why most people don't know about it. Students starting out in physics, especially, would benefit from a larger horizon of what physics is and what many physicists do. This is because inevitably, they will have a large probability of ending up in this field of study rather than, say, string theory.
Zz.
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