--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever you say you're a physicist…" description: "\"Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain fraction of people who immediately go, 'Oh, I hated physics in high school.' That's because of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg" --- # Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain… ![“Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain fraction of people who immediately go, 'Oh, I hated physics in high school.' That's because of the terrible influence of high school physics. Because of it, most people think physics is all about inclined planes and force-vector diagrams.” quote by Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg) > “Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain fraction of people who immediately go, 'Oh, I hated physics in high school.' That's because of the terrible influence of high school physics. Because of it, most people think physics is all about inclined planes and force-vector diagrams.” [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High school physics creates a narrow view, causing many to think physics is only about simple mechanics. **In simple terms:** Physics is often misunderstood as only basic mechanics. Key Takeaway Broaden physics education beyond elementary concepts. Themes education misconception science Mood hopeful inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - school curricula - STEM outreach - career counseling - media representation - personal learning Key Concepts pedagogy public understanding Questions to Reflect On - How can we make physics more relatable? - What experiences reveal physics' depth? A Different Perspective Changing curricula is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I was not paying attention during physics in high school; I was wondering if I was going to be cast in 'Pippin.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/i-was-not-paying-attention-during-physics-in-high-school-i-was/) [John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/) > [“Sometimes it occurs to me that I think about you more than I ought to think about anything besides physics. Look at Nikola Tesla.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-palmer/sometimes-it-occurs-to-me-that-i-think-about-you-more-than-i-ought-to/) [Dexter Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-palmer/) > [“The educational environment of children should encourage them to continue to explore the open-ended connections between their experiences, and to be receptive to new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-l-ackoff/the-educational-environment-of-children-should-encourage-them-to/) [Russell L. Ackoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-l-ackoff/) > [Our annual school physics trip was always to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, as it's such a good example of Newtonian physics. You can learn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-miller/our-annual-school-physics-trip-was-always-to-blackpool-pleasure-beach/) [Ben Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-miller/) > [The thing about physicists is that they tend to think that everything is physics. I don't. That's not what music is to me. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-iyer/the-thing-about-physicists-is-that-they-tend-to-think-that-everything/) [Vijay Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-iyer/) > [I think that physics is about escaping the prison of the received thoughts and searching for novel ways of thinking the world, about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-rovelli/i-think-that-physics-is-about-escaping-the-prison-of-the-received/) [Carlo Rovelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-rovelli/) > [I think that physics is the most important-indeed the only-means we have of finding out the origins and fundamentals of our universe, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-bonnor/i-think-that-physics-is-the-most-important-indeed-the-only-means-we/) William B. Bonnor > [I founded an educational software company called Knowledge Revolution. We had the first fully animated physics lab on the computer. You could take ropes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baszucki/i-founded-an-educational-software-company-called-knowledge-revolution/) [David Baszucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baszucki/) > [Even if we ignore the 'non-theoretical' knowledge which we acquire through experience (such as the knowledge of what something tastes like) and concentrate on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/even-if-we-ignore-the-non-theoretical-knowledge-which-we-acquire/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [When I run, I think about everything: physics, family problems, plans for the weekend. I haven't made any big discoveries on a run, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-ketterle/when-i-run-i-think-about-everything-physics-family-problems-plans-for/) [Wolfgang Ketterle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-ketterle/) > [I've loved physics from a young age, but I've also been interested in all sorts of big questions, from philosophy to evolution and neuroscience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/i-ve-loved-physics-from-a-young-age-but-i-ve-also-been-interested-in/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [One of the tragedies of our educational system is that we've taken this incredibly interesting subject - how the universe works - and made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/one-of-the-tragedies-of-our-educational-system-is-that-we-ve-taken/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) A.A. Michelson > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“The universe is not punishing you or blessing you. The universe is simply responding to the vibrational attitude that you are emitting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-hicks/the-universe-is-not-punishing-you-or-blessing-you-the-universe-is/) [Abraham Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-hicks/) ## More by Sean M. Carroll > [I'm a big believer that science is part of a larger cultural thing. Science is not all by itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/i-m-a-big-believer-that-science-is-part-of-a-larger-cultural-thing/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [One of the tragedies of our educational system is that we've taken this incredibly interesting subject - how the universe works - and made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/one-of-the-tragedies-of-our-educational-system-is-that-we-ve-taken/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [I've loved physics from a young age, but I've also been interested in all sorts of big questions, from philosophy to evolution and neuroscience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/i-ve-loved-physics-from-a-young-age-but-i-ve-also-been-interested-in/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [The simplest way out of the puzzle of time travel is to say that it can't be done. That's very likely the right answer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/the-simplest-way-out-of-the-puzzle-of-time-travel-is-to-say-that-it/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Our conviction that green cheese makes up a negligible fraction of the Moon's interior comes not from direct observation but from the gross incompatibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/our-conviction-that-green-cheese-makes-up-a-negligible-fraction-of/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [We are not important to the universe. That's the bad news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/we-are-not-important-to-the-universe-that-s-the-bad-news/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [The fact that you can remember yesterday but not tomorrow is because of entropy. The fact that you're always born young and then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/the-fact-that-you-can-remember-yesterday-but-not-tomorrow-is-because/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [As we get older, we tend to grow quite fond of the planets of belief we have constructed for ourselves. We build elaborate defense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/as-we-get-older-we-tend-to-grow-quite-fond-of-the-planets-of-belief/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [If time travel were possible, you still wouldn't be able to change the past - it's already happened!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/if-time-travel-were-possible-you-still-wouldn-t-be-able-to-change-the/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [We seek an understanding of the laws of nature and of our particular universe in which everything makes sense to us. We do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/we-seek-an-understanding-of-the-laws-of-nature-and-of-our-particular/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [People don't realize how many aspects of our lives are touched in one way or another by not just the discoveries, the technological breakthroughs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/people-don-t-realize-how-many-aspects-of-our-lives-are-touched-in-one/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Something can be real - actually existing, not merely illusory - and yet not be fundamental. Scientists used to think that heat, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/something-can-be-real-actually-existing-not-merely-illusory-and-yet/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Claims that some form of consciousness persists after our bodies die and decay into their constituent atoms face one huge, insuperable obstacle: the laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/claims-that-some-form-of-consciousness-persists-after-our-bodies-die/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Even in empty space, time and space still exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/even-in-empty-space-time-and-space-still-exist/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [The idea that time is an illusion is an old one, predating any Times Square ball drop or champagne celebrations. It reaches back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/the-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-is-an-old-one-predating-any-times/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) [Explore all 47 Sean M. Carroll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) ## More High school quotes > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [“This was going to be worse than the time I table danced in the diner in high school!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/this-was-going-to-be-worse-than-the-time-i-table-danced-in-the-diner/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I have wrestled in almost every tournament in the world. I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! Nobody cause any trouble for me, either!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-furuya/i-swear-that-i-will-never-cause-trouble-for-anybody-as-long-as-i-live/) Minoru Furuya > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [“I’ve had boyfriends before, and frankly, each one was a disappointment. There was nothing horribly wrong with these boys. It was my fault. I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/i-ve-had-boyfriends-before-and-frankly-each-one-was-a-disappointment/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [I was so shy. Instead of waiting in line with other kids at lunch, I'd go to a corner and buy a pretzel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-facinelli/i-was-so-shy-instead-of-waiting-in-line-with-other-kids-at-lunch-i-d/) [Peter Facinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-facinelli/) [Browse all 7,108 High school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain fraction of people who immediately go, 'Oh, I hated physics in high school.' That's because of the terrible influence of high school physics. Because of it, most people think physics is all about inclined planes and force-vector diagrams.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sean M. Carroll" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-there-s-a-certain-fraction-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "High school" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-there-s-a-certain-fraction-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/sean-m-carroll-14197_high-school_whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-ther_2553529.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever you say you're a physicist, there's a certain fraction of people who immediately go, 'Oh, I hated…” — Sean M. Carroll", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sean M. Carroll", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever you say you're a physicist,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-there-s-a-certain-fraction-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/whenever-you-say-you-re-a-physicist-there-s-a-certain-fraction-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```