A Short Essay about Why I Chose Physics

I have an intense passion for seeking answers to big universal questions, yet people including myself sometimes feel restricted by the unknown. I intend to pursue my career in physics because it is one of the few professions that question everything around us, from the quantum to the cosmic scale, and searches for answers to fulfil such curiosity.

Since my younger age, I have always believed mathematics to be the most veridical hints that nature has given to us about itself. With the laws of logic, mathematics is consistent, yet has no boundary. The reason I want to be a physicist in the first place is that I want to be able to explain the indescribable reality of the mathematical equations. I want to discover further what is unknown to us out there beyond our understandings. If I made any breakthrough, it would be equivalent to me that I have pushed the limits of our knowledge about the universe, our home, a bit further. However, if that was not the case, I would still be proud of having attempted.

As a big bang theory believer, I understand the impossibility of understanding the triggering mechanism of the big bang and the universe before the Big Bang. However, I believe that one day, when our hopes reflect the passion for understanding such impossibility, we could unlock the limitations that hold us back from discovering the truth. Maybe it is not in our lifetime, or perhaps it is not in our children’s lifetime. But one day … there will be the day when all of the theories and discoveries that scientists over the years have found will be definite enough to define things that could not have been previously identified. Quoting a renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, “While there’s life, there is hope.” I believe that understanding what is known to be beyond human limitation is not impossible, as long as we firmly desire to do so.

“How do you study what existed before the beginning of time?” a question I frequently find myself pondering upon. For now, I, and I believe others can say, “I don’t know.” But I am convinced that it is not right to answer with, “it is impossible.” I understand that we may have to wait, but we cannot stop searching. Maybe the tools to unearth the answers including our current potential of mathematics is not broad enough, but we cannot limit ourselves by our thoughts.

When people ask me why I desire to study the beginning of time and what there was before time, I explain that it is because I believe that it is necessary to our life. The best answer to this question comes from a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” Compared to what is out there in the endless night sky, our life is short and insignificant. Hence, I, on behalf of those who share the same passion, would not regret any second of doing what I love and what I am passionate about, which is attempting to expand our knowledge of what holds us, the universe.