Question: What's your favourite section of physics to learn?

Charlotte Slade answered on 21 Jul 2025:

That’s a fantastic question! It’s like asking a chef what their favourite ingredient is. While I think all of physics is fascinating, I’m definitely biased towards my personal favourite.

Lots of people love the big, flashy parts of physics, like astrophysics (studying black holes and distant galaxies) or quantum mechanics (the super-weird rules of tiny particles). And those are incredibly cool.

But my absolute favourite section is called Condensed Matter Physics.

I know the name sounds a bit complicated, but it’s basically the physics of ‘stuff’.

Think of it as the ultimate inventor’s workshop. While other physicists study the stars or single atoms, condensed matter physicists get to figure out the rules for putting billions and billions of atoms together to create new materials with amazing superpowers.

It’s the science that answers questions like:

🕸️”How can we build a material that’s as strong as steel but as light as plastic?”
📱”What’s the secret recipe for a screen that can bend without breaking?”
🪫”How do we design a computer chip that’s faster and uses less battery?”

I love it because it’s incredibly creative. It’s the part of physics where you get to be a designer and an architect at the atomic level. You’re not just learning about the universe; you’re actively building new little bits of it. And the best part is that the materials we dream up are the ones that engineers then use to build the next generation of real-world technology that can help everyone.

P.S. It’s also the science behind the non-stick frying pan, which has saved countless experimental breakfasts of mine from becoming a permanently attached, burnt mess. So for that, I am eternally grateful.