Tzuhsuan Ma | Created December 25, 2021 | Updated January 30, 2022
When I first stepped on this land of dreams a decade ago, I gave myself a goal that would guide my everyday decisions for the journey ahead—“I want to create my own original theory.” Little did I know, my journey as a scientist for the next ten years would be largely out of my control, my primary goal would become secondary, and, with all surprise, I would find myself to be grateful for it.
To share my story of how I become the scientist I am today, it’s probably impossible to separate the sciences that I’ve learnt from the scientists that have changed me. Yet, for the purpose of this essay, I will mainly focus on the sciences that have lit the paths I took with occasional mentions regarding how my primary goal was replaced for the many I have met along the way; and now more than anything—“I want to do sciences with people who are close to me.”
This collection of essays is mostly a reflection on who I was and why I walked certain paths. But I also see this as an opportunity to share my personal perspective to those who either journeyed similarly or most remotely. It is a perspective from an applied theoretical physicist who gradually found himself approaching a much larger playground called “science.” And it is my sincere hope that people, who took different paths, will find the scientific worldview of this kind worth their time; a worldview from a curious physicist who has never had a formal biology training but is fascinated nevertheless by the diverse and complex natures of nature.
2. Topological Insulators, At Last, You Too Can Be Photonic
3. Being a Physicist? Perhaps, All I Ever Wanted Is to Do Fundamental Sciences
4. Biology & AI: The World of Sciences Has Never Been Bigger! [in progress]
5. What Are Physical Quantities Anyway? Do We Even Need Them Before Building a Theory?
6. Despite All Our Differences, Can We Still Be Friends? I Have to Know
7. Not Publishable, but Valuable Nonetheless. You Do Know How to Write This Thesis
8. Constrain, Enumerate, Discover: A Journey of Many Paths Ahead