Mine’s physics! I enjoy it so much that I have a diploma in it 😃
I really enjoy cooking and enjoy reading about the science behind it. So chemistry/biochem, I guess? For any interested J. Kenji Lopez-At is a good and approachable source.
Also for those that like astronomy and also beer, look for an Astronomy on Tap chapter near you! They are an org that puts on presentations about astronomy in bars. Dunno about other chapters, but my city’s chapter is free to attend.
Astronomy is pretty neat. Took it in college and it’s always maintained my interest.
IT security, I hold a BS. Its truly interdisciplinary which makes talent so fucking skilled people. It’s amazing. It spans from math to electronics via computer science and also touches on physical security like lock mechanisms. Endlessly interesting.
I’m a molecular biologist, but I’m into so many branches of science! I love maths (arguably not science) - the elegance, the consistency, and pi that pops up everywhere. Physics - the laws that actually govern the universe and it’s most basic level. Chemistry - the science of change where so much emergence happens. Biology - the science trying to solve the actual mysteries of life. Psychology, especially evolutionary psychology - understanding what makes us tick and how it came about. And linguistics - the science of the original sharing app.
Edit: typo.
Probably zoology and neuroscience.
I enjoy some of the soft sciences as well but that feels a bit off topic.
Deep space radar telemetry
Fluid dynamics
Particle physics
Biology is amazing. Creatures are really complex machines built through trial and error. It’s amazing to see what nature has come up with.
Physics - didn’t finish my PhD but I did love it :)
The study of psychopathology in any form, particularly of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder type I.
I like philosophy, mathematics, and arts more, but that would be my favorite field of science.
Definitely the one in Wye, UK! Really great grounds and great in summer for a picnic.
As in, Kent?
You knows it!
Astronomy. I’ve had a good day.
Geology, it’s simply fascinating how much you can tell about our earth by holding a mere stone in your hands.
I wish it was easier to learn beyond the really basic “igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary” stage. Like, I have no idea what all is underneath me right now or why, and if you research it you’re instantly wading through papers written about some specific question, which assumes I know this or that craton and it’s history.
There’s a few levels down from each of those that you can get the broad strokes of fairly easily.
For igneous, you can broadly break it down into extrusive vs intrusive. Basically, did the magma slowly solidify underground, resulting in large grains like in granite, or did it come out in the form of lava that cools rapidly into fine grained or even glassy structures like obsidian. Then there’s the other axis of “how much silica is in there?” Really high silica content rocks are called “felsic” rocks. Granite is an example of a felsic intrusive rock, ryolite is an extrusive felsic rock; Basically the same minerals, but way smaller crystals. On the other end of the silica spectrum, there’s “mafic” and ultramafic rocks that have less silica and more iron and magnesium. The main example of a mafic rock you might know of is basalt. You can find charts like this one that break things down that way.
I bet you could find a professor near you that would let you attend office hours and ask whatever questions you have.
That would be cool. How do I approach that without seeming like a crank that wants to discuss flat Earth or something?
Don’t overthink it. Look up faculty and try to find one that teaches introductory courses. Send them an email stating something along the lines that you’re a non student looking to learn a little more than high school introductory terms. Ask if there’s a lecture you could audit or a time like office hours where you could ask questions. A bunch of professors would probably be willing to talk to a flat earther if they were approached on a polite and courteous manner.
If your interest can’t be satisfied with a question session, you could look into whether a local university has an option for non-degree students to enroll in classes. That’s an option that’s frequently not advertised but is pretty common (at least in the US.)
That would be an expensive hobby project, haha!
Some community and state colleges can be pretty cheap, and most schools offer night classes for those who work all day. A gen-ed like geology is likely to have such hours available for this community of night students, especially if you live in an area where geology is related to employment. Usually pretty cheap to take one class at a time through something like an Adult and Continuing Education program.
To be clear, I’m Canadian. As far as I’m aware big-boy colleges are the only option. They’re cheaper than the US ones, especially if you stay in province, but it’s still hundreds per credit.
Probably metrology, because it’s in everything but nobody even knows what it is. Anthropology made me a better person, too.
Psychology is probably my least favourite, because it gets slapped on everything to make it sound official, while the actual field can predict fairly little at this stage. No offense, but physics is also overdone in popular discourse.