Theoretical Physicist

As a theoretical physicist, you write equations and build mathematical models to explain how things work in the universe. You might study how particles behave, how light moves, or how gravity works. You spend a lot of time thinking deeply, writing on whiteboards and paper, and checking your work against what scientists have discovered in labs.

You work with other physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists. You read papers written by other scientists around the world to stay up-to-date. You also write your own papers to share your ideas, and you might teach students or help them with their own research projects. Sometimes experiments prove your ideas wrong, and you then have to think up new explanations.