4 ms·

I'm (temporarily) leaving theoretical physics, too. I'd like to continue on, but without the affiliation. Can I pick your brain about what's it like doing resea

by rguzman 16y ago

I'm (temporarily) leaving theoretical physics, too. I'd like to continue on, but without the affiliation. Can I pick your brain about what's it like doing research outside of academia? rodguze@gmail.com.

hugh3 16y ago
I would think that the main problem would be lack of access to libraries and hence journals. Still, I would assume you should have friends and colleagues still within academia who could probably sort you out with library access in one way or another.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  If I ever get mad enough about it I'll go and fight those windmills. Access should be universal.
- helwr 16y ago
  academic libraries usually allow access to general public for <$100/month
  - _delirium 16y ago
    Some public university libraries can even be free, e.g. the University of California system allows free in-library use of materials and computers to visitors (you just walk in, and if you want to use electronic resources, login as guest).
    - hugh3 16y ago
      Yes and no. At Berkeley, frinstance, you won't be able to get into the main part of the main library without a university ID card of one form or another. (And the other parts of the main library often have a few homeless people sleeping in armchairs.) Still, you can always get into the Physics library and that'll have all the journals you need. If you're a genuine citizen scientist (as opposed to a crackpot) there are always ways around it though. Talk to the librarians, they might be able to hook you up with a card in one way or another.
      - _delirium 16y ago
        Interesting. UC Santa Cruz has no card checking at all, and pretty explicitly allows the general public to visit. You can even use the WiFi without any sort of account. It's a little out of the way, though. Berkeley's website suggests that CA citizens can buy a card that even allows borrowing privileges for $100/yr though, which is pretty cheap: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/services/for_users/alumni_visitors.html http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/services/for_users/alumni_visito...

by rguzman 16y ago

hugh3 16y ago

I would think that the main problem would be lack of access to libraries and hence journals. Still, I would assume you should have friends and colleagues still within academia who could probably sort you out with library access in one way or another.

jacquesm 16y ago
If I ever get mad enough about it I'll go and fight those windmills. Access should be universal.
helwr 16y ago
academic libraries usually allow access to general public for <$100/month
- _delirium 16y ago
  Some public university libraries can even be free, e.g. the University of California system allows free in-library use of materials and computers to visitors (you just walk in, and if you want to use electronic resources, login as guest).
  - hugh3 16y ago
    Yes and no. At Berkeley, frinstance, you won't be able to get into the main part of the main library without a university ID card of one form or another. (And the other parts of the main library often have a few homeless people sleeping in armchairs.) Still, you can always get into the Physics library and that'll have all the journals you need. If you're a genuine citizen scientist (as opposed to a crackpot) there are always ways around it though. Talk to the librarians, they might be able to hook you up with a card in one way or another.
    - _delirium 16y ago
      Interesting. UC Santa Cruz has no card checking at all, and pretty explicitly allows the general public to visit. You can even use the WiFi without any sort of account. It's a little out of the way, though. Berkeley's website suggests that CA citizens can buy a card that even allows borrowing privileges for $100/yr though, which is pretty cheap: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/services/for_users/alumni_visitors.html http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/services/for_users/alumni_visito...