Serious question time /sci/. Should I go into cancer-research? I'm about to start college in about a month, and while I always wanted to go into physics or astronomy, my dad (pic related), passed away 7 years ago of colon cancer, and his death is weighing heavily on my mind as I prepare to enter college. I've always loved physics, and my dream is to somehow be a part of NASA, so this certainly isn't an easy decision for me, however right now I simply want to be able to save as many people as possible from having to suffer the same shit that my family and I, along with countless others, have had to go through. No one fucking deserves to die of cancer, and right now I simply want to assist in any small way that I possibly can in the fight against it.
So what do you guys think? Stick with my dreams and go into physics, or switch my focus to biology with the eventual goal of going into cancer research with the slim possibility of making a tangible difference in thousands, if not millions of lives?
>>8204108
go for physics, follow your dreams
>>8204108
I don't know what's your goal when you get in physics or aerospacials, you can save thousands of people in those fields too.
Do what you feel like to do, both are noble goals.
Just consider the implications of each "career".
Forgive my poor english and don't give up on your dreams.
The final choice is yours, but by all means if you can see yourself in cancer research please go for it. One of my parents have it and Iam in nightmare knowing that he will die soon. Like you said no one deserve to suffer from cancer, it's a nightmare just to see your loved one dying without being able to do anything.
This is purely a selfishness from me, so do what's the best for you.
>>8204108
my friend has a PHD in bioquantumphysics and had an offer to do protein modelling for cancer research.
you can still do what you love and use it to contribute to cancer research
>>8204108
Cure(s) for cancer is one of the holy grails of biology research. There are many, many scientists working on it, and chances are, you won't be able to make a significant contribution, unless you have a really extraordinary scientific vision. If you love physics, do physics. I know this sounds lame, but you really only get one life. Physics won't find the cure for cancer, but if that's where your heart lies, then do it. You'll spend the rest of your life on a certain career, you should make sure it's the one you get the most utility out of. This is the reality of your situation as I see it.
>>8204264
You're an idiot who has absolutely no understanding about what you're talking about.
>>8204309
Quality refutation.
>>8204108
Do both. Biological physicists are rare and very much in need within medical research.
>>8204309
care to elaborate?
stick with your dreams
you'll never make it through grad school if you're not emotionally invested in your work, and as much as it sucks, "i enjoy this science" is a better motivator than "i feel moral guilt forcing me to study this"
relevant
I studied biology and wanted nothing more than to do cancer research. Alas, I couldn't find a lab that would take me, so I never did. I'm very disenchanted by research and academia. Medical research is not an easy thing to get into, and most people who wish to study and contribute are actively driven away by the ivory tower of academia, or multinational pharmaceutical companies who have no interest in cures.
>>8204108
after getting Bsc/Msc in physics you will at least employable.
compared to trying to materialize pipe-dreams of curing all cancers and dying alone before your 60s.
cancer research is a borderline scam because of how underwhelming research results are, and how much money is spent on it.
>>8204245
>bioquantumphysics
what kind of meme field is this?
>>8204423
probably the type of field that's very specialized and actually interesting
>>8204108
Current physics major, I'm doing cancer research right now. Don't switch to biology. You can do biophysics research without being bogged down by clinical trials and shit.
My grandfather passed away from colon cancer also, and I also dream to someday be a part of NASA. Don't let your dreams pass you by. You can still make a difference without having to go to med school.
I'm currently working with a team to develop a new kind of cancer screening test that will be 100x cheaper, faster and more accurate than anything that currently exists. If we are successful, we'll be able to detect the presence of prostate cancer with a single drop of a patient's blood, long before a doctor could diagnose it with a physical exam.
Biophysics is HUGE nowadays. Professors kind of hate researching it, but many do because it's an easy way to get grant money, and the products of the research bring even more money. Trust me, stay with physics, its a much more versatile degree than biology.
>>8204436
Are you working with ctcs? PSA is shit, I agree, but the other alternatives I've worked with are far overpriced. Anyway, my interest is piqued bc the clinical trial I'm working on is hitting that exact issue.
Also, phys is the way to go - much easier to teach a physicist biology than a biologist physics.
> Cancer researcher
>>8204108
It's our degenerated life-style that causes caner.
Watch "Forks over Knives" - no western diet, (almost) no cancer.
>>8204389
Disingenuous.
>>8204508
True to an extent. Mammalian meat is the biggest problem. (Neu5gc)
