Concepts Memes

The eternal physics debate depicted as an IQ bell curve—where both the simpletons and geniuses agree "physics is about equations," while the pseudo-intellectuals in the middle desperately cry "physics is a way of understanding, equations distract from concepts!" Every physics department has these three types: the undergrads who memorize formulas without understanding them, the insufferable grad students who think they're too enlightened for math, and the battle-scarred professors who've come full circle to appreciate that, yes, the universe speaks in equations after all. The horseshoe theory of physics education in action. The real joke? We all end up using calculators anyway.