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Dr. Krauss,

I am a high school senior and I will be pursuing a degree in physics while in college (then I plan to work my way up to a PhD) and want to concentrate on theoretical physics. My question to you, if you would be so kind to answer, is what personal advice - or experience - can you lend to me that will help me be recognized by the scientific community? Yes, I realize I have a long road ahead that will require work, but what can I do to help myself and my work be noticed by the scientific community?

Thank you.

Not to get too personal or morbid, but I have a feeling that her last words resonate personally with you. Just thought about Looking for Alaska when you said that.

haha, thank you!

Thanks for doing this AMA Mr. Lu! See you’re from Webster! From Rush-Henrietta myself! Anyways, my question: I’m majoring in physics, but would like to know - what was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome, academic and/or personal? Any advice? Thank you very much for your time!

Hello Sir! You mention in the TM Wissen interview that it’s not always about where you (abstract ‘you’ here, not just you as in Sean Carroll) went to college, but what you do and what contributions you make that help you to be recognized by the scientific community and help put you in a better position to make even more contributions to the scientific community. I find myself (and I’m sure many others share this position too) to be under similar circumstances you, as Sean Carroll, went through in undergrad and as you describe (I paraphrased from) in the interview referenced. My question is, as an aspiring physicist (as implied, I’m only an undergrad) what exactly can I do to succeed / flourish in the community like you and other physicists have (for example, John Preskill)? I want to contribute to the scientific community, but I have observed many others lose their way on this path. I understand the need to study rigorously and to embrace passion for this sort of pursuit (and try to get on a professor’s research-team, but after multiple attempts that avenue seems to be ineffective), but any other type of advice to both me and those who read this would be, in my opinion, truly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA.