क्या भौतिकी वास्तव में उपयोगी है?

Is Physics really useful? By H. L. Armstrong.
American Journal of Physics -- August 1982 -- Volume 50, Issue 8, pp. 679-679


[This published letter was brought to my attention by one of the graduate student in IIT Madras]. I wrote my reaction as follows:

"I just glanced through the 'letter'. It raises a bit of interest on the questions raised in there. Even though I do not find myself competent to comment on any of these, I wonder, if there could be some way out to get rid of this threat? (It is obvious that the student (I do not know who he is?) or his group has drilled this letter (published in 1982) out of some interest).

Are we really trying to threaten the students (with Physics)? Or in other words, could we do something to make their threat a bit less (or generate a friendship with the subject) but imparting at the same level? Or Are we able to just generate some interest (question number x in Cafetaria*) to read extra about the topics we 'covered' in the 'extra' classes?

Regards,

Prem"
[* Cafeteria is referred here to the 'students feed back form for teaching' at IITM].