<initial disclaimer>
Right I'm a newbie here, and I've seen the talk about pseudoscience and all that, and I agree that people should try to learn about physics and maths, or at the very least have a basic understanding about the scientific observations of our universe that have so far been established. I hope this thread counts, I don't want to seem off topic. Also I've read this page of threads but anything older I haven't gotten to just yet... In my eagerness to dive into the action I may have missed a similar topic so please don't kill me :)

<the nub of the issue>
I'm interested in why people study physics and maths. For myself I am captivated by universe, I want answers to everything. I yearn to discover the secret behind the universe, if not how it all started, at least what its all made out of. All the laws of physics I've studied so far are observational laws, that can be used to predict the outcome of a given set of conditions. This is all well and good for making profitable ventures and engineering and spaceflight, but does anyone really care about how all these laws came about?

The questions I keep asking without recieving sufficient answers are : Why is our universe so intertwined with maths? Maths (in my understanding) is simply another human language which is useful for describing anything with precision, as long as it can be observed. Physics uses maths to extrapolate these observations to a future timeframe with great accuracy, based on historical observations. Is this correct on my behalf or is my understanding flawed?

Also, I am interested in finding out what science knows about the underlying structures of reality. Due to commercial interests steering research toward profitable studies rather than questing for deeper understanding (which may be more useful, long term), I haven't been able to find much in this area. Specifically, what does science know about the basic building blocks of the universe and how it all comes together to form the subatomic particles, atomic particles, atoms, molecules, etc. I think what I'm talking about is the grand unified theory.

Does anyone else share my curiosity or do you prefer to follow your textbooks and "accepted" theories with computer-like accuracy? Why? Thanks :)

I'm interested in why people study physics and maths. For myself I am captivated by universe, I want answers to everything. I yearn to discover the secret behind the universe, if not how it all started, at least what its all made out of.
Same reason here.
does anyone really care about how all these laws came about?
Of course we care -- but we need to thoroughly understand all the laws before we can competently question their origin. Currently, we really don't know what all the laws are.
Why is our universe so intertwined with maths?
Math is nothing more than a logical formalism. We'd like to believe our universe is also logical, so math offers a good representation. You could use other logical formalisms if you'd like -- but "standard" math seems to be the easiest and most accepted kind of formalism.
Specifically, what does science know about the basic building blocks of the universe and how it all comes together to form the subatomic particles, atomic particles, atoms, molecules, etc. I think what I'm talking about is the grand unified theory.
www.particleadventure.org
Does anyone else share my curiosity or do you prefer to follow your textbooks and "accepted" theories with computer-like accuracy?
Of course I'm curious -- that's why I'm a scientist. Of course, the path to discovering something new usually requires the labor of learning all that comes before you. "Textbook" knowledge is correct, at least in the appropriate limits. Any new physical model must not supplant, but instead extend, textbook knowledge. Therefore, it's usually a good idea to have a pretty firm grasp of textbook knowledge.

- Warren

Hey thanks for that link, I'm after more credible science sites to visit :)

The reason I asked is when I was studying physics most of the people really didn't give a hoot about physics and wondered why anyone would bother. Which I thought was a bit sad.

Originally posted by Hoodlum
when I was studying physics most of the people really didn't give a hoot about physics and wondered why anyone would bother.
It definitely does require a certain mindset.

- Warren

I'm a mathematician, but I've read more physics books than math books in my life. They basically have the same meaning, at least to me, FIND OUT WHY! Also, knowledge is power, and all knowledge ultimately rests on logic or experience. Sometimes I wish I was into Xsports and took the experience route to knowledge, but beautiful theorems or theories and surprisingly simple arguments that pack a punch have given me great pleasure in life. Hey, you said why study physics, and this is why I have studied it, the surprises God put into the way things work are like grand jokes, and it is fun to hear the punch-line. That's it.:)