The Real World

In her post below, JoAnne refers to "the real world" in the literally accurate sense -- the physical reality that exists independently of our understanding, in contrast to the tentative frameworks put forward by theorists as hypothetical models of that reality. But there's a more metaphorical sense in which physicists (and academics more broadly) use the phrase "the real world" -- to refer to the socio-economic milieu peopled by those outside the academy. We say things like "she spent a couple of years in the real world before going to grad school," or "most of the time I hang out with physicists, but I do have some friends in the real world." I figure we can't be the only people who talk this way. Professional actors or musicians (I'm guessing, and would love to hear confirmation/refutation) might think of themselves as being distinct from "the real world," as might people ...