In fact, there are three at the moment — Dunedin siblings Reuben, Liam and Emilie Cook.
Reuben, 22, has just started his master’s degree in physics, and ultimately hopes to work as a computer coder, writing up models to run simulations.
Liam, 20, is in his third year of a bachelor of science degree, majoring in physics, and is considering becoming a physics teacher or finding another career that he could use his skills in.
And Emilie, 18, is a first-year student taking a physics paper as part of her health sciences degree.
Unlike her brothers, she plans to find work in a medical field.
Why are there so many Cook siblings studying physics?
Their father, Greg, is a teacher at Kaikorai Valley College, and you guessed it, one of the subjects he teaches is physics.
He too was a student in the Otago physics department.
Reuben said there was definitely such a thing as too many Cooks in the kitchen, the living room and even the garage, because when they all came together for family gatherings, discussions inevitably turned to physics.
"My dad might ask us about what we've been up to, and often Liam asks me questions about his assignments and stuff, so I'd say maybe once or twice a week there's some sort of physics-related chat going on.
"Most of the time, Mum [Sharon] just listens.
"She does try her best to change the subject, but it's a lost cause. She’s outnumbered."
Reuben said their father helped them prosper in physics.
"He definitely didn't force us down the physics path, but he was very encouraging of it in high school.
"We all took physics and he was our physics teacher in year 12 and year 13.
"It was great actually. I could ask any question I wanted during class and outside of class.
"I think that definitely helped give us a good head start in physics."
