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Science / Re: physics
« on: May 30, 2015, 12:12:45 am »
Xhibit is right that you need the prerequisites before learning advanced stuff. Especially for something line quantum physics, which is very mathematical. Most of quantum is impossible to visualise, as the functions involved contain complex components.
I do agree with Darkvision that the hacker spirit will set you apart from most of the morons that are only there to party. When I was at uni most of the learning was done solo. Although you don't get to play with expensive lasers and shit in your bedroom. The great thing though is being around people with the same passion and also having professional physicists to ask questions of. Oh and there's lasers
With regards to the syllabus. For most physics areas, there is a general consensus on what's taught. Pick up any classical mechanics or electromagnetism book, and the material is presented roughly the same way. QM is a bit different, but there are still great books.
The important thing is building a foundation of solid math and and basic physics. Im talking about gaining an intuition about things, not just knowing the answer. Do you know that e^ix = cosx + isinx without looking it up, and can you show it? Can you picture what the equation is saying? Do you know why there is a cosine in the formula for work done? Maybe not the best examples, but you get the idea. It's an infinite jigsaw, and the more you learn about different areas, the more it will all fit together.
If you want to get into some cool stuff that doesn't require advanced math, once you've learned sone Newtonian mechanics, basic special relativity is not that mathematical, although it can be conceptually boggling to start with.
Tl;Dr there's lasers!
I do agree with Darkvision that the hacker spirit will set you apart from most of the morons that are only there to party. When I was at uni most of the learning was done solo. Although you don't get to play with expensive lasers and shit in your bedroom. The great thing though is being around people with the same passion and also having professional physicists to ask questions of. Oh and there's lasers
With regards to the syllabus. For most physics areas, there is a general consensus on what's taught. Pick up any classical mechanics or electromagnetism book, and the material is presented roughly the same way. QM is a bit different, but there are still great books.
The important thing is building a foundation of solid math and and basic physics. Im talking about gaining an intuition about things, not just knowing the answer. Do you know that e^ix = cosx + isinx without looking it up, and can you show it? Can you picture what the equation is saying? Do you know why there is a cosine in the formula for work done? Maybe not the best examples, but you get the idea. It's an infinite jigsaw, and the more you learn about different areas, the more it will all fit together.
If you want to get into some cool stuff that doesn't require advanced math, once you've learned sone Newtonian mechanics, basic special relativity is not that mathematical, although it can be conceptually boggling to start with.
Tl;Dr there's lasers!
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