How many posters out there are into physics? I haven’t taken any physics classes since high school, but lately I’ve been getting interested in it. It seems like physics is a discipline that includes a lot of cool shit like the universe, and black holes, and quantum mechanics, and things of that nature. I picked up “A Brief History of Time” yesterday at the library and cracked it open, but I’m not going to be able to read it in earnest until I have some schoolwork finished up.
I guess I’m just curious about how many people post here who know about physics? Who studied physics in college, and what do you do now? What are some cool books involving physics that could help a newb wet his whistle? Thanks everybody.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
The picture you posted would make me think you are more into astronomy.
Fuck physics!!! lol jk[/quote]
No, it’s fuck ASTRO-PHYSICS ! Try to understand that shit. I am into astronomy on an aesthetic level taking out the telescope and star gazing. When you start to try to comprehend black holes, quarks, gamma rays, pulsars, etc. that’s when I hit the scotch and marijuana and say fuck it.
Too many stars, too many globular clusters, too many galaxies, and possibly too many UNIVERSES !!! Throw in dark matter and all hell breaks loose !!
[quote]Split wrote:
I wish i could plug in and learn this information (5th element/Matrix style) because i would not understand it any other way.[/quote]
I’m a biochem major but I’m thinking about taking up a minor in astronomy. I’ve always enjoyed reading up on all the crap thats out there in the universe, however it does make you feel VERY VERY insignificant…
I’d recommend watching “The Universe.” It’s a program on The History Channel, which airs Tuesdays, 9PM Eastern. I’ve downloaded Seasons 1 and 2 and have watched all of Season 3 when it aired.
I’m currently taking an astronomy class but it’s so far very easy, mainly because I’ve learned most of it through self interest and reading. The only aspect of the class that I could understand as someone perceiving as difficult, would be all the equations (not even that many and most are learned in basic physics).
Cool sidenote: Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity predicted the presence of black holes, which no one really believed in until astronomers actually discovered some. However, the equations also predict the existance of worm holes and white holes (basically the opposite of black holes; a heavenly body that emits matter).
[quote]pzehtoeur wrote:
Cool sidenote: Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity predicted the presence of black holes, which no one really believed in until astronomers actually discovered some. However, the equations also predict the existance of worm holes and white holes (basically the opposite of black holes; a heavenly body that emits matter). [/quote]
I’ll have to check out “The Universe.” That last paragraph there is exactly the cool type of stuff that I’m talking about. White holes? Totally badass.
RRJC, that’s awesome. Powerlifting has a lot to do with physics, while bodybuilding has more to do with physiques (he he.)
[quote]ukrainian wrote:
I am going to start my first AP Physics B course next year as a junior. I’ve always like learning physics. Can’t wait for it.[/quote]
If you take this course you will never get big, just keep that in mind my friend.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
ukrainian wrote:
I am going to start my first AP Physics B course next year as a junior. I’ve always like learning physics. Can’t wait for it.
If you take this course you will never get big, just keep that in mind my friend.[/quote]
I’m already taking AP Calc BC. Next year is Diff Eq/Calc 3. Luckily, my math teacher is also the head football coach, so I think I’ll make it.
I like when physicists make goofy analogies so the rest of us can understand all the cool stuff going on.
I thought I was interested in math and physics until I got to the 500+ level courses. Of course it didn’t help that the entire physics department was nuts, but quantum and solid state physics weren’t as cool as I’d hoped.
Great post. I’m currently reading American Prometheus, a Pulitzer prize winning biography of J Robert Oppenheimer, the father and creator of the atomic bomb.
Really really good book. There’s not one equation in it…it’s written for the layman…but the actual story is amazing.
It’s insane to think about how smart those guys were who worked at Los Alamos. They didn’t have calculators, or computers, or email, or the Internet, yet in a little less than 2 years they created an atomic bomb on paper.
It was tested once, and then dropped on Japan less than a month later.
Can you imagine such an undertaking today?
Anyway, Oppenheimer was incredibly talented. He wrote poetry, painted, knew 6 languages, read original Hindu poetry in its native language, studied in Europe…and oh yeah, was the greatest physics mind ever.
[quote]ProRaven wrote:
Great post. I’m currently reading American Prometheus, a Pulitzer prize winning biography of J Robert Oppenheimer, the father and creator of the atomic bomb.
Really really good book. There’s not one equation in it…it’s written for the layman…but the actual story is amazing.
It’s insane to think about how smart those guys were who worked at Los Alamos. They didn’t have calculators, or computers, or email, or the Internet, yet in a little less than 2 years they created an atomic bomb on paper.
It was tested once, and then dropped on Japan less than a month later.
Can you imagine such an undertaking today?
Anyway, Oppenheimer was incredibly talented. He wrote poetry, painted, knew 6 languages, read original Hindu poetry in its native language, studied in Europe…and oh yeah, was the greatest physics mind ever.
It’s a good book, I highly suggest it.[/quote]
Thanks for the tip. I get impressed whenever I hear about guys like that. I can’t even imagine having a brain that powerful. It looks like my school’s library has American Prometheus, so I’m going to check it out when I get a chance.
