a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
filmdojo  ·  3422 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Teaching myself Physics, what would you suggest?

There are SO MANY great courses online that you should take advantage of. Check out what Stanford offers at iTunes University. Those are some of my favorites. Other places you can look to learn are The teaching company, which is not free, but has some really easy to understand, but relatively thorough lectures available. Also, Kahn academy, which is free, has some pretty straightforward lessons and tutoring in physics and math.

Don't start with the quantum mechanics... you will build up to that, but also, don't be afraid to read about quantum theory and so called "laymen's" books on quantum physics: just make sure they are by a real scientist like Hawking or Kaku. Avoid woo-woo like Deepak Chopra.

Take a good introduction to classical field theory and electro-magnitism, and try to learn calculous along the way. Don't be frightened by those who say you need to know all of pre-calc to get into calculous. While you will eventually need to know all of pre-calc, there is nothing that should keep you from learning both calc and pre-calc simultaneously. Just learn things as the problems present themselves. When you find them again in the classroom, you'll have already had some experience and it won't be as difficult.

From one relentless auto-didact to another, Good luck!