How My View of Physics Changed Throughout Undergrad

The pop science stuff is fun at first. But you need to enjoy more than the hand wavy, grandiose consequences of certain theories to get through physics.

[@anirbanroychowdhury5080]

Solving the integral and getting all the bad terms to cancel out..... Oh boy

[@soumyaprakash3569]

❤️

[@finthechat7134]

I kind of like learning the math. It's interesting to be able to do things with math. It's like a superpower.

[@earendilthebright5402]

I love the math too, for me its akin to the most accurate description of a thing. What I mean by that, is you could use words to describe say a table, but if i gave you the mathematical dimensions, the average uneveness of the table top surface, the buckling load of the legs, the thermal conductivity of the materials involved etc. you would absolutely know what I meant, in a much deeper sense than a multitude of adjectives.

[@falcodarkzz]

There was a really cool Feynman quote which relates to what you're saying, in conversation with a journalist Feynman says: "Nobody ever asks about a simple, ordinary phenomenon in the street. What about those colors? We could have a nice interview, and I could explain all about the colors, butterfly wings, the whole deal. But you don’t care about that. You want the big final result, and it is going to be complicated because I am at the end of 400 years of a very effective method of finding things out about the world." It summed it up really nicely I thought. You know you're a physicist when every step of the ladder is interesting, when you ask, hmm, why does warm air move accross my room in drafts? Why are the dew drops on my window creating flipped images? How does a wi-fi signal propagate through a wall? I think if you can't help asking these small questions then physics will be a delight :). But shooting straight for a final idea, or understanding, is always like running into a brick wall (at least it was for me).

[@iridium8562]

I saw this comment months ago, I stopped messing around and started going through textbooks and learning the right way, I am 16 so I am kind of far from what I should be learning right now. But I still get a bit of doubt, is what I’m doing okay? Like I’m doing really great in my normal education, but I sometimes feel like I have this double life, where I learn some stuff I’m my school that I’ve learnt years ago, and I kind of feel weird and suddenly start doubting myself.

[@bamb8s436]

@@iridium8562 I m 16 too and same applies to me exept the doubtin part. I find it rly cool that anyone can just look for somethin they r interested in and get the concept of it in an entertainin way. There s no reason to feel bad or anythin. Ig u would like to study those things when u r old enough so all u r doin s savin time

[@alexanderrobertson5530]

Lol, that's my profile picture. The thing about everyday physics that I enjoy the most is Newtonian, and Lagrangian mechanics. I love how you can see their concepts work in your everyday life. It helps you to appreciate the world we live in.

[@alexanderrobertson5530]

I also suppose very specifically it is how the masses cancel out in Newtonian Gravitation showing how objects accelerate at tge same rate regardless of the mass.

[@tatjanagobold2810]

Alexander Robertson totally! Mechanics is way more interesting than I expected :D

[@Rbaronii]

Hamiltonian mechanics and Hamiltonian chaos is actually beautiful.

[@mariorivera6877]

I love the physics involved in the tickling of the tenderloins

[@Sporkabyte]

For some reason, the fact that the stopping distance of an object sliding on a horizontal surface is independent of the mass of that object really tickles my tenderloins. I guess it’s something oddly satisfying about the cancellation of the mass term from both sides of the work energy theorem that’s kind of like watching someone power wash a dirty house.

[@lad4694]

Interestingly ticklish...Sorry for sliding into your reply, but... Could you please cite somewhere interesting I could go read on that? Pretty please?

[@lad4694]

oh okay, i sort of get it. stopping force * distance, should = kinetic energy

[@Ohmau33]

I feel the same way about how the mass or amplitude of a pendulum (in amplitudes that can be described by simple harmonics) don’t change its period.

[@quahntasy]

So true. Day to day physics is free body diagram and solving a geodesic Equation.The stuff like black holes,quantum gravity comes way way after your undergrad degree.

[@91722854]

and the fear of having dementia one day when u get old

[@alexaarzadon6368]

I just got accepted into university as a physics major and your videos have answered so many of my questions, thank you so much!!! :)

[@Krliwii]

thanks for this xd don't stop pls, im not in physics but I enjoy watching you in this process, makes me feel hopefull about my future in science

[@unknown360ful]

LOL. My University does have a "String Theory for Undergraduates" tho... so I intend to use that judiciously...

[@chrisallen9509]

unknown360ful where?

[@unknown360ful]

In SWEET HOME ALABAMA... Troy University... It's like an introductory course that they offer, so that should help set me up for Grad school...

[@chrisallen9509]

unknown360ful oh shit that’s cool. I go to boulder and they make General relativity available for undergrads so I wanna take that if I can.

[@unknown360ful]

Chris Allen Troy has 2 Relativity courses and a separate seminar in Relativity as well, so GR is covered. If you wanna build on it, Strings are available...But boulder's great, man! Is it UCB? I'm an international student so I've spoken to quite a few schools, and I might have spoken to some officials from that school as well...

[@chrisallen9509]

unknown360ful their physics department is great but I wasn’t too much of a fan of the school overall... there’s too many idiots and douchebags. there are a lot of available options for undergrads to learn relativity though. There’s modern physics, cosmology and relativity, and general relativity. And yes it’s UCB

[@sphericalcow2762]

I'm in my sophomore year, and I'm already realizing that so much of physics is actually a grand idea extended to the grind and monotony of differential equations and algebraic assholery. But I'm growing to love those little, boring parts as well, makes me appreciate the subject even more. It's like when you love a person, you don't love them just cause they're hot, but also because you like every boring or quirky things about them.

[@Shahtee]

Andrew I have been following you when you were below 1k subs. I still think that it would be soon enough that your content will be viewed by millions of people. Please carry on the work. I also wanted to make such type of channel but then I found you. You do exactly what I have always wanted to do. So keep inspiring people and dont lose heart. Just think about it you are already inspiring 8000 physicists.

[@AndrewDotsonvideos]

Syed Tihaam Ahmad just seeing this comment now! Thank you for the nice words

[@Shahtee]

@@AndrewDotsonvideos :)

[@akshatchobdar3038]

This became true.

[@EssentialsOfMath]

Just wanna let you know, you inspired me to pursue physics (although I also will major math too). At first I had low opinions on it but now that I've started to learn it it's fascinating!

[@nathanguyot5800]

Hey Andrew, what about a video about electricity, I realised most people have a problem when it comes to understand the concept of intensity and voltage, me included. Thanks, love your videos !

[@KMKPhysics3]

I totally was in the same boat my freshmen year of college. I remember watching Michio Kaku’s BigThink documentary on physics and was convinced I wanted to do string theory xD Physics is so much more than what is popularized, and I think it’s great you’re making these videos to give the major and the field more context! Now, I am a 2nd year Astrophysics grad student, and although I do research in one of those “buzzword” topics, I definitely have a deeper appreciation of fields such as condensed matter and biophysics that don’t get the same kind of spotlight.

[@kamehamehaDdragon]

You should do a quantum-gravity-string theory exercise from a relativistic point of view in your next video! Good video! I like your channel even tho I'm not studing physics.

[@dyer308]

i love electro-magnetism, such a beautiful subject 😍😍

[@nurbeksaidnassim7990]

Lagrangian mechanics and principle of least action!😍

[@STALKERstealth9]

I agree with this completely, the fact that the universe chooses to naturally minimize (Or at least, make stationary) certain quantities in itself is just so beautiful :)

[@nick6269]

I loved learning new maths like differential equations, then returning back to the theory of classical mechanics and understanding it better.

[@educatedguess1331]

Physics 1, collisions. Those problems led me to be so interested in physics on a greater scale. I understood them so well after doing this one homework problem for an hour, getting it right, and understanding it. Then I later changed my major. Graduating this semester with my B.S. in Applied physics and Electrical Engineering. Everything came from that one problem for me, it really kicked off there.

[@manamsetty2664]

Yup it's how I felt before I read books on physics not the pop science ones But by Lawrence Krause ones .

[@williammendez5209]

I'm a freshman physics major and I knew all of this already before even beginning my first intro physics lol. I'm not going to lie tho, I do crave crazy stuff like QM and GR too but I actually like every single concept we are learning lol freshman fluid dynamics and E&M is kinda dope. I can't wait for my later years tho!

[@HonorsChemistryI]

I love your videos. You ve got a cool niche.

[@anthonyrichard305]

"once you feel you start to understand, but you know there is that vast well of what's left, you graduate!" Yes, that is exactly what it is! Haha

[@quiveryhurdle7175]

This is what I believe. If someone can learn more of the nature of reality even if its on a small scale (and I don't mean quantum) then that is beneficial, there is gratification that lies in understanding some of the things around you at least for me there is. Though I do like using math for problem solving more.

[@thesophisticatedtarzan1797]

Deriving different states of States and calculating different pressure, temp. and Vol. under various conditions And Hence pointing out how it's flawed and Reconsolidate to myself that all states of Equation are wrong, and these values are imperfect and inaccurate like life. This hits me like *Zen*

[@91722854]

Fluid mech and dynamic systems do fascinate me, although they are still considered marginally popular

[@admiralhyperspace0015]

I am starting to take big boy courses in uni and all I have been wondering is where the hell were these for my first two years?

[@upgrade1583]

The rules of physics are perfectly tweaked to create conscious life, which in turn creates reality.

I'm going to university next september so right now I'm really interested in learning differencial equacions and integral

[@finthechat7134]

I was just watching some of your older videos. I saw this and thought... didn't he already upload today?

[@rishavsinha3376]

My physics degree is all about calling my math major friend to help me approximating un ugly function.

[@pecfexfextus4437]

I like the music in this video.

[@AndrewDotsonvideos]

Pecfex Fextus thanks for the feedback!

[@AndrewDotsonvideos]

Oh wait you’re trolling lol

[@toaj868]

Vectorz be amaiz

[@STgA97]

Non equilibrium thermodynamics is my thing!

[@prateek2849]

Please make more python videos - like some higher level physics coding

[@user-fz2wf4vf8n]

"Quantum Gravity"

[@mrnarason]

Oscilloscopes are fun though.

[@parzival_zd_1156]

Hello... what you studied in your Undergraduate degree. I mean it was Technical degree of science Degree ... Like B.tech. (Bachelor of technology) or B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science.) ...... ..... ???

[@devinkurant7326]

I have a question that I hope you can answer for me. As a person of about average or slightly above average intelligence, is getting a physics degree possible?

[@Shahtee]

Obviously . Yes.

[@ma-ox2pm]

first!... love them videos m8!

[@numoru]

good LIFE

[@BillionaireBoyRubix]

The mastering physics, the recitation workbooks, THE EXAMS... oh the horror.

[@chrisallen9509]

Tyler Brooks sounds like UC boulder

[@BillionaireBoyRubix]

Chris Allen haha Yep

[@numoru]

Wait wait wait, oscilloscopes are cool. You can like...oscillate stuffssss....And play the GAME OF LIFE BY CONWAY...///Kanye

[@drover7476]

The day to day physics keeps my feynman[-1] hard (;

[@borisslickjohnson9084]

OPTICS IS THE SHIT

[@danielesanfratello]

C'mon, oscilloscopes are nicer persons than you think ;)

[@feynstein1004]

Everyday stuff? Nah I'll stick to supernovae and neutron stars :)

[@MADARAISEPIC1]

My tenderloins are tickled

[@numoru]

Tru

[@theittsco]

Isotherms.

[@patriciamcgeorge2575]

Physics? More like body-and-current maths