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Jack Fraser
Ahahahahahahahah.
*Ahem*
Sorry.
You want a PhD level understanding of quantum physics from online videos?! What the bloody hell do you think physics students do for all those years?
If it were that easy, why would anyone go to university?
I have done a year’s worth of courses in quantum physics at University. I sat through 305 hours of lectures, did 34 hours of face-to-face tutorials, and did approximately 1000 hours of solo work on problem sets (admittedly only about a third of this was purely quantum, but the rest was electromagnetism and stuff - so definitely needed for future quantum work!)
And I still only have a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics.
Just hold on to that.
Over 1,000 hours of my life dedicated to learning something, and I still don’t understand anything more than the foundation level - and I was learning from one of the best universities in the world - not from some poor quality online video.
This isn’t because I’m a slow learner, or because our course is trash - it’s because there is far more to understanding physics than you can possibly realise. What looks like a simple task when you know nothing about it, is actually like climbing mount Everest for a snail. Quantum Physics is a huge topic. It’s incredibly difficult in places. It takes years to even begin to consider yourself an expert.
People like Erik Anson have been doing this for much longer than me - he’s a PhD student, and has spent years and years of his life doing physics. Admittedly he’s a cosmologist, not quantum physicist - but I reckon he’d be pretty miffed if you suggested to him that someone could learn exactly as much as he knows about cosmology from online videos - not least because it would’ve been a lot cheaper for him!
From online videos, you would be hard pressed to beat the level of knowledge I have now - and even then you’ll struggle, since I also spent the previous year learning the mathematical tools to learn basic quantum physics - there are a lot of prerequisite maths to doing quantum physics .
If you want to learn physics properly you have to go and study at a proper institution. There really is no substitute.
If you don't have access to a university, then self studying is still good - don't get me wrong. But you have to realise that you will never be as good as someone who has actually done the courses….given that's the whole point of the courses.
Self studying (especially through online videos) will always be sub-par to an actual degree (in any topic) - but if it's the only option you have, then go for it. Just remember to have realistic expectations (and getting a PhD level of understanding is not realistic…)
EDIT:
Many have pointed out that this answer is overtly adversarial and condescending. I apologise for that - but enough has gone on in the comments that it will make no sense if I change it now. I've had a bad week…it happens to the best of us.
Whilst I probably could have been more diplomatic, I stand by the fundamental message of my answer.
You cannot get that level of understanding in a topic without actually going and studying it for years and years. Yes universities put up lectures online - but university is more than lectures - it is about learning from your peers - and actually doing science. If you try and learn physics without a pen and paper in your hand, and 5 billion (it feels like) pages of mathematical scribbles, then you haven't learned physics (Paul Mainwood does this justic in his answer).
Self-teaching is great - if you are interested in knowing more. It does not however put you on a par with graduate students. They know stuff you didn't even know you needed to know!
Next week will have super happy smiley Jack back again….hopefully.
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Ahahahahahahahah.
*Ahem*
Sorry.
You want a PhD level understanding of quantum physics from online videos?! What the bloody hell do you think physics students do for all those years?
If it were that easy, why would anyone go to university?
I have done a year’s worth of courses in quantum physics at University. I sat through 305 hours of lectures, did 34 hours of face-to-face tutorials, and did approximately 1000 hours of solo work on problem sets (admittedly only about a third of this was purely quantum, but the rest was electromagnetism and stuff - so definitely needed for future quantum work!)
And I still only have a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics.
Just hold on to that.
Over 1,000 hours of my life dedicated to learning something, and I still don’t understand anything more than the foundation level - and I was learning from one of the best universities in the world - not from some poor quality online video.
This isn’t because I’m a slow learner, or because our course is trash - it’s because there is far more to understanding physics than you can possibly realise. What looks like a simple task when you know nothing about it, is actually like climbing mount Everest for a snail. Quantum Physics is a huge topic. It’s incredibly difficult in places. It takes years to even begin to consider yourself an expert.
People like Erik Anson have been doing this for much longer than me - he’s a PhD student, and has spent years and years of his life doing physics. Admittedly he’s a cosmologist, not quantum physicist - but I reckon he’d be pretty miffed if you suggested to him that someone could learn exactly as much as he knows about cosmology from online videos - not least because it would’ve been a lot cheaper for him!
From online videos, you would be hard pressed to beat the level of knowledge I have now - and even then you’ll struggle, since I also spent the previous year learning the mathematical tools to learn basic quantum physics - there are a lot of prerequisite maths to doing quantum physics .
If you want to learn physics properly you have to go and study at a proper institution. There really is no substitute.
If you don't have access to a university, then self studying is still good - don't get me wrong. But you have to realise that you will never be as good as someone who has actually done the courses….given that's the whole point of the courses.
Self studying (especially through online videos) will always be sub-par to an actual degree (in any topic) - but if it's the only option you have, then go for it. Just remember to have realistic expectations (and getting a PhD level of understanding is not realistic…)
EDIT:
Many have pointed out that this answer is overtly adversarial and condescending. I apologise for that - but enough has gone on in the comments that it will make no sense if I change it now. I've had a bad week…it happens to the best of us.
Whilst I probably could have been more diplomatic, I stand by the fundamental message of my answer.
You cannot get that level of understanding in a topic without actually going and studying it for years and years. Yes universities put up lectures online - but university is more than lectures - it is about learning from your peers - and actually doing science. If you try and learn physics without a pen and paper in your hand, and 5 billion (it feels like) pages of mathematical scribbles, then you haven't learned physics (Paul Mainwood does this justic in his answer).
Self-teaching is great - if you are interested in knowing more. It does not however put you on a par with graduate students. They know stuff you didn't even know you needed to know!
Next week will have super happy smiley Jack back again….hopefully.
See Questions On Quora
Continue reading...
