Is it too late to study Physics??

Sue Rocks

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

Beeker

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

It is never too late, no matter what your age. If you are interested in a subject, no matter how dificult it is, you can learn and excell at it!
Go for it my friend:)

Rubecula

Ditto. it is never too late. I studied for a science degree in my thirties as a mature student. Best time of my life, for four years.

I left school with NO qualifications at all, I went to night school to get the qualifications to enter Uni for the degree, took 18 months of studying Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and English. But I got those qualifications because I wanted them and I enjoyed the learning process. Then I applied for and got a place at Uni. Studied for a four year BSc Hons.

Prenderb

Local library - there should be plenty of excellent books on cosmology that will allow and enable you to dip into physics.

Brian Cox has a new book out, and he's quite accessible in how he presents the concepts physics. In fact, if you can get your eyes on one of his "Wonders" series (He did Solar System, then Universe, on the Beeb) from the telly, you're laughing.

I've not read Carl Sagan yet, though he's on my to-do list. His book "Cosmos" has apparently been an inspiration for many astrophysicists, cosmologists, astronauts....

Sky+ "The Sky at Night" for yourself, if you haven't already. That's ok, if a bit stuffy.

Then, once you've realised you can get it, then sign up for a course somewhere if that floats your boat. Or read Stephen Hawking. :P

So what sort of course do you have in mind?

Beeker

Prenderb wrote: »

I've not read Carl Sagan yet, though he's on my to-do list. His book "Cosmos" has apparently been an inspiration for many astrophysicists, cosmologists, astronauts....

Don't wait any longer, read all his books and watch the Cosmos TV series if you can get your hands on it. It will change your life:)

peterako

It's NEVER too late!

And if you are interested and enjoy the subject....you'll excell!!

Too few Physicists, Mathematicians and Engineers in the world!!

As my spelling often demonstrates, I'm in the engineer category

Clear skies,
Peter

backboiler

Sue Rocks wrote: »

I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

It's certainly possible to get a good feel for how things hang together at a "popular science" level of knowledge but if you want to be able to figure things out at any kind of practical level you will need to understand (as opposed to just accept without questioning) the mathematical reasoning behind it all.
I suppose what I'm saying is that you can choose your level of detail in your explorations but if you ignore the maths you'll fairly quickly run into barriers to progress. If you can get over this bump there's no limit to how deep you can get into it.

Here's an example based on a thread on this board not so long ago:
There was a question on what the altitude of a geosynchronous satellite was. So, at the first level of knowledge you discover that such a concept exists but don't know offhand what the value is but you know can look it up in a book or on the web. Maybe you get interested and then it sticks in your head that it's about 36,000 km. Then you get a bit more interested and can work it out for yourself using Newtonian mechanical principles. That's Leaving Cert physics level, I think. Then you might get very interested and take into account the fact that there is solar wind and magnetic variations producing forces on the satellite, then there's the fact that earth's gravity isn't uniform over the globe. Then if you get interested in the details of how global positioning systems like GPS works you'd find that you have to take into account the relativistic effects of the satellite's movements (yes, I know GPS sats aren't in geosynchronous orbit :cool: ). And so on to your Nobel prize...

I hope you don't interpret this as a turn-off. If anything I'd hope that you'd see that physics is a good way to see a practical application of the maths you studied and struggled with before. When you can see a real use like this for some of the abstract notions in mathematics, it can be a very powerful tool for remembering as well as a motivation to explore more and that is the core of science: the curiosity to find out a little bit more.

peterako

For me....Physics/Maths are very elegent ways to understand and 'explain' the....wait for it.....Physical Universe And the Theoretical too.

I sort of take an understanding of Maths as needed.

What backboiler states is very true.

I was very, very fortunate to have a Physics and Applied Maths teacher in Secondary School who had also worked at CERN.

This meant that what we learned was also put into practical context.

From observing what goes on today (and in the recent past) in Schools this link is not so obvious, for a numer of reasons....

RANT WARNING.....

A lot of secondary science and maths teachers themselves do not have a real understanding of the material they are delivering.
The focus is on getting points in the leaving for their students....the easiest way for thisto be achieved is to learn everything almost by rote and regurgitate this in the exams...

Having a context for your maths, physics etc. will definitely make it easier to understand and progress.

The practical example backboiler gives above is a good practical, if somewhat complicated, start.

Break it down into manageable parts and you're away!

A mindblowing part of Physics for me is that models on an Astronomical scale often apply to the Atomic scale!

Peter

IamtheWalrus

GREETINGS FELLOW PHYSICS AND UNIVERSE LOVERS!!!!

I am in the same boat as the OP. In recent years, I have become obsessed with science. Thanks to the most uninspiring fools in my secondary school I never realised how interesting, scratch that, fascinating science is.

To educate myself, I am reading popular science books. Mainly Dawkins. I'm currently reading Cosmos by Sagan. Really enjoying it but only half way through so can't give you a proper opinion yet.

I'm considering a career change in one of the sciences, either biology (love animals and evolution) or physics (I'm obsessed with all things universe). My only concern is that it would take a long time to get to the top of my game (I have an IT degree).

clln

Ouch backboiler you sure got Me back for the Geo-sync question!:D

beware of Beeker as he is not just the number uno Shuttle hugger but also the number one Carl Sagan hugger(he is a "pale blue dot of a man":pac:)

what great advice has been given by all here,it is very easy to lose heart because all things Space related can be a lonely road to follow.
A&S posters keep me from giving up on it all on a regular basis!:)

Alliandre

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

As other people said, it's never too late. I don't think not having done physics would stop you. However, you would probably have to work very hard at maths. I did pass maths for my leaving cert and I found my uni course a bit of a struggle. But if you really love it then it's worth it.

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I'm considering a career change in one of the sciences, either biology (love animals and evolution) or physics (I'm obsessed with all things universe). My only concern is that it would take a long time to get to the top of my game (I have an IT degree).

Perhaps since you already have a degree you could get into some sort of post grad course rather than doing another degree? Especially if you can demonstrate a strong interest. I wouldn't be too concerned about how long it will take. If this is what you really want just go for it.

djhaxman

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

This could be me, except I'm in my mid 30's now and am doing my first year exams in physics and astrophysics in NUIM, so no, it's not too late

amen

go for it. Its never too late to learn something new wheather science or the arts.

digme

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

You don't need a uni degree to understand something,I'm watching mit lectures about Electricity & Magnetism and I love them,better than any lecturer in this country will teach you.

Coriolanus

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

I don't think so. I'm mid twenties myself and am signing up to some OpenUni courses for the Autumn.
Good luck with it.

Richie860504

Hey OP,

I'm 28 and I'm starting a 4 years honours degree in September in Physics with Astronomy. I did pass maths for the leaving also and never did physics either.
From the people I met at various open days it seems all mature students are in the same boat so your just one of many and definitely not too old to start college now. Best of luck with your decision and let us know what decision you come to.

Bruthal

Sue Rocks wrote: »

Hi all,

I am now in my mid twenties and did pass maths for leaving cert. Is it too late to learn the fundamentals of physics to help me understand Astronomy better? I have become facinated in the last couple of years but am afraid to sign up for any reasonably in-depth course because I never did Physics and am not strong in maths.

Any advice much appreciated

Its too late now, almost bed time(23:09):D

But as everyone has said, its never too late.

Brian CivilEng

Can I recommend MIT's Open Courseware if you want to get a feel for what studying physics would be like (I believe that digme already alluded to it). I have been working my way through Walter Lewin's Physics: Classical Mechanics lectures and they are very interesting.

You can find them here http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/

Coriolanus

abitofacomedian wrote: »

Can I recommend MIT's Open Courseware if you want to get a feel for what studying physics would be like (I believe that digme already alluded to it). I have been working my way through Walter Lewin's Physics: Classical Mechanics lectures and they are very interesting.

You can find them here http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/

Very nice, I hadnt' been aware of those.

Another good source might be iTunesUni, they have a good few physics lectures recorded for free download too.

DarkDusk

abitofacomedian wrote: »

Can I recommend MIT's Open Courseware if you want to get a feel for what studying physics would be like (I believe that digme already alluded to it). I have been working my way through Walter Lewin's Physics: Classical Mechanics lectures and they are very interesting.

You can find them here http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/

Ya, I've been working through some of those too.. I think Walter is an amazing lecturer! You'd have to be very lucky to have him! I love the lecture with the pendulum and when he lets it swing across the room when it nearly hits him!:eek: Have you seen it?

Brian CivilEng

DarkDusk wrote: »

Ya, I've been working through some of those too.. I think Walter is an amazing lecturer! You'd have to be very lucky to have him! I love the lecture with the pendulum and when he lets it swing across the room when it nearly hits him!:eek: Have you seen it?

Carl Sagan described that as having "faith" in science.