How to learn physics & math | Advice for the young scientist
TLDRIn this video, the speaker discusses the recommendations of John Bayes, a mathematical physicist, for learning physics and math. The speaker highlights the importance of starting with the basics in physics before delving into complex topics and emphasizes the need for practical problem-solving and experimentation. They also mention the value of online resources and courses, and share Bayes' book recommendations for foundational physics topics. Additionally, the speaker touches on advice for young scientists, including the importance of publishing, attending conferences, and making the right academic choices early in their career. The video concludes with Bayes' insights on choosing between math and physics as a focus for one's academic and research endeavors.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker acknowledges the positive reception of their previous video on recommended physics books and mentions a viewer's suggestion to check John Bayes' resources.
- 🌟 John Bayes is a mathematical physicist known for his work on abstract ideas like loop quantum gravity and has valuable resources for learning physics and math.
- 🔍 The speaker emphasizes the importance of learning the basics of physics before delving into complex topics like quantum mechanics and black holes.
- 📖 John Bayes advocates that learning math and physics isn't just about reading books but also involves doing calculations, experiments, and creating personal research topics.
- 🎓 The speaker agrees with John Bayes on the benefits of taking courses for the exposure to lecturers, networking opportunities, and the structured approach to learning.
- 💡 John Bayes suggests using question-answer websites like Physics Stack Exchange and Math Overflow for additional learning and problem-solving.
- 📚 The speaker lists five core areas of physics: classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum mechanics, and recommends learning them in that order.
- 📈 John Bayes provides a list of book recommendations for each core area of physics, some of which align with the speaker's previous recommendations and some that the speaker missed.
- 🎯 For young scientists, John Bayes advises starting with more popular topics to gain publications and recognition before delving into personal interests.
- 🔄 John Bayes discusses the interplay between math and physics and suggests that one can pursue both but must eventually decide between working in a math or physics department.
- 🌐 The speaker encourages viewers to explore John Bayes' resources and other recommended books in the comments section of their previous video for further guidance.
Q & A
What was the main topic of the speaker's last video?
-The main topic of the speaker's last video was about recommending books for learning physics.
Who is John Bayes and what is his field of expertise?
-John Bayes is a mathematical physicist who works in America and specializes in abstract ideas in physics, including loop quantum gravity.
What advice does John Bayes give on how to learn math and physics?
-John Bayes advises that one should start by learning the basics of physics before moving on to complex topics. He also emphasizes the importance of doing calculations and experiments, and encourages creating one's own research topics.
What are the five cornerstone areas of physics according to John Bayes?
-The five cornerstone areas of physics according to John Bayes are classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum mechanics.
What does John Bayes recommend for someone who is interested in both math and physics?
-John Bayes recommends that one should not limit themselves and should explore both math and physics. The decision on whether to work in a math or physics department should be made before going to graduate school.
What are some practical tips for a young scientist according to John Bayes?
-Some practical tips for a young scientist include attending a prestigious school, working with the best possible advisor, publishing papers on fashionable topics, attending conferences, and giving good talks.
How does John Bayes describe the difference between math and physics in terms of academic publishing?
-Mathematicians are promoted by publishing in math journals, focusing on definition, theorem, and proof style papers, while physicists are promoted by publishing in physics journals, writing shorter papers packed with formulas but often leaving out calculation details.
What does the speaker suggest as the best way to choose between focusing on math or physics?
-The speaker suggests browsing both math and physics journals to see which one one finds more interesting and can imagine publishing in. It's also recommended to talk to mathematicians and physicists to understand their day-to-day life.
What book did the speaker miss mentioning in their last video that was suggested by a commenter?
-The speaker missed mentioning Schroeder's 'Thermal Physics' which was suggested by a commenter.
What is the speaker's opinion on going to a prestigious school for undergraduate studies?
-The speaker does not believe that going to the most prestigious school is advantageous, especially for undergraduate studies. They suggest that finding a good teacher or supervisor is more important than the school's name.
How does the speaker describe the nature of physics as a discipline?
-The speaker describes physics as a faster, looser, and more energetic discipline that is more based on physical intuition to find answers.
Outlines
📚 Exploring John Bayes' Recommendations for Physics and Math Learning
This paragraph introduces the viewer to John Bayes, a mathematical physicist known for his work on abstract ideas in physics, such as loop quantum gravity. The speaker discusses the value of Bayes' websites, which offer advice for those interested in physics or mathematics. The video aims to follow up on a previous one about book recommendations by focusing on Bayes' advice and encouraging viewers to explore his resources. The speaker emphasizes the importance of learning the basics of physics before delving into complex topics and the necessity of engaging with problems and experiments, rather than just reading textbooks. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the usefulness of courses for learning physics and math, as they provide a structured environment and support network for tackling difficult concepts.
🌟 John Bayes' Book Recommendations and Advice for Young Scientists
In this paragraph, the speaker delves into John Bayes' book recommendations, which are categorized into five cornerstone areas of physics: classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. The speaker acknowledges some overlap with their previous recommendations but also highlights books they missed, such as Goldstein for classical mechanics and Schroeder's thermal physics. The paragraph also touches on Bayes' advice for young scientists, including the importance of starting with more popular topics to establish a career before pursuing personal interests, the necessity of publishing fashionable papers to gain recognition, and the value of attending conferences to network and collaborate. The speaker expresses a differing opinion on the importance of attending prestigious schools and working with renowned advisors, suggesting that a good relationship with a supervisor is more crucial.
🤔 Choosing Between Math and Physics: John Bayes' Perspective
The final paragraph discusses the decision between pursuing a career in math or physics, using John Bayes' experience as a mathematical physicist as a reference. Bayes advises that one should engage with both fields but ultimately choose a department based on where they see themselves publishing. The speaker suggests talking to mathematicians and physicists, browsing journals, and considering the writing styles and communication methods typical of each field to make an informed decision. The paragraph emphasizes the differences in the disciplines, with math being more rigorous and physics being more intuitive and energetic. The speaker encourages viewers to explore Bayes' resources further and thanks the community for their input and recommendations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Physics
💡Mathematics
💡John Bayes
💡Book Recommendations
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Academic Journey
💡Question-Answer Websites
💡Grad School
💡Publishing
💡Conferences
💡Career Advice
Highlights
The video discusses recommendations for learning physics and math, focusing on advice from John Bayes, a mathematical physicist.
John Bayes is known for his work in America on abstract ideas in physics, including loop quantum gravity.
John Bayes has useful websites for those interested in physics or math, offering advice on choosing between these fields.
The importance of learning the basics of physics before tackling complex topics like quantum mechanics is emphasized.
Textbooks are full of homework problems, which are crucial for learning, as is creating your own research topics.
Taking courses in math and physics is beneficial due to the exposure to lecturers, peers, and the academic community.
John Bayes suggests using question-answer websites like Physics Stack Exchange for learning and engagement.
He outlines five cornerstone areas of physics: classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum mechanics.
Book recommendations are provided, some of which align with those mentioned in the previous video, with additional titles.
John Bayes also discusses practical advice for young scientists, including the importance of starting with more popular topics to gain publications and recognition.
The necessity of publishing papers that are fashionable and well-cited to establish oneself in academia is mentioned.
Attending conferences and giving good talks are highlighted as essential for networking and making connections in the scientific community.
The decision between working in a math or physics department should ideally be made before graduate school.
John Bayes suggests browsing math and physics journals to understand the difference in writing styles and decide where one fits best.
Mathematics is described as a more rigorous, definition-theorem-proof style discipline, while physics is faster, looser, and more intuitive.
The video encourages viewers to check out John Bayes' links for more comprehensive information on learning physics and math.
The video acknowledges the value of comments from viewers in the previous video, which provided additional book recommendations.
Transcripts
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