- #1
bevilacqua
- 3
- 0
Hi all!
I’ve always been in love with mathematics and physics. I’m 39 and have a full time job and a great deal of time to study after work, but I don’t have the possibility of attending to a physics college and go for a degree, because of timetables of available universities (or I would go for it, even in my age).
I always was a self-taught guy and don’t see any problem with trying to learn any theoretically based concept by myself. What I really don’t know is the extent to which the study of physics (and cosmology, which interest me a lot) is dependent on access to equipment and technology. Also, I don’t have any idea of the possibility of coming with a real collaboration to physics by being an amateur (meaning one that doesn’t get his sustenance from it and not one who take it lightly). I don’t have any illusion of being the next Einstein, but I really don’t want to be a mere stars beholder which is proud of knowing why they go around the sun the way they go and what they are composed of.
The bottom line is that, staring at part of the material for study, one can realize it is a huge amount of work and part of it of technical nature. Even if I love physics and math, going through all of it during years, just to realize that you can’t do anything useful (in terms of research, not money making) with it, apart from solving problems to avoid getting rusty on technical aspects, is not very stimulating.
What I really want to know is: is it possible to learn physics as a self-taught (one who is willing to do all the work necessary) and place some useful contribution (useful for physics, not for the ego)?
Just as a guidance, my main interest is cosmology and its more philosophical implications; things like the nature of time, etc. Ok, warn me if this is too much of a layman’s statement
I’ve always been in love with mathematics and physics. I’m 39 and have a full time job and a great deal of time to study after work, but I don’t have the possibility of attending to a physics college and go for a degree, because of timetables of available universities (or I would go for it, even in my age).
I always was a self-taught guy and don’t see any problem with trying to learn any theoretically based concept by myself. What I really don’t know is the extent to which the study of physics (and cosmology, which interest me a lot) is dependent on access to equipment and technology. Also, I don’t have any idea of the possibility of coming with a real collaboration to physics by being an amateur (meaning one that doesn’t get his sustenance from it and not one who take it lightly). I don’t have any illusion of being the next Einstein, but I really don’t want to be a mere stars beholder which is proud of knowing why they go around the sun the way they go and what they are composed of.
The bottom line is that, staring at part of the material for study, one can realize it is a huge amount of work and part of it of technical nature. Even if I love physics and math, going through all of it during years, just to realize that you can’t do anything useful (in terms of research, not money making) with it, apart from solving problems to avoid getting rusty on technical aspects, is not very stimulating.
What I really want to know is: is it possible to learn physics as a self-taught (one who is willing to do all the work necessary) and place some useful contribution (useful for physics, not for the ego)?
Just as a guidance, my main interest is cosmology and its more philosophical implications; things like the nature of time, etc. Ok, warn me if this is too much of a layman’s statement