My son brought home a fourth-grade science experiment a few days ago: He was to make some sort of property change in a steel nail. He had decided that he wanted to make it rust, so we set about creating an electrolyte solution out of salt and water and leaving it in there. There wasn't...
Hi John - Thanks for the reply. This is the second time I've done this so maybe I can tell yho something about how I did it the first time and maybe it can help you out.
When I went the first time (and the same thing I'll do now), I was able to work and do the coursework part-time. I took...
Another "Late in Life Physics" thread
I should really say "Really really late-in-life"
I'm 56. About 20 years ago, I flushed myself out of grad school (physics) largely over just being fed-up. Lately I've been reading again because of the huge number of very good books immediately...
Altabeh - thanks for your reply.
I somehow have the ordering of rows and columns of the tensor mixed up and I'm not sure how. I'll go back and review some info or text on the mixed co-and-contra-variant forms for the second operation and see if I can get something different in the final...
I have been working through a relativistic gravitation book ("Gravitation and Cosmology" by Stephen Weinberg) and decided to circle back to the early tensor work in chapter two and just work out the basic tensor math to make sure that I have a feel for how it all goes together. Right at the...
Thanks to all - I have enough to go with here.
I downloaded the Sean Carroll notes (while the Weinberg book is in transit) and they seem to be a really good starter course and very explanatory. Just what the Dr. ordered.
This is a very helpful group of people
regards to all - Mark
Thank you, Frederik. I've skirted through tensors in the past but never had to put them to use. I don't see a great mystery there, though, just a problem with severe rust and little fluency. The real issue is that a great deal of language (developed along with the math or because of the math)...
Hi bapowell - thanks for your suggestion (as well as your previous ideas here)
I think that I could get through the Weinberg book. I could only see the TOC on Amazon, but it didn't seem to be too esoteric (if you have a different opinion, please let me know). I have enough basic education...
Hi folks - I'm bumping this up for a further question (can I do this, or should I open a new topic?)
I've been working on QFT in a Nutshell by A. Zee - am in the second chapter (chapter 1 was outstanding), and it's becoming more apparent that I need to do some work on bringing along my...
I have been a high-level engineer in the HDD & tape storage business for the past 25 years. I have always been told that engineering in the US was safe because the engine of innovation and creativity was here in the US. What I am seeing is that the whole HDD/storage industry is moving to Asia...
bapowell and qsa - thank you as well
I'll put these on the list (or bookmark this link, that's probably better).
I agree that when all is said and done, I'll probably have a lot of books. I've gotten 6 or so over the past year, so I'm feeling a little bit like a book whore and will probably...
Thanks for the reply - I did a quick look at the Zee book on Amazon and I've never seen anything that blends prose with math this way. Well, maybe Feynman's lectures, but I certainly haven't seen it often. I also did a check on the contents and it hits the relevant areas - exactly the sort of...
I had posted this in the academic forum but got no responses. I'm hoping there will be some help in this forum.
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About 20 years ago I was a grad student in physics and fizzled - did lots of coursework but never got a Ph.D, and have been working as an electrical engineer since...