A video intro to General Relativity

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a video introduction to General Relativity, focusing on its accessibility and the prerequisites needed to understand the content. Participants share resources, express their experiences with the material, and discuss the challenges of following the lectures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find the video motivating for those interested in serious physics rather than popular cosmology.
  • There is a desire for more comprehensive video courses similar to those available for other subjects, like computer science.
  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding the content of the first video, suggesting that it may be too advanced without prior knowledge.
  • Another participant notes that the initial part of the lecture consists of equations that may be challenging to follow, especially for those not familiar with special relativity (SR) and index notation.
  • Concerns are raised about the perceived abruptness of the lecture's start, with one participant humorously commenting on the teaching style of physics lecturers.
  • Links to additional resources and videos are shared, indicating a collaborative effort to find more accessible material.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the video is challenging and may require prior knowledge, but there is no consensus on how to best prepare for it or whether additional introductory resources are available.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the need for background knowledge in special relativity and quantum field theory (QFT) to fully grasp the lectures, indicating that the material may not be suitable for complete beginners.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in General Relativity, especially those with a background in physics or mathematics, may find this discussion and the shared resources helpful.

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Yeah, very nice. I still haven't done the homework, though. :rolleyes:

I'd love to have a whole course on video. All the lectures for the famous Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs at MIT are available for download, for example.
 
That is good stuff. Thanks. :approve:
 
There's some more videos on that site from previous years. Some neat stuff.
 
Is the web down?cant seem to get in
 
ok i take back what i said the website is not down:blushing:
well...i watched the 1st video but really don't understand anything he's talking about...hmm is there any intro to this intro?:mad:
 
semc said:
ok i take back what i said the website is not down:blushing:
well...i watched the 1st video but really don't understand anything he's talking about...hmm is there any intro to this intro?:mad:

If you're talking about the beginning, he's just writing down all the equations he's going to talk about for the next 3 hours. So the first 16 minutes may be pretty hard to follow.

However, the talks were aimed at particle physicists. You'll need to know SR and have had some exposure to index notation to follow the lectures. That's also why he starts talking about massless, spin-2 particles, to connect up with things familiar to them. Other than these brief asides on QFT, it's not important to understand any QFT to follow most of the lectures, though.
 
Last edited:
it is all right!
 
Phew...i looked at those and got scared, i thought they throw you into the deep end like that :eek: , evil physics lectureres lol :-p
 
  • #11
Good Stuff

This is some good stuff!
 

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