Greetings from someone who just signed up

[physicsponderer]

How did you find PF?

Google

I think about physics, and how to teach physics, a lot, and always have.

I have a lot of questions about physics, and a lot of ideas for ways of explaining physics in new ways. I like the look of Physics Forums. I hope I can learn a lot here, and teach a lot, too.

Over the years I've found Physics Forums has some of the best answers to be found for free on the web.

I like how the following people explain physics to the layman, and would like to emulate them:
Lewis Carroll Epstein, Richard Feynman.

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PhysicsForums! Have you browsed through our Educators and Teaching forum yet?

 

[physicsponderer]

Welcome to PhysicsForums! Have you browsed through our Educators and Teaching forum yet?

No I haven't. I'll have a look now.

 

[physicsponderer]

Welcome to PhysicsForums! Have you browsed through our Educators and Teaching forum yet?

Thanks for pointing me that way. I am reading https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/the-coming-revolution-in-physics-education.954664/unread right now, and commenting. It is fun.

 

[berkeman]

Yeah, there are a number of great threads in the Educators forum. Threads and posts by those who do the teaching, and especially in these difficult times, it's good to see what other educators are doing. Enjoy the PF!

 

[physicsponderer]

Thanks. I find that this website is very well-designed and easy to use. Is there a physics puzzles discussion going on anywhere?

 

[berkeman]

There is a monthly Math Challenge thread that is started and managed by @fresh_42 but so far we don't have a Physics Challenge equivalent. As discussed in a thread (somewhere), it is a lot of work to maintain such threads. You volunteering?

 

[physicsponderer]

No.

 

[physicsponderer]

One thread that I wanted to post on was marked closed, and requiring more privileges than I had. How does that work?

 

[Vanadium 50]

If the thread is closed, it means nobody can post in it.

 

[physicsponderer]

Why is a thread closed?

 

[waternohitter]

Why is a thread closed?

Because they closed it. Maybe it is a nonsense thread or spam thread.

 

[phinds]

Why is a thread closed?

Threads are closed if the discussion is going nowhere, the OP doesn't follow the rules, or even if the post is just old.

If you want to discuss something, just start a new thread.

 

[berkeman]

Why is a thread closed?

Or it may just be really old thread -- the forum software tends to close really old threads to avoid necroposting.

Can you give us a link to the closed thread you are asking about?

 

[phinds]

Or it may just be really old thread

Gee. Why didn't I think of that

even if the post is just old

Oh, wait ... I did.

Come on berkeman, try to keep up here

 

[berkeman]

Oops, too much skimming on my part.

You didn't ask for a link too, did you?

 

[physicsponderer]

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-do-hurricanes-always-rotate-counter-clockwise.42593/

 

[phinds]

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-do-hurricanes-always-rotate-counter-clockwise.42593/

That thread is SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. Posting on anything that old is called "necro-posting" (posting in a dead thread) and is avoided for most threads over a couple of years old by having the software just close them automatically.

Again, if you want to discuss something, just start a new thread.

 

[physicsponderer]

Why is it bad to post in a dead thread? What makes it "dead", anyway?

I don't know how to start a new thread. Are there some instructions for this site I can read?

 

[phinds]

Why is it bad to post in a dead thread? What makes it "dead", anyway?

If a thread is old, the discussion is over and done with. If you want to discuss that topic start a new thread.

I don't know how to start a new thread. Are there some instructions for this site I can read?

Go to the forum that you want the thread to be in and just click on