I'm 16 and need/want a life in Physics.

[FeDeX_LaTeX]

I agree, I think Khan Academy is the most appropriate here; PatrickJMT has some great stuff too, but doesn't start at as low a level as Khan Academy does. I think Dr Chris Tisdell's videos are great; he has one of the best YouTube series on Fourier series I've ever seen. Once you get to the calculus level, you should check out his videos (that may be in a years time, possibly a little more, depending on how fast you work).

 

[twofish-quant]

Also as far as what you should watch - Mythbusters and makezine

The other thing is that you shouldn't try to theorize about black holes since you don't have a black hole handy. What you *should* theorize about is stuff that you can do actual experiments on.

For example, come up with a theory about bowling. Take a bowling ball, toss it against the pins, and then come up with a physics theory that explains how to get a higher score in bowling. Once you start analyzing a bowling ball, you can easily spend a year or two working out the physics of bowling balls, and there is a decent chance that you'll come up with something that no one else has ever figured out. Also, this is the type of stuff that you can enter into science fairs and Intel STS, which will help you with college applications.

If you really get into it, then think about what types of stuff you can attach to a bowling ball to do physics experiments.

If you don't like bowling, then do it for something that you do like to do...

 

[An Open Mind]

I read all these comments and they all make perfect sense your all right I shouldn't clutter my mind with crazy ideas since I don't know any math behind it. I made a thread yestorday called "My theory on black holes/Big Bang", I got a warning and it was locked. I had thought of an idea about a month ago and I was just trying to express what my mind thinks about and what everyone on the forum would think of it. I don't believe any theories I think of I just find it neat if it were true. No more rediculous things like that I'm concentrating on my algebra now.

 

[An Open Mind]

http://www.algebasics.com/3way1.html I use this site to learn the basic first steps of algebra and I'm understanding it, I learn't all of this is grade 8 but never payed any attention because I hated school. If anyone else has a better site please tell me.

Everyone who posts on my thread are my mentors, my guidence.

 

[An Open Mind]

Also as far as what you should watch - Mythbusters and makezine

The other thing is that you shouldn't try to theorize about black holes since you don't have a black hole handy. What you *should* theorize about is stuff that you can do actual experiments on.

For example, come up with a theory about bowling. Take a bowling ball, toss it against the pins, and then come up with a physics theory that explains how to get a higher score in bowling. Once you start analyzing a bowling ball, you can easily spend a year or two working out the physics of bowling balls, and there is a decent chance that you'll come up with something that no one else has ever figured out. Also, this is the type of stuff that you can enter into science fairs and Intel STS, which will help you with college applications.

If you really get into it, then think about what types of stuff you can attach to a bowling ball to do physics experiments.

If you don't like bowling, then do it for something that you do like to do...

That's a fantasic idea, but I like using my brain more then my hands and my homelife isn't really the place I can experiment in unfortunately.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

I read the title of the OP, and the first thing that popped into my head:" I want to get a life... in physics"
There's life in physics?

"Getting a life" and "physics" rarely mingle.
D-:

 

[WannabeNewton]

I read the title of the OP, and the first thing that popped into my head:" I want to get a life... in physics"
There's life in physics?

"Getting a life" and "physics" rarely mingle.
D-:

Unless you're Barney Stinson and manage to use physics to your advantage

 

[DaveC426913]

That's a fantasic idea, but I like using my brain more then my hands and my homelife isn't really the place I can experiment in unfortunately.

You'll be using your brain on things in real life.

And I'll bet your parents will bend over backwards to make you a space to study it. (OK, maybe start off with something smaller than a bowling alley).

 

[An Open Mind]

I read the title of the OP, and the first thing that popped into my head:" I want to get a life... in physics"
There's life in physics?

"Getting a life" and "physics" rarely mingle.
D-:

Question mark.

 

[An Open Mind]

You'll be using your brain on things in real life.

And I'll bet your parents will bend over backwards to make you a space to study it. (OK, maybe start off with something smaller than a bowling alley).

What could I experiment with?

 

[elfmotat]

What could I experiment with?

How about a spinning top? I could probably spend hours analyzing the motion of a top - it may seem simple at first, but it is actually quite complex.

 

[kcajrenreb]

What sports do you play? If it involves the motion of any sort of ball or something, that might be interesting to experiment with.

 

[An Open Mind]

What sports do you play? If it involves the motion of any sort of ball or something, that might be interesting to experiment with.

I don't play sports but I like playing basket ball

 

[joshmadakor]

I'm wondering if the OP is a troll. Even if he's a troll, I could laugh quite heartily, several times as well as gain a few sources of good information and some good advice from the seasoned physicists. Thank you everyone.

 

[DaveC426913]

I'm wondering if the OP is a troll.

It is certainly a possibility. The range of knowledge versus lack thereof is skirts implausibility.

 

[FlexGunship]

I don't play sports but I like playing basket ball

[QUOTE="Wikipedia]Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.[/QUOTE]
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball)

Emphasis mine.

 

[2018]

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball)

Emphasis mine.

He probably means that he only plays bball for fun, not on a team.

 

[Leveret]

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball)

Emphasis mine.

I like playing with fire, but I don't do it.

 

[tkav1980]

Wow! Sorry to butt in but, holy motherload of resources! Thank you to all who posted. even if the OP doesn't use this information, it will not go to waste. Thank you.

 

[An Open Mind]

What is the OP? I'd research it my self but meh you guy's are my google now :D.

 

[xdrgnh]

OP means opening poster AKA you Open mind

 

[An Open Mind]

Alright everyone thanks for everything you done for me, I've got all these links saved. You've given me a big boost because now I know what I have to learn :). I think I'm about finished with this thread but I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions about other things. Peace ;p

 

[An Open Mind]

OP means opening poster AKA you Open mind

Wait whattt so when joshmadakor said this:

I'm wondering if the OP is a troll. Even if he's a troll, I could laugh quite heartily, several times as well as gain a few sources of good information and some good advice from the seasoned physicists. Thank you everyone.

Was he saying I was a troll or what it's hard to follow what you guys say some times I've never seen well spoken people write/speak like that.

 

[kcajrenreb]

Yes, he is suggesting the possibility of you being a troll. I personally don't think you are though. But heck, I could be wrong.

 

[Bourbaki1123]

Yes, he is suggesting the possibility of you being a troll. I personally don't think you are though. But heck, I could be wrong.

For the record, I think it's the 6600 word thesis that's bringing on the heat.

 

[kcajrenreb]

Yeah, very true. But then again, there are people who do that kind of stuff!

 

[Bourbaki1123]

Yeah, very true. But then again, there are people who do that kind of stuff!

I guess 6600 words isn't much at all (30 pages perhaps) especially if you're typing notes and musings in a single file.

I've been working on transhumanism primer that is easily that length, and several papers I've written up for class or simply to lay out some musings have easily been a few thousand words.

 

[kcajrenreb]

Eh, I'm not judging anyone, no matter how many damn musings they write down. Personally, I'd never do something like that, but again, everyone's different.

 

[Bourbaki1123]

Eh, I'm not judging anyone, no matter how many damn musings they write down. Personally, I'd never do something like that, but again, everyone's different.

I've actually found it helpful to keep a sort of "intellectual" journal (http://foucault.info/documents/foucault.hypoMnemata.en.html"); it allows me to gather my thoughts and recap on things recently learned. I might also play with some vague ideas in order to help them fall into a broader framework of more concrete ideas and become more precise.

Of course, I'm one of those people who has a certain appreciation for certain types of philosophical meta-analysis (mostly philosophy of mathematics and logic, some piddling around with cognitive science and free will and the ethical implications of neuroeconomics -which is the neuroscience of human motivation/preference-; of course no new knowledge is gained by this sort of musing, but it can help to draw connections between pieces of scientific/mathematical knowledge that have been acquired on different occasions).

 

[An Open Mind]

Guys! What the heck! I'm not a troll I'm here to learn and I just wanted to ask the forum what things they think I should be studying. This thread is finished I have what I came for. This is off the topic now, enough please.