Interested in physics but *Hate* computers....

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  • Thread starter Thread starter Delong
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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the challenges faced by a physics student in a biophysics lab who is required to learn programming, specifically in Matlab, without prior coding experience. The consensus is that while it is possible to contribute to physics research with minimal programming skills, developing proficiency in coding is essential for long-term success and marketability in the field. Participants emphasize that programming skills can be acquired through practice, problem-solving, and seeking help when needed, and suggest taking introductory programming courses to build confidence and competence.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of physics and biophysics concepts
  • Familiarity with Matlab programming language
  • Fundamental knowledge of mathematics
  • Willingness to engage in problem-solving and debugging
NEXT STEPS
  • Enroll in an introductory programming course focused on Matlab
  • Study object-oriented programming principles, particularly in C++
  • Practice debugging techniques and problem-solving strategies in coding
  • Explore online resources such as tutorials and forums for Matlab programming
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, researchers in biophysics, and anyone interested in integrating programming skills into their scientific work, particularly those who feel intimidated by coding requirements.

  • #31
You mention in your first post you need to learn MATLAB. The good news is MATLAB is much easier to learn and get up to speed than many other lower-level languages like FORTRAN or C. MATLAB is high-level (i.e. further away from the computer). The tradeoff is many MATLAB applications does not run as quickly as the lower level languages. This slowness is likely not going to affect your work because the computer is plenty fast, unless you are doing very number intensive calculations.

MATLAB is quite intuitive if you are familiar with matrix theory.
 
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  • #32
Delong said:
Yea but I came from a biology and chemistry background so my background in computer programming is literally zero. I guess I'll just have to accept that i like learning about physics but not enough where I am able to do research in it especially if it involves a lot of programming and computer work blegh...
The space to do biology/chemistry without knowledge of computers hasn't shrunk as much as it has in physics, but it's shrinking incredibly fast too.

The necessity of computer skills is just sort of a symptom of the times.
 
  • #33
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