Where Can I Find Free Physics Courses from MIT?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the availability of free physics courses from MIT, focusing on resources such as lecture notes, video lectures, and problem sets. Participants share links to various MIT OpenCourseWare materials and express opinions on the formats and accessibility of these resources.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share links to MIT's OpenCourseWare for physics, highlighting the availability of full course materials.
  • Others express appreciation for the quality of video lectures by Walter Lewin, noting their dynamic presentation style.
  • There are mentions of alternative platforms, such as YouTube and iTunesU, for accessing these videos in different formats.
  • Concerns are raised about the use of RealPlayer for video playback, with suggestions for alternatives like 'Real Alternative' and codec packs to resolve playback issues.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of video lectures in learning physics, while others mention the usefulness of problem sets.
  • There is a suggestion for a torrent option for easier access to the videos.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of the resources shared, but there are differing opinions regarding the best formats for accessing the videos and the effectiveness of various playback solutions. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best method for video playback.

Contextual Notes

Participants express frustration with specific video formats and playback issues, indicating a dependence on software compatibility and codec availability. Some comments suggest limitations in accessing certain resources based on operating systems.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in free physics education resources, students seeking supplementary materials, and those looking for accessible formats for educational videos.

quantum123
Messages
306
Reaction score
1
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/index.htm
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Wow, nice! Full course lecture notes, problem sets and solutions! :approve: Great find, you should stick this in the tutorials section.
 
And, more generally, http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/all-courses.htm
 
Out of all educational material available at MIT-related websites, I must say that I can and do appreciate the large quantity of physics video lectures with Walter Lewin. He has a very dynamic lecturer.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01Physics-IFall1999/VideoLectures/index.htm
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-02Electricity-and-MagnetismSpring2002/CourseHome/index.htm
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-03Fall-2004/CourseHome/index.htm

The above is about 100 videos (approx. 40-50 min each) for Physics I-III instructed at MIT.

While I am on the subject, he is also in some independent video lectures available over at MIT World:

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/74/
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/158/
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/168/
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/291/
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/319/

While the five above is more of introductory rather than from actual course. Still it is an interesting experience to watch them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: spino
Moridin said:
(approx. 40min each)
Each one is more like 50 minutes (not that it really makes a difference).
 
Crap i just really wished they didn't use Real player as their format. Nevertheless downloading that crappy software to play these videos is worth it. Thank you.
 
vincentm said:
Crap i just really wished they didn't use Real player as their format. Nevertheless downloading that crappy software to play these videos is worth it. Thank you.

If you have access to the itunes store, you can download these videos in mp4 format for free from the iTunesU section.
 
vincentm said:
Crap i just really wished they didn't use Real player as their format.
Google for 'Real alternative' it's a free implemation of the realplayer protocol without all the ad-ware and dancing hamsters of real's official player.
 
I tried with both Real and Real Alternative, and I just get a "Missing Codec" error. I can't seem to play their videos.
 
  • #10
mgb_phys said:
Google for 'Real alternative' it's a free implemation of the realplayer protocol without all the ad-ware and dancing hamsters of real's official player.

Do they have a real alternative or some other player that supports .rm for a Mac?
 
  • #11
Just want to say thanks for posting this.
 
  • #12
Problem sets are good and all, but you really do need video lectures to fully learn the material.
 
  • #13
You-Tube also has the videos. I can play them fine from there.
 
  • #14
Using Firefox, there is an add-on extension called DownloadHelper that allows you to "easily" download youtube videos into .flv format.

But I wish they would put them up in a torrent...
 
  • #15
nanoWatt said:
I tried with both Real and Real Alternative, and I just get a "Missing Codec" error. I can't seem to play their videos.

if you are on a PC download the k-lite codec pack
 
  • #16
This is great! Thanks!
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
8K
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 145 ·
5
Replies
145
Views
19K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K