The lazy time in sofa to learn physics?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for physics documentaries suitable for beginners, exploring the effectiveness of television as a medium for learning physics. Participants share their opinions on various documentaries and the challenges of learning complex subjects through this format.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that television science often leads to confusion and misinformation, recommending the original "COSMOS" with Carl Sagan as an exception.
  • Another participant expresses a desire for more physics documentaries akin to crime series, questioning the availability of "COSMOS."
  • Several participants mention the BBC Horizon documentaries as good resources, while one criticizes them for being overly simplified and not conducive to deep learning.
  • There is a recurring emphasis on the idea that true learning requires more than just watching documentaries, suggesting that studying is necessary for understanding complex concepts.
  • Participants discuss the importance of knowing one's mathematical background and specific interests when seeking to learn physics.
  • One participant humorously notes that Lev Landau worked while reclining on a sofa, implying that learning can occur in various comfortable settings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the value of television documentaries for learning physics, with some advocating for specific titles while others criticize the medium's effectiveness. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to learning physics through documentaries.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the limitations of television documentaries in teaching complex subjects, noting that they cannot replace in-depth study and access to practical experiences.

edephysic
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hello everyone,

Which documentary do you advise see for a newbie student in physics?

Thanks
 
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None. Television science is to science as mud is to chocolate cake.

They do have BEAUTIFUL pictures and graphics but spout nonsense. Go there and you'll end up with all kinds of things you'll need to unlearn, with considerable confusion along the way.

EDIT: the original COSMOS with Sagan (not the new one with Tyson) is an exception.
 
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I don't see television, but I think if did many documentary about physics as did tv series about crime and violence maybe this is better to the world!

Where can I see this documentary "Cosmos" with sagan?
 
Many of the BBC Horizon documentaries are very good and detailed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Horizon_episodes
My personal favorites are the ones about "Fermat's Last Theorem"
and
"Are You Good or Evil?"
there are many more but you can find them on a lot of media.
 
Michael27 said:
Many of the BBC Horizon documentaries are very good and detailed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Horizon_episodes
My personal favorites are the ones about "Fermat's Last Theorem"
and
"Are You Good or Evil?"
there are many more but you can find them on a lot of media.

Horizon must be just about the worst of the lot. The BBC4 documentaries are sometimes okay, but Horizon is massively dumbed down: they seem to have become expert at filling the hour with as little information as possible. That said, the best that a TV documentary can do is tell you about something; it can't actually teach maths or physics in an hour. There was a very good documentary on BBC4 about the history of electricity, but to try to teach electro-magnetism is beyond what a documentary can do.

The only way actually to learn something that isn't fact-based is to study it.
 
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PeroK said:
The only way actually to learn something that isn't fact-based is to study it.
Where you suggest I go to learn about this themes?
 
PeroK said:
The only way actually to learn something that isn't fact-based is to study it.
I think type-ahead got you. "ISN'T" fact based ?
 
edephysic said:
Where you suggest I go to learn about this themes?
It depends what level your maths is at. What, in particular you want to learn and how much time you have?

For most people self study is hard and, of course, you don't have access to a lab.
 
phinds said:
I think type-ahead got you. "ISN'T" fact based ?
I think if you wanted to read a biography of a leading scientist, that's something that could be done from the comfort of your sofa. Or, if you wanted to learn about the planets of the solar system, likewise. But, if you want to learn why those planets move in ellipses, you have to get off the sofa and wrestle with the differential equations.
 
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Lev Landau used to work reclining on a sofa - (just saying).
 

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