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The Great Courses
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists
"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Richard Wolfson at the outset of this course on what may be the most important subject in the universe. Relativity and quantum physics touch the very basis of physical reality, altering our commonsense notions of space and time, cause and effect. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind relativity and quantum physics are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. As Professor Wolfson points out, the essence of relativity can be summed up in a single The laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. The same goes for quantum theory, which is based on the principle that the "stuff " of the universe-matter and energy-is not infinitely divisible but comes in discrete chunks called "quanta."
Profound ... Beautiful ... Relevant
Why should you care about these landmark theories? Because relativity and quantum physics are not only profound and beautiful ideas in their own right, they are also the gateway to understanding many of the latest science stories in the media. These are the stories about time travel, string theory, black holes, space telescopes, particle accelerators, and other cutting-edge developments. Consider these
Although Einstein's theory of general relativity dates from 1914, it has not been possible to test certain predictions until recently.
The Hubble Space Telescope is providing some of the most striking confirmations of the theory, including certain evidence for the existence of black holes, objects that warp space and time so that not even light can escape.
Also, the expansion of the universe predicted by the theory of general relativity is now a known rate. General relativity also predicts an even weirder phenomenon called "wormholes" that offer shortcuts to remote reaches of time and space.
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, two twins would age at different rates if one left on a high-speed journey to a distant star and then returned. This experiment has actually been done, not with twins, but with an atomic clock flown around the world.
Another fascinating experiment confirming that time slows as speed increases comes from measuring muons at the top and bottom of mountains.
A seemingly absurd consequence of quantum mechanics, called "quantum tunneling," makes it possible for objects to materialize through impenetrable barriers. Quantum tunneling happens all the time on the subatomic scale and plays an important role in electronic devices and the nuclear processes that keep the sun shining.
Some predictions about the expansion of the universe were so odd that Einstein himself tried to rewrite the mathematics in order to eliminate them. When Hubble discovered the expansion of the universe, Einstein called the revisions the biggest mistake he had ever made.
An intriguing thought experiment called "Schrödinger's cat" suggests that a cat in an enclosed box is simultaneously alive and dead under experimental conditions involving quantum phenomena.
From Aristotle to the Theory of Everything
Professor Wolfson begins with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics. Then he outlines the logic that led to Einstein's theory of special relativity, and the simple yet far-reaching insight on which it rests. With that insight in mind, you move on to consider Einstein's theory of general relativity and its interpretation of gravitation in terms of the curvature of space and time. Professor Wolfson then shows how inquiry into matter at the atomic and subatomic scales led to quandaries that are resolved-or at least clarified-by quantum mechanics, a vision of physical reality so at odds with our experience that it nearly defies language. Bringing relativity and quantum mechanics into the same picture leads to hypotheses about the origin, development, and possible futures of the entire universe, and the possibility that physics can produce a "theory of everything" to account for all aspects of the physical world.
Fascinating Incidents and Ideas
Along the way, you'll explore these fascinating incidents and In the 1880s, Albert Michelson and Edward Morley conducted an experiment to determine the motion of the Earth relative to the ether, which was a supposedly imponderable substance pervading all of space. You'll learn about their experiment, its shocking result, and the resulting theoretical crisis. In 1905, a young Swiss patent clerk named Albert Einstein resolved the crisis by discarding the ether concept and asserting the principle of relativity-that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. Relativity implies that the time order of events can be different in different reference frames. Does this wreak havoc with cause and effect? And why does Einstein assert that nothing can go ...
Profound ... Beautiful ... Relevant
Why should you care about these landmark theories? Because relativity and quantum physics are not only profound and beautiful ideas in their own right, they are also the gateway to understanding many of the latest science stories in the media. These are the stories about time travel, string theory, black holes, space telescopes, particle accelerators, and other cutting-edge developments. Consider these
Although Einstein's theory of general relativity dates from 1914, it has not been possible to test certain predictions until recently.
The Hubble Space Telescope is providing some of the most striking confirmations of the theory, including certain evidence for the existence of black holes, objects that warp space and time so that not even light can escape.
Also, the expansion of the universe predicted by the theory of general relativity is now a known rate. General relativity also predicts an even weirder phenomenon called "wormholes" that offer shortcuts to remote reaches of time and space.
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, two twins would age at different rates if one left on a high-speed journey to a distant star and then returned. This experiment has actually been done, not with twins, but with an atomic clock flown around the world.
Another fascinating experiment confirming that time slows as speed increases comes from measuring muons at the top and bottom of mountains.
A seemingly absurd consequence of quantum mechanics, called "quantum tunneling," makes it possible for objects to materialize through impenetrable barriers. Quantum tunneling happens all the time on the subatomic scale and plays an important role in electronic devices and the nuclear processes that keep the sun shining.
Some predictions about the expansion of the universe were so odd that Einstein himself tried to rewrite the mathematics in order to eliminate them. When Hubble discovered the expansion of the universe, Einstein called the revisions the biggest mistake he had ever made.
An intriguing thought experiment called "Schrödinger's cat" suggests that a cat in an enclosed box is simultaneously alive and dead under experimental conditions involving quantum phenomena.
From Aristotle to the Theory of Everything
Professor Wolfson begins with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics. Then he outlines the logic that led to Einstein's theory of special relativity, and the simple yet far-reaching insight on which it rests. With that insight in mind, you move on to consider Einstein's theory of general relativity and its interpretation of gravitation in terms of the curvature of space and time. Professor Wolfson then shows how inquiry into matter at the atomic and subatomic scales led to quandaries that are resolved-or at least clarified-by quantum mechanics, a vision of physical reality so at odds with our experience that it nearly defies language. Bringing relativity and quantum mechanics into the same picture leads to hypotheses about the origin, development, and possible futures of the entire universe, and the possibility that physics can produce a "theory of everything" to account for all aspects of the physical world.
Fascinating Incidents and Ideas
Along the way, you'll explore these fascinating incidents and In the 1880s, Albert Michelson and Edward Morley conducted an experiment to determine the motion of the Earth relative to the ether, which was a supposedly imponderable substance pervading all of space. You'll learn about their experiment, its shocking result, and the resulting theoretical crisis. In 1905, a young Swiss patent clerk named Albert Einstein resolved the crisis by discarding the ether concept and asserting the principle of relativity-that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. Relativity implies that the time order of events can be different in different reference frames. Does this wreak havoc with cause and effect? And why does Einstein assert that nothing can go ...
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First published January 1, 2000
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January 20, 2015
I was a little ambivalent about trying one of these "Great Courses" on audio, especially with references to diagrams and such, but the instructor promised at the beginning that you could follow along at home without needing the pictures, and he was right, though there are points at which it might benefit a listener to pause the lecture long enough to look up the diagram if you are having trouble visualizing what he describes.
This is a course on advanced physics for people who are not physics students. All that high-level stuff like General and Special Relativity, the three fundamental forces, quantum mechanics, why nothing can go faster than light, how time dilation works, what is really going on with black holes and whether "wormholes" really exist (answer: there is currently no actual evidence of them, we just know that the math supporting the possibility of their existence works) and a dozen other topics for any long-time science fiction reader.
And that is why I downloaded this course, because I haven't had a physics class since high school, and I've had only a brief survey course on quantum mathematics, but I wanted to understand the physics behind relativistic travel and the formation of the universe and quantum theory and all that jazz well enough to feel educated when I read science fiction that tries to be "hard" (and even to have a better grounding for any SF I might write myself...).
I would say this course works very well for that purpose. The professor promises that the math is minimal, so at several points he handwaves the formulas, saying "Trust me (but go look it up if you want to really understand it)" but assures us that the concepts he explains require no more than high school algebra, for the most part, and this was also true. So this is a very "math light" physics course for non-physicists, and thus for someone who is a veteran of hard SF there won't be much here in the way of new concepts - you have probably read Heinlein's Time for the Stars in which a pair of telepathic twins conduct the famous "twin experiment" with one twin staying on Earth getting old while the other twin sets off on a journey in a spaceship traveling at near-lightspeed. And you've read lots of stories about black holes and how they "slow time" as you approach the event horizon. (Go see Interstellar - it's a fantastic movie.) And you know that pure matter-energy conversion would be a billion times more efficient than nuclear fusion, if we could do it. And you've heard of Schroedinger's Cat and how supposedly we could use paired qubits to achieve faster-than-light communication (we can't). And gravity warps time and space, and light is a particle and a wave (and in fact so is all matter, really), and Einstein refused to believe God rolled dice with the universe.
All that is covered here, and at the end of it, you'll understand it better, conceptually, but obviously this cannot replace an actual physics course and if you want to really, really understand it, you'd have to actually get deeper into the math. I now have a better understanding of what physics says about General and Special Relativity and black holes and time travel and quantum entanglement. Do I really, thoroughly understand it? You'll probably find several points Professor Wolfson covers need to sit with you awhile, and some stuff you'll really have to read more deeply to fully "get it." But you can get the gist adequately from this course.
So, this course will not work as a substitute for taking an actual physics class. It probably won't even work very well as a primer. But if you're just a layman who already has some idea of the stuff you've been reading about in science fiction but you want to know more about it, you'll find this course quite valuable, and if you actually don't know any of this stuff, it will probably blow your mind.
The lecturer builds up his topics very carefully, starting with what ancient astronomers and physicists knew, all the way back to Aristotle. There is a lot of physics history here, so you'll get your Copernicus and Galileo and Newton and Maxwell and Bohr and of course Einstein, and that part is also quite interesting, as there is just a little bit of biographical information about each person, but more importantly, what exactly they figured out and how and how it changed what was known up to that point in time.
Overall, well worth the investment in listening to.
This is a course on advanced physics for people who are not physics students. All that high-level stuff like General and Special Relativity, the three fundamental forces, quantum mechanics, why nothing can go faster than light, how time dilation works, what is really going on with black holes and whether "wormholes" really exist (answer: there is currently no actual evidence of them, we just know that the math supporting the possibility of their existence works) and a dozen other topics for any long-time science fiction reader.
And that is why I downloaded this course, because I haven't had a physics class since high school, and I've had only a brief survey course on quantum mathematics, but I wanted to understand the physics behind relativistic travel and the formation of the universe and quantum theory and all that jazz well enough to feel educated when I read science fiction that tries to be "hard" (and even to have a better grounding for any SF I might write myself...).
I would say this course works very well for that purpose. The professor promises that the math is minimal, so at several points he handwaves the formulas, saying "Trust me (but go look it up if you want to really understand it)" but assures us that the concepts he explains require no more than high school algebra, for the most part, and this was also true. So this is a very "math light" physics course for non-physicists, and thus for someone who is a veteran of hard SF there won't be much here in the way of new concepts - you have probably read Heinlein's Time for the Stars in which a pair of telepathic twins conduct the famous "twin experiment" with one twin staying on Earth getting old while the other twin sets off on a journey in a spaceship traveling at near-lightspeed. And you've read lots of stories about black holes and how they "slow time" as you approach the event horizon. (Go see Interstellar - it's a fantastic movie.) And you know that pure matter-energy conversion would be a billion times more efficient than nuclear fusion, if we could do it. And you've heard of Schroedinger's Cat and how supposedly we could use paired qubits to achieve faster-than-light communication (we can't). And gravity warps time and space, and light is a particle and a wave (and in fact so is all matter, really), and Einstein refused to believe God rolled dice with the universe.
All that is covered here, and at the end of it, you'll understand it better, conceptually, but obviously this cannot replace an actual physics course and if you want to really, really understand it, you'd have to actually get deeper into the math. I now have a better understanding of what physics says about General and Special Relativity and black holes and time travel and quantum entanglement. Do I really, thoroughly understand it? You'll probably find several points Professor Wolfson covers need to sit with you awhile, and some stuff you'll really have to read more deeply to fully "get it." But you can get the gist adequately from this course.
So, this course will not work as a substitute for taking an actual physics class. It probably won't even work very well as a primer. But if you're just a layman who already has some idea of the stuff you've been reading about in science fiction but you want to know more about it, you'll find this course quite valuable, and if you actually don't know any of this stuff, it will probably blow your mind.
The lecturer builds up his topics very carefully, starting with what ancient astronomers and physicists knew, all the way back to Aristotle. There is a lot of physics history here, so you'll get your Copernicus and Galileo and Newton and Maxwell and Bohr and of course Einstein, and that part is also quite interesting, as there is just a little bit of biographical information about each person, but more importantly, what exactly they figured out and how and how it changed what was known up to that point in time.
Overall, well worth the investment in listening to.
January 22, 2018
(non of my reviews will be eloquent)
i think wolfson pulled off a masterwork of condensing the history of physics theory into a few weeks of reading/listening for people who have little or no physics history.
there's seriously nothing boring here, every step of the way is fascinating.
the maths is there and you can follow along but it really doesn't matter that much if you don't. i highly recommend it to anyone interested in classical physics and quantum theory but doesn't know where to start.
also recommend it to any creative writers looking to venture into sci-fi.. there is no way you will get through this without a constant flow of inspiring ideas.
i think wolfson pulled off a masterwork of condensing the history of physics theory into a few weeks of reading/listening for people who have little or no physics history.
there's seriously nothing boring here, every step of the way is fascinating.
the maths is there and you can follow along but it really doesn't matter that much if you don't. i highly recommend it to anyone interested in classical physics and quantum theory but doesn't know where to start.
also recommend it to any creative writers looking to venture into sci-fi.. there is no way you will get through this without a constant flow of inspiring ideas.
October 5, 2015
Very good course for non-scientists on Einstein's Theories of Relativity and Quantum Physics. The first few lectures focus on the history of how theories on gravity and motion developed. We are given a good review Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton's contributions as well as Michelson and Morley's 1887 experiment, which was conducted to determine the Earth's motion relative to the supposed "Ether". These lectures set the stage for why Einstein was pondering gravity and motion at the turn of the 20th Century. The next several lectures do an excellent job of explaining his Theory of Special Relativity.
The second half of the course covered Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and then delved into an overview of Quantum Physics. This portion of the series felt a bit rushed to me, but even so, was worth the listen. Note that if you are listening to the audio version, the instructor discusses illustrations included in the Course Guidebook. It helps to refer to these as he is discussing them.
The second half of the course covered Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and then delved into an overview of Quantum Physics. This portion of the series felt a bit rushed to me, but even so, was worth the listen. Note that if you are listening to the audio version, the instructor discusses illustrations included in the Course Guidebook. It helps to refer to these as he is discussing them.
December 24, 2020
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-scientists is taught by professor Richard Wolfson. I must admit that I learnt from this course more than any other books I've read on quantum mechanics. Professor Wolfson's enthusiasm grabs my interest, making me pay extra attention to what he was saying. The concepts are relatively easy to digest as the illustrations provide a bit more information to the students. However, I wish there were more mathematical equations involved so that we could reach further than this, but I cannot blame him for that since many people dislike any course or books that involve maths.
If you are interested in modern physics and would love to learn its concepts comprehensively, this course is the best place to start.
This leaves a great impression on me as it is my first course of The Teaching Company and the professor himself. I'm looking forward to watch more videos from him.
If you are interested in modern physics and would love to learn its concepts comprehensively, this course is the best place to start.
This leaves a great impression on me as it is my first course of The Teaching Company and the professor himself. I'm looking forward to watch more videos from him.
March 15, 2009
I listened to the 24 lectures on my ipod. It also came with a little booklet that outlined each lesson and provided visuals. It was really well done since Wolfson is a physics professor and, therefore, teaches this stuff regularly. And I think I'm finally understanding this stuff... It's very fascinating to me, but unfortunately people generally don't want to discuss curved space time or the path an electron takes over dinner.
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May 25, 2023gripping
August 8, 2013
Overall, the lectures feel rushed with Wolfson gushing information unnaturally quickly as if he were on some sort of timed game show. It's not the speed of information that is a problem, but the frantic tone he takes making it feel like we're bothering him with questions he is good enough to answer, but he really must get going out the door.
The first half of this series is the sort of thing you get from watching any Discovery Channel show about the galaxy or the universe, which I suspect you are likely to have done if you are interested in this sort of thing. Actually, you are probably better off to do that, since there have been many such shows since this series was recorded that are more up-to-date.
The second half is an unsatisfying gloss over quantum physics. For example, Wolfson mentions the "Copenhagen Interpretation" a few times like a finger waggling dismissal of any questions that may arise from his hurried, vague description. "Most physicists" subscribe to this interpretation, he says, so we are to suppose that is good enough, as if science and the machinations of matter and energy are governed by a democracy. What is that interpretation, specifically or even in general? What others are there? What are the main criticisms of the interpretation? Wolfson never tells.
The first half of this series is the sort of thing you get from watching any Discovery Channel show about the galaxy or the universe, which I suspect you are likely to have done if you are interested in this sort of thing. Actually, you are probably better off to do that, since there have been many such shows since this series was recorded that are more up-to-date.
The second half is an unsatisfying gloss over quantum physics. For example, Wolfson mentions the "Copenhagen Interpretation" a few times like a finger waggling dismissal of any questions that may arise from his hurried, vague description. "Most physicists" subscribe to this interpretation, he says, so we are to suppose that is good enough, as if science and the machinations of matter and energy are governed by a democracy. What is that interpretation, specifically or even in general? What others are there? What are the main criticisms of the interpretation? Wolfson never tells.
March 13, 2014
This lecture series presents in simple "words" theories in physics that everyone talks about without knowing the true meaning of, relativity theory and quantum mechanics. It is presented by one Professor Richard Wolfson, one of the brightest scientists in Physics. The series is divided into two parts:
1- Special and general Relativity theory by Albert Einstein:
Brief history about physics starting from Galilean physics, Newtonian physics, them finally, relativity physics and how Einstein was able to "unify" classic physics and opened a door to Modern physics of, mainly, macroscopic objects such as humans, planets, galaxies .. Etc
2- Quantum mechanics and quantized universe:
This parts goes deep inside what's called an atom, trying to apply relativity to these microscopic object and introducing, eventually, the quantum theory as a proposed solution to a contradiction when classical physics was applied!
In the very last part, a brief description of String theory and some speculations about it being the theory of everything!
Professor Wolfson has planned thus series so well that when you ask yourself the question " what if..? Or what happens ..?" The answers follows immediately in the series.
1- Special and general Relativity theory by Albert Einstein:
Brief history about physics starting from Galilean physics, Newtonian physics, them finally, relativity physics and how Einstein was able to "unify" classic physics and opened a door to Modern physics of, mainly, macroscopic objects such as humans, planets, galaxies .. Etc
2- Quantum mechanics and quantized universe:
This parts goes deep inside what's called an atom, trying to apply relativity to these microscopic object and introducing, eventually, the quantum theory as a proposed solution to a contradiction when classical physics was applied!
In the very last part, a brief description of String theory and some speculations about it being the theory of everything!
Professor Wolfson has planned thus series so well that when you ask yourself the question " what if..? Or what happens ..?" The answers follows immediately in the series.
April 9, 2019
I listened to the audio book and was lost in several lectures because Prof. Wilson would show equations/ diagrams for the video viewers. If you have ever studied physics you know how important it is to actually see equations and diagrams to understand the concepts. It's not a fault with this particular course, I suppose any physics course could run into this problem. The reading material is included with the audio book but that is inaccessible while driving, which is mostly when I listen to audio books.
Besides this important drawback, the course itself is very good. Prof. Wilson covers the Special Theory of Relativity and Quantum Physics extremely well. It was good to revisit all that I had learnt in high school about the nature of matter. I felt lost however in the General Theory of Relativity lecturers, again because of the lack of visualizing equations and diagrams. Also, I feel Prof. Wilson missed an important topic by not talking about semiconductors and quantum computing.
Besides this important drawback, the course itself is very good. Prof. Wilson covers the Special Theory of Relativity and Quantum Physics extremely well. It was good to revisit all that I had learnt in high school about the nature of matter. I felt lost however in the General Theory of Relativity lecturers, again because of the lack of visualizing equations and diagrams. Also, I feel Prof. Wilson missed an important topic by not talking about semiconductors and quantum computing.
December 23, 2017
Very well explained. It summarized all the history of modern physics. It is great for non-scientist as well as for scientists who want to remember how things happened and why. It helps to understand what was the chronological order of events which culminated in our current knowledge about the universe and nature.
December 30, 2022
I still don't understand quantum mechanics
February 5, 2020
This was a head to toe introduction to a breadth of topics in physics and relativity. After reading Neil degrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and feeling a little short changed, this definitely filled the void. Most topics were easy for me to grasp, some others were totally over my head. I definitely came away with a greater understanding of the space-time continuum and the flat universe theory.
The courses were all presented in an intriguing manner even though some of them were difficult for me to grasp. The courses on astrophysics definitely roused my desire to pursue additional knowledge I that area.
If you're interested in learning more about physics and the theory of relativity, this would be a great place to start.
The courses were all presented in an intriguing manner even though some of them were difficult for me to grasp. The courses on astrophysics definitely roused my desire to pursue additional knowledge I that area.
If you're interested in learning more about physics and the theory of relativity, this would be a great place to start.
July 17, 2017
A terrific intro to 20th and 21st century physics (Einstein and later).
Despite having taken two years of honours high school physics and reading a number of books on the topic, there were a number of concepts about relativity and quantum mechanics I still grasped only loosely.
Professor Wolfson has a way of explaining difficult concepts simply and very visually that really "clicks" with my mind: time dilation, relativistic frames of reference, etc. I wish I'd had this background from the beginning.
Despite having taken two years of honours high school physics and reading a number of books on the topic, there were a number of concepts about relativity and quantum mechanics I still grasped only loosely.
Professor Wolfson has a way of explaining difficult concepts simply and very visually that really "clicks" with my mind: time dilation, relativistic frames of reference, etc. I wish I'd had this background from the beginning.
September 16, 2019
May be a little repetitive for quicker learners, but the pace was great for me. Drawing correlation between real world and theory was well done. Great progressive narration of the history of where we are now. Plan to revisit.
March 5, 2024
Terrific course. Exceptionally clear!
January 22, 2022
Bit dated, refers to past experiments as future ones. Still an excellent foundation building course.
July 5, 2024
Loved every minute of this! This is how they should teach physics in high school. The focus is on concepts, not equations and story problems.
I still don’t think I fully understand relativity or quantum physics, but I have a way better idea of how they work than I did before.
I still don’t think I fully understand relativity or quantum physics, but I have a way better idea of how they work than I did before.
January 19, 2020
Good course I listened to on Audible. I'm probably going to have to listen again because even though some of the concepts were simplified, I had a hard time visualizing the thought experiments and other fundamental principles featured in the course. The professor was not boring and overall I enjoyed something that was challenging. I understood the overall concepts, but some of the details went way over my head. However, I highly recommend this course.
April 29, 2020
I'm a life long science enthusiast and in my search for the ultimate science book I've read many different subjects on the matter, these lectures have everything and not only that but they go deep into each one, with really easy to understand concepts, with a lot of simple examples and many common questions of the nature of the universe and physics answered, this book is amazing a real must-read, I made hundreds of notes thanks to this course, many that will help me keep digging further into specific subjects to study, I love this book the professor Richar Wolfson is an amazing educator and it just light you up with wonder, I loved it best science book I've read this year!!
August 25, 2020
Yesterday I finished the 24 lecture Great Courses Series by Professor Richard Wolfson called "Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists". I have read in bits and pieces about Einstein's relativity theories as as well Quantum Physics but never in a disciplined, ordered manner. So I found this course very helpful in understanding how things unfolded over time in the last few hundred years for Physics when comes to the things around Macro objects like planets, stars and Macro objects like electrons, protons and so on. Professor Wolfson is very skillful in explaining complex matters into simple understandable manner.
The book touch based on the following -
* Aristotle's geocentric universe
* Copernicus's heliocentric universe later supported by Galileo
* Kepler's elliptical orbits instead of circles
* Newton's universal gravitation and clockwork universe
* Maxwell's classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon.
* Speed of light (c) and frame of reference
* The Michelson–Morley experiment to detect the existence of the luminiferous aether resulted in negative raising serious questions on the then-prevalent aether theory.
In 1905 Einstein solved the puzzle introducing the principle of special relativity: the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. It radically altered the notions of time and space.
* Time dilation or the stretching of time - time-traveling twins experiment. Time is relative.
* Length contraction - simultaneity is relative to the frame of reference. Distance is relative.
* E = mc2 asserts an equivalence between mass and energy.
* General theory of relativity - gravity is synonymous with the curvature of spacetime.
* Matter and energy cause spacetime to curve.
* In the absence of forces, objects move in the straightest possible paths (geodesics) in curved spacetime.
* In Newton’s theory, the force of earth's gravity somehow reaches instantaneously across empty space to hold the moon in its orbit violates the cosmic speed limit of light.
* It took Einstein nine years after the special theory of relativity to develop the general theory. It took him about six weeks of actually working to develop the special theory. So this is quite a change. From the idea of curved spacetime, general relativity is a conceptually very difcult idea, compared with special relativity in many ways.
* Gravitational time dilation - time should run more slowly in regions where gravity (i.e., spacetime curvature) is stronger. A simplied explanation is that light loses energy climbing away from a gravitating mass. Light can’t slow down, but the frequency of the light waves is reduced. To an observer looking toward a region of strong gravity, the effect is to see time running slower in that region. Even though curvature of spacetime in Earth’s vicinity is slight, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is so precise that its position determinations would be off by a signicant fraction of a mile if gravitational time dilation were not taken into account.
* Today, astronomers routinely observe distant objects whose light is bent signicantly by massive galaxies. Called gravitational lensing, this effect can produce multiple images of a single object. Gravitational lensing is also used to search for dark, massive objects that might constitute the “missing mass” in the universe. When such an object passes in front of a star, its gravity momentarily focuses the star’s light, producing a bright ash. This effect is called microlensing.
* General relativity predicts the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of spacetime that travel at the speed of light. Gravitational waves should be produced in certain high-energy astrophysical situations, such as with dense objects in close orbits or the merging of black holes.
* General relativity predicts the existence of black holes, objects whose escape speed exceeds that of light. Black holes require extreme concentrations of matter. To form a black hole from Earth, the planet would have to be compressed to a sphere about one inch in diameter. For the Sun to become a black hole, it would have to be squeezed from its current million-mile diameter to a diameter of about 4 miles. Nothing that falls into a black hole can escape. The boundary of the region of no return is the hole’s event horizon, where escape speed becomes c. Gravitational time dilation becomes innite at the event horizon—meaning an outside observer would never see an object actually cross the horizon. To a small-size observer falling into the hole, however, everything would seem perfectly normal. However, the falling observer would experience destructive tidal forces either before or after reaching the horizon, depending on the size of the observer and the hole.
* Black holes may be formed in the intense supernova explosions that end the lifetimes of massive stars. These explosions leave a collapsed remnant that may be a neutron star or, if more massive than about three times the Sun’s mass, must become a black hole. Such stellar-mass black holes may form in binary star systems, in which case they can be detected by their effects on the companion star. Typically, gas ows from the companion to form a disk of gas orbiting the hole. The matter heats up through friction as it spirals toward the event horizon, emitting copious x-rays.
* Supermassive black holes—with the mass of millions or billions of Suns— seem to lurk at the centers of most galaxies, including our Milky Way. The intense radiation emitted by matter falling into the hole early in a galaxy’s life may account for quasars, distant objects with colossal energy output. Galactic holes grow gradually as stars fall into them. It is speculated that rotating black holes may be able to form wormholes, tunnels connecting remote parts of spacetime.
* Rutherford's solar system of model of atoms
* Photoelectric effect
* Bohr model of the atom
* Quantization means that we cannot observe the universe without affecting it. This, in turn, limits our ability to make measurements with arbitrary precision. Thus, we must say farewell to Newton's clockwork universe.
* Planck's constant
* Wave/particle duality - is light wave or particle? The quantum asnwer: it's both!
* Quantum uncertainty—farewell to determinism
* Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that it is impossible to measure simultaneously and with arbitrarily high precision both a particle’s position and its velocity.
Because wavelength also depends on velocity, it can become signicant, even in macroscopic systems, when particle velocities become very small— something that happens only at temperatures close to absolute zero.
* My favorite was Chapter 21: Quantum Weirdness and Schrödinger’s Cat
* Collapse of the wave function
* Quantum superposition is a real phenomenon, and recent experiments have succeeded in creating an atom that is in two places at once—i.e., in a superposition of here and there.
* Electrons appear to be truly elementary, indivisible constituents of matter. The atomic nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons. Nucleons are made of still smaller quarks, believed to be truly elementary or fundamental. Quarks combine in threes to make protons, neutrons, and a host of other particles, collectively called hadrons (heavy particles), that were once thought to be elementary. Quarks also combine in twos to make another class of particles called mesons.
* The electroweak force comprises the electromagnetic force (as described by Maxwell’s equation) and the so-called weak nuclear force. The electromagnetic force is responsible for the structure of everyday matter from the scale of atoms on up. The weak nuclear force mediates certain nuclear processes, including nuclear reactions that make the Sun shine. The color force, also called the strong force, acts between quarks, binding them together to make hadrons and mesons. Unlike gravity and the electroweak force, the color force does not decrease in strength with increasing distance between the particles.
* Microwave background radiation was radiation left over from the time the universe first became transparent, about half a million years after the Big Bang.
String theory may lead the way to this theory of everything. An essential requirement of string theory is that the strings exist not in the four dimensions of ordinary spacetime (three of space, one of time), but in a spacetime of as many as 11 dimensions.
Source: http://www.dragon-bishop.com/2020/08/...
The book touch based on the following -
* Aristotle's geocentric universe
* Copernicus's heliocentric universe later supported by Galileo
* Kepler's elliptical orbits instead of circles
* Newton's universal gravitation and clockwork universe
* Maxwell's classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon.
* Speed of light (c) and frame of reference
* The Michelson–Morley experiment to detect the existence of the luminiferous aether resulted in negative raising serious questions on the then-prevalent aether theory.
In 1905 Einstein solved the puzzle introducing the principle of special relativity: the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. It radically altered the notions of time and space.
* Time dilation or the stretching of time - time-traveling twins experiment. Time is relative.
* Length contraction - simultaneity is relative to the frame of reference. Distance is relative.
* E = mc2 asserts an equivalence between mass and energy.
* General theory of relativity - gravity is synonymous with the curvature of spacetime.
* Matter and energy cause spacetime to curve.
* In the absence of forces, objects move in the straightest possible paths (geodesics) in curved spacetime.
* In Newton’s theory, the force of earth's gravity somehow reaches instantaneously across empty space to hold the moon in its orbit violates the cosmic speed limit of light.
* It took Einstein nine years after the special theory of relativity to develop the general theory. It took him about six weeks of actually working to develop the special theory. So this is quite a change. From the idea of curved spacetime, general relativity is a conceptually very difcult idea, compared with special relativity in many ways.
* Gravitational time dilation - time should run more slowly in regions where gravity (i.e., spacetime curvature) is stronger. A simplied explanation is that light loses energy climbing away from a gravitating mass. Light can’t slow down, but the frequency of the light waves is reduced. To an observer looking toward a region of strong gravity, the effect is to see time running slower in that region. Even though curvature of spacetime in Earth’s vicinity is slight, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is so precise that its position determinations would be off by a signicant fraction of a mile if gravitational time dilation were not taken into account.
* Today, astronomers routinely observe distant objects whose light is bent signicantly by massive galaxies. Called gravitational lensing, this effect can produce multiple images of a single object. Gravitational lensing is also used to search for dark, massive objects that might constitute the “missing mass” in the universe. When such an object passes in front of a star, its gravity momentarily focuses the star’s light, producing a bright ash. This effect is called microlensing.
* General relativity predicts the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of spacetime that travel at the speed of light. Gravitational waves should be produced in certain high-energy astrophysical situations, such as with dense objects in close orbits or the merging of black holes.
* General relativity predicts the existence of black holes, objects whose escape speed exceeds that of light. Black holes require extreme concentrations of matter. To form a black hole from Earth, the planet would have to be compressed to a sphere about one inch in diameter. For the Sun to become a black hole, it would have to be squeezed from its current million-mile diameter to a diameter of about 4 miles. Nothing that falls into a black hole can escape. The boundary of the region of no return is the hole’s event horizon, where escape speed becomes c. Gravitational time dilation becomes innite at the event horizon—meaning an outside observer would never see an object actually cross the horizon. To a small-size observer falling into the hole, however, everything would seem perfectly normal. However, the falling observer would experience destructive tidal forces either before or after reaching the horizon, depending on the size of the observer and the hole.
* Black holes may be formed in the intense supernova explosions that end the lifetimes of massive stars. These explosions leave a collapsed remnant that may be a neutron star or, if more massive than about three times the Sun’s mass, must become a black hole. Such stellar-mass black holes may form in binary star systems, in which case they can be detected by their effects on the companion star. Typically, gas ows from the companion to form a disk of gas orbiting the hole. The matter heats up through friction as it spirals toward the event horizon, emitting copious x-rays.
* Supermassive black holes—with the mass of millions or billions of Suns— seem to lurk at the centers of most galaxies, including our Milky Way. The intense radiation emitted by matter falling into the hole early in a galaxy’s life may account for quasars, distant objects with colossal energy output. Galactic holes grow gradually as stars fall into them. It is speculated that rotating black holes may be able to form wormholes, tunnels connecting remote parts of spacetime.
* Rutherford's solar system of model of atoms
* Photoelectric effect
* Bohr model of the atom
* Quantization means that we cannot observe the universe without affecting it. This, in turn, limits our ability to make measurements with arbitrary precision. Thus, we must say farewell to Newton's clockwork universe.
* Planck's constant
* Wave/particle duality - is light wave or particle? The quantum asnwer: it's both!
* Quantum uncertainty—farewell to determinism
* Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that it is impossible to measure simultaneously and with arbitrarily high precision both a particle’s position and its velocity.
Because wavelength also depends on velocity, it can become signicant, even in macroscopic systems, when particle velocities become very small— something that happens only at temperatures close to absolute zero.
* My favorite was Chapter 21: Quantum Weirdness and Schrödinger’s Cat
* Collapse of the wave function
* Quantum superposition is a real phenomenon, and recent experiments have succeeded in creating an atom that is in two places at once—i.e., in a superposition of here and there.
* Electrons appear to be truly elementary, indivisible constituents of matter. The atomic nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons. Nucleons are made of still smaller quarks, believed to be truly elementary or fundamental. Quarks combine in threes to make protons, neutrons, and a host of other particles, collectively called hadrons (heavy particles), that were once thought to be elementary. Quarks also combine in twos to make another class of particles called mesons.
* The electroweak force comprises the electromagnetic force (as described by Maxwell’s equation) and the so-called weak nuclear force. The electromagnetic force is responsible for the structure of everyday matter from the scale of atoms on up. The weak nuclear force mediates certain nuclear processes, including nuclear reactions that make the Sun shine. The color force, also called the strong force, acts between quarks, binding them together to make hadrons and mesons. Unlike gravity and the electroweak force, the color force does not decrease in strength with increasing distance between the particles.
* Microwave background radiation was radiation left over from the time the universe first became transparent, about half a million years after the Big Bang.
String theory may lead the way to this theory of everything. An essential requirement of string theory is that the strings exist not in the four dimensions of ordinary spacetime (three of space, one of time), but in a spacetime of as many as 11 dimensions.
Source: http://www.dragon-bishop.com/2020/08/...
November 4, 2019
The course goes over valuable physics concepts, and the author tries hard to explain difficult concepts in simple terms, but it has some severe failings.
I'm a huge fan of audio books, but I don't think that's the right medium for such a complicated topic. This is the sort of thing where I would want to see text and images and read it slowly over and over again and puzzle my way through it. It definitely doesn't help that the author keeps referring to visuals or what he is doing on camera - clearly this course was intended for video, with no special thought given to audio listeners.
Yes, there is a PDF handout, but if I'm listening to an audiobook, I don't want to stop and dig up a PDF. It also is written in a strange way - I think perhaps the professor just grabbed some class notes and packaged them with the audiobook, instead of creating a resource specific to this book. I tried to find the resource he mentioned showing stars in an expanding universe from the perspective of other stars and couldn't find it, and a number of the images were made for print, tilted 90 degrees for people viewing on a computer. Annoying.
Wolfson tends to have a number of uhs, verbal missteps and, most frequently, to suddenly pause in a sentence and then sound awkward after, as if speaking while trying to stifle hiccups. I certainly wouldn't want to shame a speaker for this - we all have odd disfluencies like that when speaking live, and I am no different. But I am at a loss for why there would be absolutely no editing of the recording to clean it up and make it a little more professional. That was disappointing.
Then there's the biggest problem; even though this is the second edition, it is woefully out of date in a fast-changing field of study. It was created nearly two decades ago. An update needs to be made, even if the author or editors determine that only a few small sections need to be updated.
The topic is important. The information is fine. But I would not recommend this audiobook as is. Try another resource, preferably not in audio form. But if this does get an updated (and better edited) third edition, then it could be worth it.
I'm a huge fan of audio books, but I don't think that's the right medium for such a complicated topic. This is the sort of thing where I would want to see text and images and read it slowly over and over again and puzzle my way through it. It definitely doesn't help that the author keeps referring to visuals or what he is doing on camera - clearly this course was intended for video, with no special thought given to audio listeners.
Yes, there is a PDF handout, but if I'm listening to an audiobook, I don't want to stop and dig up a PDF. It also is written in a strange way - I think perhaps the professor just grabbed some class notes and packaged them with the audiobook, instead of creating a resource specific to this book. I tried to find the resource he mentioned showing stars in an expanding universe from the perspective of other stars and couldn't find it, and a number of the images were made for print, tilted 90 degrees for people viewing on a computer. Annoying.
Wolfson tends to have a number of uhs, verbal missteps and, most frequently, to suddenly pause in a sentence and then sound awkward after, as if speaking while trying to stifle hiccups. I certainly wouldn't want to shame a speaker for this - we all have odd disfluencies like that when speaking live, and I am no different. But I am at a loss for why there would be absolutely no editing of the recording to clean it up and make it a little more professional. That was disappointing.
Then there's the biggest problem; even though this is the second edition, it is woefully out of date in a fast-changing field of study. It was created nearly two decades ago. An update needs to be made, even if the author or editors determine that only a few small sections need to be updated.
The topic is important. The information is fine. But I would not recommend this audiobook as is. Try another resource, preferably not in audio form. But if this does get an updated (and better edited) third edition, then it could be worth it.
June 30, 2017
Great review of modern physics, but make sure you have the PDF around because there's a lot of stuff to look at and it's unlikely you'll be able to understand or imagine the concepts by listening alone, this one wasn't really made with listening in mind.
Professor Wotlfson goes through great lengths explaining Newtonian physics, then special relativity, how they relate to one another and why we can still explain most of what we interact with with the old theories. Then he goes about general relativity and quantum theory (ending with a string theory chapter) that broadens the subject a bit, but has he explains those last two are a bit more complicated and would need books on their own.
Great refresher if it's been a while or if you haven't been following physics since school. The classes were recorded before LHC came into action and the Higg's boson was detected so he talks about this subject in the future, it would be nice to have had an extra chapter about it.
Still, great read!
Professor Wotlfson goes through great lengths explaining Newtonian physics, then special relativity, how they relate to one another and why we can still explain most of what we interact with with the old theories. Then he goes about general relativity and quantum theory (ending with a string theory chapter) that broadens the subject a bit, but has he explains those last two are a bit more complicated and would need books on their own.
Great refresher if it's been a while or if you haven't been following physics since school. The classes were recorded before LHC came into action and the Higg's boson was detected so he talks about this subject in the future, it would be nice to have had an extra chapter about it.
Still, great read!
April 14, 2009
This installment of the "Great Courses" series gives a nice and simple overview of Einstein's Relativity theories (both Special and General) and the coming, at the time, Quantum Revolution. Dr. Wolfson does an excellent job of introducing important theories conceptually in a way that makes them accessible (I think) to non-technically-trained listeners. This is a great introduction for curious people without a background in Physics, or a fun review for people who just can't get enough of this stuff.
Honestly, I got a serious case of the chills all over my body when Dr. Wolfson told the story about how Einstein realized the true nature of time in the universe. Of course, the fact that I listened to that section as I was 5 sweaty miles into a 6 mile run, at twilight, on a snowy mountain during January in Utah may have had something to do with my chills. Let's just say it was a good listen....
Honestly, I got a serious case of the chills all over my body when Dr. Wolfson told the story about how Einstein realized the true nature of time in the universe. Of course, the fact that I listened to that section as I was 5 sweaty miles into a 6 mile run, at twilight, on a snowy mountain during January in Utah may have had something to do with my chills. Let's just say it was a good listen....
April 16, 2018
Bu esere başladığımda gerçekten çok eğlenceli bulmuştum. Hatta her dersi sindire sindire geçeyim, tavsiye edilen ara okumaları yapayım niyetiyle başladım. Keyifli de gidiyordu. Ama sonra çeşitli nedenlerle uzun ara verdim. Aradan sonra bitireyim artık diye tekrar başladığımda, konuyla ilgili başka kitaplar okumuş, başka online eğitimlere katılmıştım. Ve eseri biraz sıkıcı, örnekleri çok klişe ve genel anlamda konu takibini zor buldum..
Bunun yerine Stephen Hawking'in The Illustrated A Brief History of Time/The Universe in a Nutshell'i tavsiye ederim.
Bunun yerine Stephen Hawking'in The Illustrated A Brief History of Time/The Universe in a Nutshell'i tavsiye ederim.
November 20, 2017
I really enjoyed listening to this. The structure of the course eases you into the fundamental concepts of Newtonian physics and then makes its way through Einsteins Special and General Relativity before finishing with Quantum Mechanics and just a smidge of String Theory. The math behind the concepts are seldom brought up, usually only to show the beauty of a simple equation, which makes the book more accessable to people who aren't directly working in physics.
Some of the more dense ideas covered are still a bit confusing but I think that's due to their inherently complexity. The author's passion towards the subject is both obvious and contagious which made the entire experience much more enjoyable for a topic many consider dry.
Some of the more dense ideas covered are still a bit confusing but I think that's due to their inherently complexity. The author's passion towards the subject is both obvious and contagious which made the entire experience much more enjoyable for a topic many consider dry.
January 18, 2018
In the end this was informative, but I felt like the lecturer 'told' his audience how things are, but didn't 'explain' well how and why they are the way they are. He's super smart and spoke incredibly fast, and I think I needed him to slow down and show me why a particle is how it is before moving on to the next concept. It's also a little dated now (2000), so it wasn't able to include the important results of the large hadron collider and Higgs boson.
March 7, 2025
This audiobook contained some of the most fascinating concepts I’ve come across in a while. From the establishment of general relativity to the explanation of quantum superposition, Wolfson explained all of the concepts in terms that anyone could understand. I think that I have grown after hearing this audiobook in more ways than one. I would say I have a larger understanding of physics and the current state of science, but I would also say it gave me much more confidence when listening to lectures. One major concern I have for college is understanding information from a lecture as I have a major lack of experience when it comes to lectures. After listening to this lecture, I would say I am pretty prepared, but I will definitely be listening to more lectures on various topics, namely rewatching Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on creative writing. As my last deep book, I think this was an amazing one.
One of my favorite parts about this lecture series was how all of these lessons had a clearly laid out real-world application. Wolfson first started his lectures by explaining relativity with an example of playing ping-pong on a moving boat. He explained that from your frame of reference, a term that was constantly used, you are not moving, and everything else is moving. But at another frame of reference, it could be the complete opposite. The lectures he led explained how if you were to toss up an object in a moving car, it’d be the same as throwing that same object up if you were standing on the side of the road since everything in that car is moving, let’s say, 60 miles per hour.
One thing that was new that I learned was time dilation. I knew about it in some regards; I had known that as a kid if someone went on a spaceship and came back, less time would have been experienced by them. That brings me to the fact that time is relative– a lesson that took me multiple listens to understand. It was also interesting to me that GPS satellites have to adjust for time dilation, however slight they may be. Another thing that I liked about the lecture series was the amount of history he covered. Wolfson explained the differences between Newtonian physics and Einstein’s discoveries and how they interacted with each other.
The audiobook was, as the title suggests, split into two different parts: relativity and quantum mechanics. The first half explores how space and time are connected, explaining things like time dilation, black holes, and why faster-than-light travel isn’t possible (at least in the way sci-fi movies show it). The second half dives into quantum mechanics, a subject that is much harder to understand. Things like superposition weren’t too hard to understand as they just felt like statistics, but things like how an atom can be both a wave and an electron were harder to comprehend.
Another thing that stood out to me from this audiobook is just how much Wolfson loved the subject. When a professional is so enthusiastic about his work and is great at explaining it well, it just makes it so much easier to understand. Most of the time, physics or science is presented in a monotone, boring ways that just present facts how they are. Wolfson, on the other hand, will give you example after example on how he believes the lessons will affect you and why you should listen. he tries to engage your imagination when giving you facts.
Even though the audiobook explains things well, I can already tell that if I want to fully grasp everything, I’ll probably need to go back and listen to some of the lectures again. There’s a lot of information packed into this 12-hour audiobook, and some of the topics—especially in the quantum mechanics section—are naturally hard to understand on the first try. That’s not a bad thing, though. If anything, it makes me want to keep learning more. I also plan to check out other physics books in The Great Courses series to see how they connect to what I learned in this one.
Overall, this audiobook was exactly what I was hoping it to be. I wanted something that would give me information in an enjoyable way, and on a topic that I am currently struggling with. Going into this audiobook, I had no idea I would find a company that had these kinds of engaging lectures on almost any subject. I will be coming back to try and find a lecture on a topic I want to learn more about, perhaps history as I am lacking when it comes to history in general. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone like myself who wants to do anything related to physics, such as engineering. It might be a little hard to get into at first, but once you get through the beginning, it is very engaging. I am really happy with this audiobook, and I know that I’ll be coming back to it in an attempt to further my understanding of the subject as I know there are smaller, foundational topics that I might have missed.
One of my favorite parts about this lecture series was how all of these lessons had a clearly laid out real-world application. Wolfson first started his lectures by explaining relativity with an example of playing ping-pong on a moving boat. He explained that from your frame of reference, a term that was constantly used, you are not moving, and everything else is moving. But at another frame of reference, it could be the complete opposite. The lectures he led explained how if you were to toss up an object in a moving car, it’d be the same as throwing that same object up if you were standing on the side of the road since everything in that car is moving, let’s say, 60 miles per hour.
One thing that was new that I learned was time dilation. I knew about it in some regards; I had known that as a kid if someone went on a spaceship and came back, less time would have been experienced by them. That brings me to the fact that time is relative– a lesson that took me multiple listens to understand. It was also interesting to me that GPS satellites have to adjust for time dilation, however slight they may be. Another thing that I liked about the lecture series was the amount of history he covered. Wolfson explained the differences between Newtonian physics and Einstein’s discoveries and how they interacted with each other.
The audiobook was, as the title suggests, split into two different parts: relativity and quantum mechanics. The first half explores how space and time are connected, explaining things like time dilation, black holes, and why faster-than-light travel isn’t possible (at least in the way sci-fi movies show it). The second half dives into quantum mechanics, a subject that is much harder to understand. Things like superposition weren’t too hard to understand as they just felt like statistics, but things like how an atom can be both a wave and an electron were harder to comprehend.
Another thing that stood out to me from this audiobook is just how much Wolfson loved the subject. When a professional is so enthusiastic about his work and is great at explaining it well, it just makes it so much easier to understand. Most of the time, physics or science is presented in a monotone, boring ways that just present facts how they are. Wolfson, on the other hand, will give you example after example on how he believes the lessons will affect you and why you should listen. he tries to engage your imagination when giving you facts.
Even though the audiobook explains things well, I can already tell that if I want to fully grasp everything, I’ll probably need to go back and listen to some of the lectures again. There’s a lot of information packed into this 12-hour audiobook, and some of the topics—especially in the quantum mechanics section—are naturally hard to understand on the first try. That’s not a bad thing, though. If anything, it makes me want to keep learning more. I also plan to check out other physics books in The Great Courses series to see how they connect to what I learned in this one.
Overall, this audiobook was exactly what I was hoping it to be. I wanted something that would give me information in an enjoyable way, and on a topic that I am currently struggling with. Going into this audiobook, I had no idea I would find a company that had these kinds of engaging lectures on almost any subject. I will be coming back to try and find a lecture on a topic I want to learn more about, perhaps history as I am lacking when it comes to history in general. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone like myself who wants to do anything related to physics, such as engineering. It might be a little hard to get into at first, but once you get through the beginning, it is very engaging. I am really happy with this audiobook, and I know that I’ll be coming back to it in an attempt to further my understanding of the subject as I know there are smaller, foundational topics that I might have missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2022
Mind dump:
Lecture 7:
- Light (speed c) breaks all physics laws about uniform motion.
Lecture 8:
- The laws of physics are the same in all uniformly moving frames of reference.
- Newtonian physics is built on out comen sense
Lecture 9:
Time traveling and Time dialation =
Spaceship capable of traveling at the 80% the speed of light.
- The laws of physics are the same for all observers moving in a uniform frame of reference.
Lecture 11:
- Velocities don’t add the way we expect them to.
- Terencough radiation
- Energy = mass times light^2
Lecture 12:
- Energy can be 100% converted into matter or vice versa.
- By the Galileo’s principles on motion, the faster mass moves the harder it is to change the object’s motion. And since E = M the effect seems to be the same for energy.
- As objects get closer and closer to the speed of light, they have increasingly enormous amounts of energy. This gigantic energy / mass corresponds to an enormous amount of inertia which becomes harder to change motion, hence it would take an infinite amount of force and energy to overcome the speed of light.
- Read Space time physics
- space time interval, space and time superimposed measure the same objective distance.
- 4th dimension is time.
- Special relativity is an explanation of how speed affects mass, time and space. ... As an object approaches the speed of light, the object's mass becomes infinite and so does the energy required to move it. That means it is impossible for any matter to go faster than light travels.
- Lastly: The laws of physics are invariant in all inertial frames of reference
- Effects of special relativity are: time dilation - as an object’s speed increases time less time elapses. and length contraction - objects appear shorter in length the faster they are moving.
Lecture 13:
A problem of gravity ( General Relativity)
- Newton describes gravity as a force.
- Gravitational mass = inertial mass is the principle of equivalence.
- Orbital dynamics = the reason objects stay in orbit is because the outward radial acceleration is equal to the inward acceleration of gravity.
- Gravity is not real. Rather Tidal Forces
- Geometry of universe is not euclidian.
- Gravity is the curvature of Space-time.
- Object not under the influence of any forces moves as a strait line.
Lecture 14:
- General relativity accounts why planets do not follow a perfect elliptical orbit.
Lecture 19:
- quantization says there’s a minimum amount of energy in a photon.
- E = hf ( or planks constant * frequency = energy)
- To measure something in the world is to interact with it.
- Heisenberg uncertainty: can’t measure both position and velocity of a particle with arbitrary precision.
- Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics says if we can’t measure broth the position and velocity of something it makes no sense to talk about it. Or logical positivism.
- Lecture 21:
- Until you measure or collapse the wave function the atom is in a state of superposition. Meaning the atom is both here and there at the same time until you look at it at which one view is solidified. It’s in both places at once, if you measure it 50% here and 50% there.
- Multi worlds theory every time the atom is measured the universe bifurcates in two making a universe with one or the other event.
Lecture 22:
- EPR experiment: measuring spin of particles 50% chance of being up or down. Radio active decay particles create particles that are spinning in opposite directions. Which means these particles are connected. EPR held this was not possible. Bohr said this is determined by the moment it is measured which was later prover by John Bell
- Lecture 23:
- Elementary particles: electron, up quark and down quark.
- Electromagnetic force carrier: photon
- Weak force: w and z bozo se
- Color force: which binds quarks together particles gluons.
- Mueones made up of electrons
- Higs Bozan: master particle which determines the masses of all other particles.
- Spectral lines
Lecture 7:
- Light (speed c) breaks all physics laws about uniform motion.
Lecture 8:
- The laws of physics are the same in all uniformly moving frames of reference.
- Newtonian physics is built on out comen sense
Lecture 9:
Time traveling and Time dialation =
Spaceship capable of traveling at the 80% the speed of light.
- The laws of physics are the same for all observers moving in a uniform frame of reference.
Lecture 11:
- Velocities don’t add the way we expect them to.
- Terencough radiation
- Energy = mass times light^2
Lecture 12:
- Energy can be 100% converted into matter or vice versa.
- By the Galileo’s principles on motion, the faster mass moves the harder it is to change the object’s motion. And since E = M the effect seems to be the same for energy.
- As objects get closer and closer to the speed of light, they have increasingly enormous amounts of energy. This gigantic energy / mass corresponds to an enormous amount of inertia which becomes harder to change motion, hence it would take an infinite amount of force and energy to overcome the speed of light.
- Read Space time physics
- space time interval, space and time superimposed measure the same objective distance.
- 4th dimension is time.
- Special relativity is an explanation of how speed affects mass, time and space. ... As an object approaches the speed of light, the object's mass becomes infinite and so does the energy required to move it. That means it is impossible for any matter to go faster than light travels.
- Lastly: The laws of physics are invariant in all inertial frames of reference
- Effects of special relativity are: time dilation - as an object’s speed increases time less time elapses. and length contraction - objects appear shorter in length the faster they are moving.
Lecture 13:
A problem of gravity ( General Relativity)
- Newton describes gravity as a force.
- Gravitational mass = inertial mass is the principle of equivalence.
- Orbital dynamics = the reason objects stay in orbit is because the outward radial acceleration is equal to the inward acceleration of gravity.
- Gravity is not real. Rather Tidal Forces
- Geometry of universe is not euclidian.
- Gravity is the curvature of Space-time.
- Object not under the influence of any forces moves as a strait line.
Lecture 14:
- General relativity accounts why planets do not follow a perfect elliptical orbit.
Lecture 19:
- quantization says there’s a minimum amount of energy in a photon.
- E = hf ( or planks constant * frequency = energy)
- To measure something in the world is to interact with it.
- Heisenberg uncertainty: can’t measure both position and velocity of a particle with arbitrary precision.
- Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics says if we can’t measure broth the position and velocity of something it makes no sense to talk about it. Or logical positivism.
- Lecture 21:
- Until you measure or collapse the wave function the atom is in a state of superposition. Meaning the atom is both here and there at the same time until you look at it at which one view is solidified. It’s in both places at once, if you measure it 50% here and 50% there.
- Multi worlds theory every time the atom is measured the universe bifurcates in two making a universe with one or the other event.
Lecture 22:
- EPR experiment: measuring spin of particles 50% chance of being up or down. Radio active decay particles create particles that are spinning in opposite directions. Which means these particles are connected. EPR held this was not possible. Bohr said this is determined by the moment it is measured which was later prover by John Bell
- Lecture 23:
- Elementary particles: electron, up quark and down quark.
- Electromagnetic force carrier: photon
- Weak force: w and z bozo se
- Color force: which binds quarks together particles gluons.
- Mueones made up of electrons
- Higs Bozan: master particle which determines the masses of all other particles.
- Spectral lines
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2020
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.org.
As the title says, this course is understandable for non-scientists! I found it absolutely fascinating. Whenever I hear physicists talk, they often speak with wonder about understanding the fabric of the universe, and it never quite clicked in my head what that meant until listening to this course.
The first half is on the macro, the cosmos, special and general relativity, and on spacetime. Understanding the "what" and "why" time can be warped intrigued me. I specifically enjoyed the discussion of event horizons around black holes—where if we were to watch someone enter a black hole they would slow to look frozen, but from the perspective of traveling into black hole, you would be essentially time traveling forward to the infinite future of Earth. The metaphor of heavy metal balls bending fabric was useful in my head to understand gravity's relationship to time and space. It is also useful to be able to learn the history of physics throughout the course because you get to understand the thought processes physicists went through up-to and after Einstein.
The latter half of the book talked about the micro—about atoms and quarks. I knew about the Bohr and Rutherford models of the atoms, and I'd heard of quarks, but it was nice to have them fully explained. I new the atom was no longer the smallest known constituent particle, and it was interesting to learn about the +2, -1 charges of upquarks and downquarks, and how they combine into neutrons and protons. It was humorous to hear him talk about them wanting to find the Higgs-Boson, and how it was essentially the last missing particle in the "particle zoo," because this course was from 2000, prior to the major world news of its discovery a few years ago.
I wish I could understand more about all this, and this course has likely inspired me to learn more physics. Highly recommend.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.org.
As the title says, this course is understandable for non-scientists! I found it absolutely fascinating. Whenever I hear physicists talk, they often speak with wonder about understanding the fabric of the universe, and it never quite clicked in my head what that meant until listening to this course.
The first half is on the macro, the cosmos, special and general relativity, and on spacetime. Understanding the "what" and "why" time can be warped intrigued me. I specifically enjoyed the discussion of event horizons around black holes—where if we were to watch someone enter a black hole they would slow to look frozen, but from the perspective of traveling into black hole, you would be essentially time traveling forward to the infinite future of Earth. The metaphor of heavy metal balls bending fabric was useful in my head to understand gravity's relationship to time and space. It is also useful to be able to learn the history of physics throughout the course because you get to understand the thought processes physicists went through up-to and after Einstein.
The latter half of the book talked about the micro—about atoms and quarks. I knew about the Bohr and Rutherford models of the atoms, and I'd heard of quarks, but it was nice to have them fully explained. I new the atom was no longer the smallest known constituent particle, and it was interesting to learn about the +2, -1 charges of upquarks and downquarks, and how they combine into neutrons and protons. It was humorous to hear him talk about them wanting to find the Higgs-Boson, and how it was essentially the last missing particle in the "particle zoo," because this course was from 2000, prior to the major world news of its discovery a few years ago.
I wish I could understand more about all this, and this course has likely inspired me to learn more physics. Highly recommend.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.org.
January 27, 2019
Incredible! I had an absolutely riveting time with this course. In college I learned classical physics and electronics but that was the end of it. The world seemed concrete and explainable with a few simple equations. After completing this course I feel like my whole concept of reality is rocked, but in a good way. I walked around for weeks talking to anyone who would listen about how amazing and mysterious the universe is.
The instructor, Richard Wolfson, is absolutely terrific. The concepts covered which I always assumed to be much to complicated, are broken down intuitively in language totally free from jargon. Wolfson uses classical thought experiments to help students gain an intuitive understanding. He does a great job presenting what could be a boring science lecture as a series of thrilling 'Eureka!' moments. Each lecture left my jaw agape.
The concepts covered in this course:
* Special and General Relativity - spacetime distorts near speed of light, gravity force is the distortion of spacetime by energy
* dual nature of electromagnetism - light behaving as both waves and particles
* the nature of subatomic particles - schrodingers cat, uncertainty, etc
Coming away from a science course I feel more spiritual and mystical than ever. Given the wild innately unpredictable nature of reality I realize there is more room for gods and magic than I ever imagined.
100% must read! Top recommendation to everyone.
The instructor, Richard Wolfson, is absolutely terrific. The concepts covered which I always assumed to be much to complicated, are broken down intuitively in language totally free from jargon. Wolfson uses classical thought experiments to help students gain an intuitive understanding. He does a great job presenting what could be a boring science lecture as a series of thrilling 'Eureka!' moments. Each lecture left my jaw agape.
The concepts covered in this course:
* Special and General Relativity - spacetime distorts near speed of light, gravity force is the distortion of spacetime by energy
* dual nature of electromagnetism - light behaving as both waves and particles
* the nature of subatomic particles - schrodingers cat, uncertainty, etc
Coming away from a science course I feel more spiritual and mystical than ever. Given the wild innately unpredictable nature of reality I realize there is more room for gods and magic than I ever imagined.
100% must read! Top recommendation to everyone.
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