Computer Definition and 999 Threads

I'm trying to re-purpose an old Compaq (and another HP) ATX computer power supply to use as a lab PS. I've seen tons of articles on line about how to do this, for example. I can't get it to even start up though. I have the power-on pin from the ATX connector that goes to the motherboard shorted...

Hi all I'm a software developer who has been provisionally accepted onto a doctorate programme. I've always been a lover of physics and astronomy in particular. In short I'm someone with no formal education in Physics, but would love to work my layman's interest into my PhD. I've considered...

Hello, I am stuck between two majors to study in college, Computer Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. About me: I am going to be a senior next year and I am going to be taking high level ap calculus and ap physics. I am a very creative person and am very good at the arts and industrial...

I want to see if we can map the space that is computable programs. You wouldn't consider complex problems, once you mapped the simplest problems into a space of points you can get a distribution. You may see that these clump. Seeing as several of the variables are proportional to the history of...

So, I'm going into my senior year in college. I'm a physics major working on computational physics research - lots of enormous sets of data and multi-dimensional modeling. I'm also applying to phd programs for when I graduate. I have a $1500 grant for use in my research, so my PI has told me to...

I just graduated high school and I'm very confused on what to do. I either want to be a computer scientist or an aerospace engineer but I need more insight on what both careers do and what can they do. If anyone can give me some information I would greatly appreciate it.

I am split on choosing to study for aerospace engineering or computer science. I have a passion for technology and all I want to do in life is to help people and the world through technology but I would just like more information on each one and what are some of the things I would be doing with...

Hello, I am a student in high school who is about to go on summer vacation. During my long vacation, I would like to learn about computer science and mathematics. I have a few questions on this: 1. What computer science courses do you recommend me to take in order (I know the Java programming...

Hi Everyone, I am simulating(using HSPICE) HR neuron model using analog computer technique but I am not getting the required response. I am using uA741 model of opamp and MLT04 model of multiplier. I have tested these components individually and they are working fine. I doubt there is something...

Considering this system (from Wikipedia), The Fresnel Diffraction at x, y, and z is ##E \left(x, y, z\right) = \frac{z}{i \lambda} \int \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} E \left(x', y', 0\right) \frac{e^{ikr}}{r^2} dx' dy'## where ##r = \sqrt{\left(x - x'\right)^2 + \left(y - y'\right)^2 + z^2}##...

Hi all. Awhile back I posted about potentially changing schools to study Mechanical Engineering. Unfortunately financially this was not possible. However, my school does offer degrees in physics which I do find interesting. Currently I am studying Computer Science, and I'm considering adding a...

Hello all. My daughter is going to start as a freshman in a BS Mechanical Engineering program. I want to buy her a PC that will last her through her 4 years of school. My initial thoughts were some of the light, but relatively powerful new offerings (Surface and other thin designs), but I...

I know this sounds a bit dumb, but I'm not that good with computers. I've got a laptop with a 4 GB DDR3 RAM (I've got 2 RAM slots, one is empty), a dual core i5 Processor with a clock rate of 2.5 GHz, a 500GB hard disk with an RPM of 5400 and an NVIDIA graphics card with 2GB of video RAM (I'm...

I'd like to write a computer program that simulates and visualizes the trajectory of a ray of light as it passes near a massive object (e.g., neutron star). In other words, I'd like to model light deflection in space. (FWIW, I have extensive programming experience, but my physics and...

Hello, I am working in Papua New Guinea where there is a great deal of seismic activity. I am interested in using MS Excel for simulation of SHM due to seismic waves. To investigate the how frequency and wavelength of the waves affects buildings. Does anyone have any experience of this type of...

dear all, I am not a electronic engineer. i want to understand the basics in which a code written in C language gets converted to voltage signals inside the flipflop(transistor). basically when i write x=3+4,print x through a C language, what happens inside the hardware? I know the x=3+4 is...

Hi PF, I have been currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science to hopefully end up having a career as a software engineer, as I am taking classes I am finding that the assignments are getting more and more difficult to a point where I find myself lost and in need of guidance. Which got me...

I'll be a 2nd year physics student next year, and my question is should I start taking some CS classes or take CDS (Computing for Scientists)? I've heard programming is very useful for someone trying to get into research or industry, but Computing for Scientists looks obviously useful as well...

I am 17 years old and aspiring to be an engineer. When I go to university next year the course I will be studying is Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering. I wanted to study just Mechanical Engineering however I did not get into the university that does it and this is the only course that I want...

Hello. I have been contemplating whether or not I should start pursuing a degree in CE, EE, or Comp Sci. I currently work as a wildland firefighter and am not happy with what I do. I started to learn programming about 9 months ago with various online tools such as Codecademy and taking online...

Hello, I'm currently enrolled as a Dual-Major in Electrical & Computer Engineering. To be honest I'm more interested in the software and computing side of the aforementioned disciplines. But there are only 5 extra classes over my last 4 semesters I would have to take and they are...

Hi, guys. Computer science is hands-down, without-a-doubt in my mind the most interesting and passionate subject that I love. For myself, I feel very lucky that I was capable of finding what I truly love at such an early age in my childhood. Computer science is without a doubt going to be my...

I hold an Engineering Degree with major in Computer Science and have 1.5 years experience as programmer. Being an Indian, I was pushed into Engineering and didn't know much about other career options back in 2008. Now I feel I should have taken up Physics. I abhor a mundane IT job. I wish to...

Hello I recently noticed that mathematical logic is related to computer science. I haven't studied math in university yet I'm not good at math and Since I'm not a native English speaker some English is hard to me. Is there any good and easy book which describes mathematical logic used in...

What are the chances of finding work or a career if an average person were to take two beginning programming courses? Would this be enough for a possible career as a computer programmer?

This is quite a serious question, I was asked to write few words about a similar game (not officially published yet) and I started to wonder what were the earlier programs of this type. This is partly engineering and partly physics problem. Many computer games use some kind of physics engines...

I just saw The Imitation Game and was wondering how the original Turing machine broke the enigma. Could someone explain it to me?

I'm trying to build a circuit to solve the differential equation x''+2x'+x = f(t), where f(t) is a sine wave with frequency 5Hz and amplitude 0.5V. I am supposed to get a sine/cosine wave (as the diff. eq is just the same as the ove governing spring-mass forced oscillation) as solution, but...

It seems being able to program is a very valuable tool to a student studying physics (about to be a 3rd year). I'm transferring from a CC to a four year soon. I noticed a lot of the universities I've been accepted to have had their sophomores take some programming this year. Over the summer...

I have recently taken up mathematics at home and found that it does not pose any problems for my future aspirations in becoming a physicist. However, I am not mechanically inclined and can't use a computer to any sophisticated degree. It's all about abstract thinking for me. I fear mechanical...

Hey guys, I got accepted to a few Cal State Computer Science masters (MS) programs (I live 10 minutes from one of them). I also applied to UC Davis and UC Irvine for their BS in Computer Science (would be a 2nd bach. degree, first was Psychology, pre-req's done/am doing at a CC), and am waiting...

Hi! Another Physics homework question that needs solving immediately! Thank you in advance. A computer base unit of mass 7.5 kg is dragged along a smooth desk. If the normal contact force is 23 N and the tension in the arm of the person dragging it acts at 23° to the horizontal, then what is...

of interest: ---diogenesNY -------------------------------------- By JOHN MARKOFFMARCH 4, 2015 NYT: Scientists at the [PLAIN]http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_california/index.html?inline=nyt-org[/URL], and at Google reported on Wednesday...

I'm going to be taking a computer science course next semester, what is a good intro computer science book or C++ programming book I can buy?

Hello all. I am at an impasse with what I want to do with the rest of my life. Academics wise, I have always had an interest in maths and science and history. There is no greater feeling in the world than solving a problem you have been stuck on for hours. I was researching potential degree...

Below is a computer program for Mathematica that details how to calculate the Lyapunov exponent of a differential equation. What is the purpose of the code colored in red? ClearAll["Global`*"]; deq1 =-(y1[t]+ z1[t]); deq2 = x1[t]+0.1 y1[t]; deq3 =0.2+ x1[t] z1[t]-5.7 z1[t]; deq4 =-(y2[t]+...

Homework Statement - Calculating the factorial of a number N - For simulating the roll of a die 200 times (include the calculation for the relative frequency of the number 4 in the upface of the die within the 200 rolls) Homework Equations None? The Attempt at a Solution I am taking this...

I'm returning to college this year (it's been two years since my last class) with the intent of double majoring in comp. sci. and physics. I have the goal of applying to a quantum physics/computing PhD program upon finishing my bachelors. Any tips on living, working, and schooling...

Ok, maybe I was inspired by the commercial on the Oscars tonight with Steve Wozniak, so please forgive me. Before I wax an opinion here, I'll start by establishing my street cred. I got my first Vic20 in 1982. I wrote a video game and an article that COMPUTE! magazine paid me $175 dollars...

In practice I’ve found that a valid gravitational model of orbiting bodies only works when the force is computed with only the other mass and not both masses. Thus, the original equation does not work but the modified one does. Is using one mass ok or am I doing something wrong? thanks. [also...

I'm a first year computer engineering student at one of the top 14 Universities in the world for engineering. I originally majored in computer engineering because I wanted to focus on lower level programming such as C/Assembly instead of ending up doing grunt work for some startup using Ruby on...

Hi there, I'm very interested in physics and want to major in it and minor in computer science and then get my masters. However, I think that a job in software engineering (something like developing software for physical science (physics, astronomy, meteorology, geology, etc.) or scientific...

I've always been fascinated by how a computer operates both through code and through its physical devices. This is my eternal struggle, I like both the software and hardware side of computers. I'd like to possible programming robots and use my electrical engineering design to know how to make...

Hi. I have written some functions in Matlab and I would like to use them, the problem is that they require a lot of computations and hence takes a lot of time to calculate everything. I suspect that my computer may be slower than it should. How can I check the performance of my computer speed in...

This is an area of confusion I have about professional job titles. I've seen titles like "computer programmer," "software designer," "software engineer," etc. on job boards, but I'm curious if they mean the same thing and just have a bunch of different names (like teacher, instructor...)? Or...

Dear PhysicsForums members, being currently in my final year of Austrian high school I have to decide what to pursue my Bachelors degree in. (Un)fortunately I have three huge interests. Those are Economics, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. All of which are highly fascinating and I...

I have a bachelors in computer science, i have recently become more interested in hardware aspect of computers, any help would be appreciated.(my undergrad didn't require ANY physics class).

Hello, I'm a physics student (currently a senior in college, planning on going to graduate school for a Ph.D.). My current laptop is encountering major problems, mostly small things that make it not worth investing more money into the laptop, given that it's already old. I currently do...

I understand that the first cosmological computer simulations Did not have DM Only gas dynamics on expanding grids And, that those sims produced no structure of any kind No LSS Only vast expanses of nearly uniform space plasma Devoid of any clumps Essentially reminiscent of the real...

I'm a computer science major, and i feel like I'm wasting my youth learning things that soon will no longer be useful. IT is evolving at such an explosive rate that what i learn today may change tomorrow. For example, the textbooks we use right now would be of no use to us in a decade, but the...