My new website: watered down physics

[PhysicsFan]

my new website: "watered down physics"

I would like to invite everyone -- particularly those on the novice side -- to visit my new website:

http://watered-down-physics.blogspot.com/

I am not a physicist (I'm a professor at Texas Tech University in the social sciences), but I really enjoy reading about physics as a hobby. Probably about 80% of my leisure reading for the past year has been in physics, including the following books:

The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene (who was on David Letterman last night)
Supersymmetry, Gordon Kane
The Quantum Quark, Andrew Watson
The Strange Story of the Quantum, Banesh Hoffmann
QED, Richard Feynman (currently reading it)

I enjoy talking about the subject matter so much that, I thought, why not start a blog to present physics concepts in simplified (i.e., watered-down)form, which is really the only way I can comprehend and communicate physical concepts. Given my meager formal training in physics (a year in high school, plus a first course in calculus-based physics for life-science majors as an undergrad at UCLA), I will, of necessity, stick closely to source materials in doing my write-ups.

Thus far, I'm enjoying particle physics the best, but I plan to branch out into other areas.

I have done two entries so far, one introducing the website (March 12) and the other introducing matter and fundamental particles (March 18). I invite you to read these. The entries are displayed with the most recent on top. I plan to write a new entry on a roughly weekly basis.

As I noted above, the website is meant primarily for novices like myself. That David Letterman would have Brian Greene on last night (promoting the paperback version of The Fabric...) suggests that there's some interest among the lay public in learning rudimentary concepts of physics. However, even those of you who are professional physicists or students of physics may find a use for the website. You probably have friends and family members asking you what physicists do, so now you can refer them to my page.

If, after viewing the website, you have any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors (hopefully I won't make many ), please either list them below in this thread or e-mail me (an e-mail link through my faculty homepage is available on the website).

Thanks!

 

[arildno]

Hi, Alan!
I think it's great that you take your time in building a bridge between the "two cultures".

I haven't yet scrutinized your website, but I'll see if I can come with any comments of substance.
I wish you all the best of luck.

 

[charng]

Dear author,

I appreciate your enthusiasm for physics and your efforts to share your knowledge with others through your new website. However, I have some concerns about the concept of "watered down physics." While it may be helpful for beginners to have simplified explanations, it is important to ensure that the information presented is accurate and not misleading. Physics is a complex and precise field, and oversimplifying concepts can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings. I would encourage you to seek guidance from experts in the field and carefully fact-check your content before publishing it on your website. Additionally, I would suggest clearly stating your qualifications and background in physics to provide transparency to your readers. I wish you the best of luck with your website and hope that it can serve as a useful resource for those interested in learning about physics.