Ask HN: What is the best way to get into Physics as a coder?

First, you’ll need an engaging intro to physics. Without enthusiasm, anything you do will be boring. In the 60’s, books by George Gamow interested me, as did books on astronomy and astrophysics. I can’t say what newer books would help, though I will give that a look.

To learn the basics, something like The Feynmann Lectures on Physics.

Description and links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Feynman_Lectures_on_Physic...

The lectures online:

https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/info/

But if you are serious, know that there are really varied branches of physics, some theoretical and some experimental. The theoretical branch (and making it through grad school) will demand lots and lots of math, and not the “numerical” kind that is common in computing. You might get familiar with symbolic math computing, such as MAXIMA.

Experimental work is very hands-on, but since so much of it is quantum level, the math is also important. Lesson I learned: if you want to really do physics, learn to love math, advanced stuff.

But if you do get into experimental physics, there are some pretty exciting projects. Just today, I found this article.

If you want something done right, do it yourself: the scientists who build their own tools

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-04015-0

Astronomy and Astrophysics are similar. You can go experimental, and of course, reduce tons and tons of data. But cosmology is going to require mostly math as your tool, relativity and quantum physics, perhaps the twain will meet.

Of course, you could go the circular route, as I did. I got a B.S. in physics, did optical and electronic engineering, and eventually got a job supporting computing at an outstanding physics department.

I was a great experience, but when funds were cut, I went on to other, mostly computer-related, jobs.

Personally, I took a liking to optics, which requires knowledge of physics, but it was something I could hold in my hands ( i.e. a camera ) or not hold, as in space optics. My optical engineering days were very enjoyable.

Go apply maxwell equations to real world situations and gain experience tackling the gravity of issues with free form 3d printing feyman diagrams for programming language bnf forms without material support. VR works too.

Many of the advancements in computing technology and coding occurred precisely because of Physics. The Manhattan project had human computers to compute the results of theoretical equations. Later early digital computers were used for a wide variety of physics applications. Part of the development of the internet is credited to CERN.

Coding is very useful for parts of Physics. But if you look at the core of the physics skill - being able to build theories and models of new systems - you will see that almost all the fundamental discovery work in Physics was done before the era of digital computers. And despite of now a lifetime of usage of inane amounts of computing powers in Physics, we have hardly discovered any foundational results.

Sure numerical analysis is critical for building intuition about complex systems. And it is a necessary part of a physicists training. And this excellent book does exactly this - derives a bunch of physics equations using mathematics, and then implements them in lisp to build intuition. But writing code will help you with the core physics skill much less than actually struggling with mathematics.

All available online now, too! https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/