5 Brilliant Physics Lectures That You Must Watch
“Physics is really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity.”
This is the second part of my lecture recommendation series where I put some of the most thought-provoking scientific and mathematical lectures for you to explore. Previously, I have also written about some of the greatest physics lectures of all time where I had included The Character of Physical Law lectures series by Richard Feynman, the lectures where Walter Lewin at MIT, and the lectures of Sidney Coleman on Quantum field theory, and so on. In this story, I shall not be talking about those iconic popular lectures but rather those which are highly underrated in terms of views and are much talked about in mainstream academia. Here the topics of the lectures can range from quantum mechanical to string theoretic, which, with any ground knowledge of physics can be understood. They are also selected and listed on the basis of their clarity, wit, explanation, and significance of the topic.
Physics is the scientific study of the physical universe, of physical phenomena. You can find hundreds of freely available lectures out there on the internet. You can say that they are good based on how much you enjoyed watching them and how much you understood them, along with a couple of other factors. I have watched hundreds of lectures online during my undergrad physics program and some of them have really helped me out to a great extent.
Superposition by Alan Adams
Quantum mechanics is weird and to some extent, absurd. There are many phenomena in the quantum world that don’t make sense in a general sense yet are absolutely true mathematically and experimentally. In this MIT lecture, Prof. Alan Adams explains the concepts of quantum superposition and the uncertainty principle with an outstanding analogy of a series of experiments with box apparatus. For anyone, who wants to start and learn about these quantum processes and quantum mechanics, in general, can include this lecture in their list (followed by a couple of other lectures from MIT OCW).
String Compactification by Edward Witten
String theory is one of the most controversial topics of discussion in theoretical physics. On one hand, the theory is promising in terms of solving the problems of the GUT, black holes, and reconciliation of Einstein’s general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, and on the other hand, the theory cannot be proven despite being mathematically consistent. Professor Witten is a Fields Medal-winning mathematical physicist and one of the world’s leading physicists on superstring theory. Here in this lecture (the first one out of two), he explains the significance of compactification. This requires you to have some ground knowledge of string theory and quantum physics.
Juan Maldacena on the geometry of spacetime and quantum mechanics
Internation Centre for theoretical sciences is an ore for those who are seeking some brilliant online resources for their physics classes. The videos are freely available on YouTube and can be easily accessed by anyone. The institution holds several lectures and seminars inviting some of the most prolific physicists and mathematicians in their respective fields. In this particular video, string theorist Jual Maldacena explains the geometry of spacetime and talks about dimensions, black holes, quantum chromodynamics, and many more. The lecture is easy to grasp for anyone with some ground knowledge of the concepts of physics.
Quantum consciousness by Roger Penrose
Roger Penrose is a Nobel Prize-winning mathematical physicist with significant contributions to several disciplines of physics and mathematics. The now 90 years old physicist is still seen at several lectures and podcasts. He is one of the first people to introduce and popularize the concept of quantum consciousness. Consciousness has been a topic of discussion in philosophy, biology, and neuroscience, for decades. I personally have been fascinated by the idea of combining quantum mechanics with how consciousness works. In this lecture, the professor does a fine job explaining his idea of consciousness from the lens of quantum physics. The lecture might not be as clear in terms of delivery but it is gold given that Prof. Penrose is quite an old man. You can also watch his talk with Lex Fridman here to understand it much better.
Kip Thorne on Gravitational waves
Kip Thorne, also known as the mind behind the famous Hollywood movie, Interstellar, is a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and one of the world's leading experts on the implications of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The professor is best known for his works on gravitational physics and black holes. In this particular lecture, Professor Thorne explains the mathematics behind gravitational waves, the ripples in spacetime caused due to collision or disturbance of massive objects which is a direct implication of Einstein’s equations.
“Physics is really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity.”
— Bill Bryson
Some honorable mentions:
Einstein’s Field Equations by Edmund Bertschinger
The other end of blackholes by James Beacham
A brief history of Quantum Mechanics by Sean Carroll
Quantum field theory lecture series by Tobias Osborne
Quantum gravity by Juan Maldacena
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