solstice

[nibot]

Ah, school is over now, for a little bit. I wish I had more time to relax here in Rochester, but it looks like I'm flying home tomorrow. How is Christmas already upon us? Rochester is very pretty all covered in a thin layer of snow, and I'm enjoying the deliciously cold and clear weather. Sitting at Java's and talking or reading, looking out at the snow covered streets and the trees full of Christmas lights, it feels like Rochester is a secret not yet discovered by Rochesterians. I would like to just camp out at the cafe and read my books, but that would be too easy of course. Upcoming adventures: to Orange County tomorrow, then Mexico for about a week, then out to Eastern Washington to hack on a gravitational wave sensor, then back to Rochester on the 17th.

I don't know any of my grades yet, and I'm pretty happy with that situation. Deadlines and grades and all that seem so ridiculous by this point. Obviously I'm here because I want to learn physics—it seems so silly to have to learn it in such a regimented style. I'd much prefer a sort of "correspondence"/self-paced style, working through material and moving on as I figure things out, finding books and articles as needed, consulting with knowledgeable people when I think I've figured something out/get stuck. I'm going to try to learn some stat mech over the winter break; I checked out an old (1969) copy of Charles Kittel's Thermal Physics from the library here but would be interested in any other recommendations. I'm also very pleased to have received a copy of Howard Georgi's Lie Algebras in Particle Physics in the mail today, and I'm looking forward to working through it.

Comments

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

hi tob

[easwaran.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that my grad school experience is getting closer and closer to your ideal as it goes on. The first couple years were full of classes and such, but now that I know more basic stuff I can spend more time talking to people and reading.

[pbrane.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try to learn some stat mech over the winter break; I checked out an old (1969) copy of Charles Kittel's Thermal Physics from the library here but would be interested in any other recommendations.

Chaiken and Lubensky's Principles of Condensed Matter Physics is awesome. It's pretty hard core, but is a nice book to have around once you start learning field theory, and it's very up to date. Goes through much more than just stat mech though, but it's nice in that it gives you something to immediately apply it to (condensed matter systems). I highly recommend it.

[svino.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, Kittel's Thermal Physics has a well deserved reputation of being a complete train wreck of a book. It might the worst physics text out there that still remains reasonably popular. I'd recommend Reif's Statistical and Thermal Physics instead. Or just about anything else.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Ah, I have definitely heard that. I am, however, a bit of a Kittel fan, at least from his Solid State book.

[once-a-banana.livejournal.com]

Oh, but Reif is great! I don't really remember anything about it, except that it is yellow. But everyone loves Reif! (didn't you have to have it as an undergrad?)

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll have to track down this Reif book.

didn't you have to have it as an undergrad?

I would have, were I a physics major.