Graeme Skinner » equations http://www.graeme-skinner.co.uk/wordpress Sometimes a rambling mind needs an outlet Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:04:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Blitherings http://www.graeme-skinner.co.uk/wordpress/2008/03/blitherings/ http://www.graeme-skinner.co.uk/wordpress/2008/03/blitherings/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:12:43 +0000 Graeme http://www.graeme-skinner.co.uk/wordpress/?p=16 I enjoy astronomy, I enjoy the mind numbing facts and figures associated with astronomy; so why is it I can’t convert that enjoyment to my current course on astrophysics? You see, I’ve studied astronomy before, I’ve studied physics before, and the act of studying these subjects has exposed my to a large quantity of strange looking equations (especially the course on based on the physics of light with it’s page long equations). So why does astrophysics have equations that tip me over the edge into a blithering mess? Perhaps I’m not cut out for astrophysics and should stick to the practical side of astronomy and observational astronomy – this is not the answer though, I want to know why Plancks function is important to us, I want to understand the relevance of his equation along with the Boltzmann constant….. you get the idea.

So do I go back to the start, work from the basics until my skills with mind numbing equations make sense, or return to the telescope eyepiece and forget the fundamentals of astrophysics and get back to looking at pretty sights?

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