Becoming the Python Master

Hello again,

This week has been very similar to the previous week, except I finished the course I was taking online. It was great completing the basics of Python because, as I will talk about in a minute, getting to the more specific and complex aspects of Python would be nearly impossible. With that being said, after finishing the course on codeacademy.com, I moved to reading a book called Doing Math with Python. Originally, I had planned on reading Python Crash Course: A Hands-on, Project-based Introduction to Programming, but I found Doing Math with Python this week and considered it better for my project.

I started the book on Tuesday, and so far, this book is teaching me everything I'll need to know when it comes to creating a program for determining the Hubble Constant. I had developed the basics for Python, but now, I have shifted to an area for application. As I go, I am learning how to create new programs but not as complex as the Pig Latin Translator, of course.

In a larger perspective, I think that trying to understand a new programming language is important, not only to me but to everyone. If it ends up that the data my advisor gives me doesn't need a program for calculations, at least I had begun to understand a programming language used by scientists all over the world. If I do continue my love for astronomy in my college years, I'll be at an advantage, for I will be familiar with a program astronomers use daily. In other words, if I don't use it now, I'll be definitely be using it in the future. I think everyone should learn Python because we live in a technological world, and having programming knowledge will put you further ahead than a majority of people. Learn Python, it's amazing! Plus, to all those language lovers, Python's syntax is very similar to our English.

I am excited, and frankly, a little nervous for next week. On February 23, I will be making my way into the ASU lab for a tour. I believe I will also be attending a meeting with astronomers, so I'll have an opportunity to meet several people working in the field. The one thing I hope for is that I don't walk out of there feeling discouraged. Astronomers are extremely smart people, and I hope that they realize that I have not ventured too far into the astronomical world. It's hard to explain, but I think you understand what I am trying to say. I'm jumping into a sophisticated (I am not saying that no other fields are sophisticated) and complex field, and I don't want to appear as, for the lack of a better word, idiotic.

I hope everyone is having a great time with their senior project, I know I am. Catch up with me next week, for I will tell my experiences at the lab.

Regards,
Max Biwer

Learning Python!

Hello,

This week was dedicated to learning Python. The week following will be similar to this one. Python is a programming software ideal for data analysis; therefore, this language is optimal for what I will be doing in the next weeks.

I started my introduction to Python on codeacademy.com. This website is nice because it introduces new programming functions and then asks you to apply it. The directions can be light, meaning that completing the activity requires a full understanding of the concept. Python is,  however, a language cleanliness. The syntax is much cleaner and simpler than other programming languages. This makes understanding and applying the program easier.

Since Monday, I have covered topics that include syntax, strings and console output, conditionals and control flow, functions, lists and dictionaries, lists and functions, loops, and exam statistics. With this, I was able to complete my first program. The first program I learned to make was a Pig Latin translator. I am actually proud of myself for this, considering that on the same day, I had no previous knowledge in programming. If you ever need to use Pig Latin, you know where to go.

Now, you may be wondering, what does a sophisticated Pig Latin translator have to do with my senior project? Well, nothing...

Actually, all the minor programs I have learned to make are contributing to my comprehension of how programming works. I am getting much more comfortable and familiar with the programming functions. Once I get a firm grasp on Python, I will be able to start writing code for a program that will calculate the Hubble Constant. I have looked at the calculations required for acquiring a value, and it's extensive. Additionally, I have not received data yet from supernovas, and as a result, I am not sure what my code will have to calculate. My on-site advisor could give me the velocity and distance of a supernova, but I may have to find redshift(how light changes in space). I do not know what variables I will be given, so making a program now would not be efficient.

Aside from the programming, I have been reading The Extravagant Universe by Robert Kirshner. I started it awhile ago, but with all the CAPSTONE projects, it was hard for me to find time to finish. I should finish soon. Once I do, I will be going to ASU, discussing the book with my advisor, and helping with observations.

For now, I will continue putting words into my Pig Latin translator.

Introductory Post

Hello Everyone,

We only have one more week at BASIS before we head out into the real world. Over the past few months, I have been in contact with a professor at ASU. Through back-and-forth emails, we have determined that my senior project will be about the Hubble Constant. The Hubble Constant measures the rate of expansion of the universe. He will be providing me with data, and I will be conducting my own calculations to reach an answer. I won't be collecting my own data because he advised me that it would take a lot of time, too much for the time slot given for the senior project.

The week following the day we get out, I will begin learning how to program using Python. I don't have much experience in the programming world, so I don't know what to expect. Additionally, I'm not too sure whether it will be challenging or not. I have allocated two weeks for beginning Python. Python is an important program not only for astronomy but other fields as well. Afterwards, I plan on going to ASU. My on-site advisor, Dr. Nathaniel Butler, wants me to come over to the Goldwater building at Arizona State University. Every Thursday, the Goldwater building holds a group meeting at 1pm. What those meeting entail, I'm not exactly positive. After the meeting, he will be introducing me to other professors and researchers in his department. Once the the greetings are over with, Dr. Butler will be taking me on a tour around the Department of Earth and Space Exploration labs. I've never been there before, but people have told me that the labs and building itself are spectacular, so I'm excited. He's also told me that if I'd like, I can go over to ASU for a few nights and help with observations. Working along a professor and performing observations is an opportunity I cannot wait to experience.

For my final project, I will be writing a ten-page research paper describing the process of determining the Hubble Constant. Along with the paper, I will be creating a visual aspect of the project. This will be a poster that talks about the Hubble Constant. I can't wait to start the senior project because once I finish, I will have experienced something that high-school seniors rarely have the opportunity to do. Read up on this blog weekly, for I will have pictures and more specific details of what I will be doing. 

Have a great day,

Max Biwer