Physics Through Simulation
Discover how computers solve the mysteries of the universe using simple logic instead of complex equations. Rebuild your confidence in science by learning to think like a digital physicist.
Like Duolingo, but for Physics Through Simulation. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
21 levels across 4 sections, about 42 minutes end to end, roughly 8 days at five minutes a day. It moves through A New Way to Learn, The Logic of Motion, Systems and Complexity, and Your Future in Physics. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Physics Through Simulation
- Your brain already predicts physical outcomes like trajectory and impact
- Math symbols are just 'nicknames' for physical concepts like 'change in speed'
- Computational physics is the process of translating these 'gut feelings' into explicit steps for a machine
- The logic of physics exists independently of the notation used to write it down
- Intuition about how objects move is more fundamental than the equations used to describe them
- Computational physics focuses on the logic of the relationship (e.g., 'pushing harder makes it go faster') rather than the Greek letters
- Recognition that physical intuition is the foundation of computational modeling
- Understanding that math symbols are just a shorthand for physical relationships
- Reframing a lack of math background as a benefit for algorithmic thinking
- Understanding that computers solve complex physics through simple arithmetic
- Visualizing the physical behavior is the first step in building a simulation
- The 'why' (physics) must be understood before the 'how' (code)
- Coding is merely the final translation of a concept you already understand
- Prioritizing conceptual understanding over technical implementation
- Computers calculate motion in tiny 'time steps' rather than one big jump
- Simple addition and subtraction can replace complex formulas if the steps are small enough
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Physics Through Simulation the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What is the best way to think about mathematical symbols in physics?
Get it right to open this lesson and 20 more in the app.
Where Physics Through Simulation takes you
- 1
A New Way to Learn
- Reclaiming Your Scientific Mind
- The Computer's Secret Power
- 2
The Logic of Motion
- The Recipe for Movement
- Forces as Instructions
- 3
Systems and Complexity
- Simulating Many Things at Once
- Chaos and Randomness
- 4
Your Future in Physics
- Building Your Own Path
4 sections · 7 units · 21 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Physics Through Simulation is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Science on Tomo
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The Physics of Everyday Motion
Discover the invisible forces that govern how you move, drive, and play. Learn to see the world through the lens of momentum, energy, and the laws that keep everything in its place.
The Quantum World
Discover the strange rules that govern the universe at its smallest scale. Learn why particles can be in two places at once and how this 'weird' science powers your smartphone.
Time Travel in the Real World
Discover how time travel isn't just for movies. Explore the real physics of time dilation, the logic of paradoxes, and why your GPS depends on time travel to work.
Physics of Motion and Energy
Move beyond plug-and-chug formulas to analyze the hidden budgets of the physical world. Learn how momentum, rotational inertia, energy landscapes, and entropy govern everything from vehicle collisions to orbital mechanics.
Start Physics Through Simulation today.
Download Tomo, search Physics Through Simulation, and play your first lesson in under a minute.