In this interview they met each other for the first time in person, and we talked about their connection through social media, how both of them has studied at the Center for Computing in Science Education, and their future with video-making:
What are the reasons you decided to make YouTube-videos, Sebastian?
Ever since I was little, I´ve always loved to film. My YouTube-channel officially started when I filmed me and my friends, who lived on a sailboat for nine months. It was very fun to make vlogs about that sailing trip, even though it did not take off on YouTube. Later I got the idea to make videos about studying physics, because it is a difficult subject to understand.
It sounds cool to study computational physics, however many people do not necessarily know what it is, so I thought I might offer some help to better understand.
Therefore, I began making videos of what you can do with computational physics and how you can implement it by using different algorithms to solve problems. Suddenly there was a lot of engaging comments and discussions of the content on the videos, from all around the world, who wanted to get into physics. It was a very nice experience to see that the videos were helpful for some people. “A Day In The Life: Computational Physics”, is actually my most viewed video.
João laughs and says that is how he found Sebastian´s YouTube-channel. He searched for videos on how it is to live as a computational physicist and stumbled upon “A Day In The Life”. After this, Joao reached out to Sebastian on Instagram for how to apply for a Master´s Degree in Computational Science at UiO.
João: From computational engineering in Portugal to Computational Physics in Oslo
I studied computational engineering for my Bachelor´s Degree in Portugal, and it was during the break of my second year when I looked for further opportunities within computational physics. That´s when I found “A Day In The Life: Computational Physics”, and I thought to myself “that seems very cool, I want to study there”. Therefore, I went to my mother and said, “next year I am going to Oslo to study computational science”. She agreed to the idea, so I sent the application, took the English exam, the whole process was actually done within two weeks. A few weeks later I got accepted to the programme.
Sebastian says it is quite flattering that Joao reached out to him, because physics is a difficult field of study, so it is nice that someone asks him physics-related questions. Additionally, it may be even more flattering that someone decided to come to the University of Oslo to study computational physics after seeing his video. He does not want to take the credits for Joao´s decision, but he feels grateful to have helped through his YouTube-channel.
It is flattering when someone asks for career advice, and I can´t guarantee that other loves physics the way I do, so it is nice to see you here João.
João: Some international students ask me “why did you choose Oslo”, and the answer is that I did not really choose Oslo, I chose this programme that happens to be in Oslo. – Oslo was more of a bonus, and I am lucky that it is a nice place to live.
What are your experiences with CCSE?
João: I like CCSE a lot, however I am attending a Master´s Degree, and not a Bachelor´s Degree, so it is difficult to compare it to my earlier experiences in Portugal. The environment at CCSE is great because there is a possibility to grow as a person both academically and socially.
You have fellow students who also are interested in computational science, which creates an arena for interesting discussions about the field. I also like the course-options, the seminars, the possibilities for professional connections, and of course the coffee. – He says with a smile.
Sebastian: It is nice to build an environment where students are together through the hardship that computational physics can be. The professors really care about the student’s well-being which is quite similar to the google-mindset; that if you give students nice environments, good offices, and pleasant reading rooms, then the students perform better, and it increases their well-being.
Even though the environment is the same, the centre has changed a lot since I studied here. There are more PhD-candidates here now, and I have not been here since before the pandemic. Actually, I started a PhD-programme here, but I had to give it up due to motivational lack throughout covid, and I was offered a job opportunity at a consultancy firm. Most of my colleagues are economists, but it is beneficial for me to have the skillset from both physics and economics, so I got lucky considering my education in both fields.
Have you thought about making a YouTube-Channel yourself, João?
I have thought about it several times. My friend and I filmed some Minecraft-videos around 2014, just as everyone else did at the time, but that was the end of my YouTube-channel. I thought about making some videos about computations in physics, but it felt very awkward to record myself, with just me and the camera. I did not like that, so I dropped the idea.
Sebastian laughs and agrees that it is very awkward, and says it is even weirder when you film outside around strangers who may give you looks. “You just have to stop caring about awkwardness when you film videos, because it will never truly go away. I have not made any videos in a while though, and I miss it, so maybe I should pick it up again”.
Master in Computational Science, Programme Option Physics.