Learn Physics at and on the Frontier

Before the first humans set foot on Mars, autonomous robotic rovers will build the foundation for survival. In Pioneering Physics, you’ll explore motion, forces, and energy in real-world applicationsβ€”and you'll learn it in a modern way. This course redefines physics education, blending foundational principles with modern computation and real-world problem-solving.

Learn to Model the Universe in Code

Physics is more than equationsβ€”it’s about building models and making predictions. In Pioneering Physics, you’ll develop computational skills to simulate motion, energy transfer, planetary orbits, spacecraft trajectories, and more. Learn to code, visualize physics in action, and explore how computational tools revolutionize modern science and engineering.

Learn to Solve Problems Like a Physicist

The true power of physics lies in its ability to solve real-world problems. In this course, you’ll tackle complex challengesβ€”spacecraft and rover navigation, complex energy systems, and other engineering dilemmas. By combining physics principles with analytical and creative thinking, you’ll gain problem-solving skills essential for science, engineering, and innovation.

About the Course

In Pioneering Physics, students learn fundamental physics principles through an innovative combination of computational modeling, hands-on exploration, and real-world application within the context of humanity's first Mars settlement mission. Starting with basic programming concepts and simple visualizations, students progressively develop both their physics understanding and computational skills as they help analyze challenges faced by robotic explorers preparing Mars for human settlement. Through carefully scaffolded activities combining mathematical analysis, computer simulation, and practical problem-solving, students build a deep understanding of physics principles while developing real-world analytical capabilities. This unique approach integrates multiple learning modalities - computational, mathematical, and practical - to make abstract concepts concrete while building the analytical skills needed for modern scientific work. By connecting fundamental physics principles to authentic space exploration challenges, the curriculum shows how theoretical understanding enables practical achievement while building the skills students need for future scientific and engineering work.

Meet Your Instructor, Dr. Jason Marshall

Greetings, physics fans! I’m Dr. Jason Marshall, your guide on this interplanetary physics adventure. As a physicist, astronomer, and educator, I’ve spent my career exploring the universeβ€”both through research on distant galaxies and by making complex ideas accessible to learners of all levels. Before teaching physics and astronomy at Glendale Community College, I shared my love of math as The Math Dude, teaching a worldwide audience through podcasts and books. Beyond the classroom, my research focuses on understanding extreme active galaxies in the early universe, working with colleagues around the world to develop tools for analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope. With a Ph.D. in astronomy from Cornell University and experience as a NASA postdoctoral scholar, I’ve spent years studying the cosmosβ€”and now, I’m here to help you do the same. In Pioneering Physics, we’ll go beyond equations and dive into real-world problem-solving, using computational modeling and hands-on exploration to tackle the challenges of Mars settlement. Physics isn’t just about understanding how the universe worksβ€”it’s about using that knowledge to build the future.Β  Let’s embark on this journey together!

Curriculum

  1. 1

    Why Physics?

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
  2. 2

    Pioneer Orientation

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
  3. 3

    First Foundations

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
  4. 4

    Mission 1: First Steps

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
    27. (Included in full purchase)
    28. (Included in full purchase)
  5. 5

    Mission 2: Building Momentum

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
    27. (Included in full purchase)
    28. (Included in full purchase)
    29. (Included in full purchase)
    30. (Included in full purchase)
  6. 6

    Mission 3: Nature's Rules

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
  7. 7

    Mission 4: Getting to Grips

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
    27. (Included in full purchase)
    28. (Included in full purchase)
    29. (Included in full purchase)
    30. (Included in full purchase)
    31. (Included in full purchase)
    32. (Included in full purchase)
  8. 8

    Mission 5: Reading the Signs

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
  9. 9

    Mission 6: Power to Change

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
    27. (Included in full purchase)
    28. (Included in full purchase)
    29. (Included in full purchase)
    30. (Included in full purchase)
    31. (Included in full purchase)
    32. (Included in full purchase)
    33. (Included in full purchase)
  10. 10

    Mission 7: Inner Workings

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
    22. (Included in full purchase)
    23. (Included in full purchase)
    24. (Included in full purchase)
    25. (Included in full purchase)
    26. (Included in full purchase)
    27. (Included in full purchase)
    28. (Included in full purchase)
    29. (Included in full purchase)
  11. 11

    Mission 8: At the Limit

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
  12. 12

    Mission 9: Moving Together

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
  13. 13

    Mission 10: Safe Passage

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
  14. 14

    Mission 11: Turning Point

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)
    18. (Included in full purchase)
    19. (Included in full purchase)
    20. (Included in full purchase)
    21. (Included in full purchase)
  15. 15

    Mission 12: Finding Balance

    1. (Included in full purchase)
    2. (Included in full purchase)
    3. (Included in full purchase)
    4. (Included in full purchase)
    5. (Included in full purchase)
    6. (Included in full purchase)
    7. (Included in full purchase)
    8. (Included in full purchase)
    9. (Included in full purchase)
    10. (Included in full purchase)
    11. (Included in full purchase)
    12. (Included in full purchase)
    13. (Included in full purchase)
    14. (Included in full purchase)
    15. (Included in full purchase)
    16. (Included in full purchase)
    17. (Included in full purchase)

Ready to Launch Your Physics Journey?

Join us on Mars and unlock the wonderful world of physics through innovative learning experiences. Enroll now to start your transformational physics education!

Contact Us for Access (opens email in new window)