Can understanding different scientific cultures and practices in Biology and Physics lead to better teaching of

Introductory Physics to biologists?Robert D. Stevenson1 and Jonathan Celli2

1Biology Department and 2Physics Department, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125 U.S.A.

Introduction

The foundations of biology depend on physics. The connections between disciplines are strong.

Acknowledgements

From quarks to the cosmos and the Big Bang to the End of the Universe, the spatial and temporal scales of physics easily encompass biology phenomena. There is no evidence that life violates physical laws. In addition, the tools and instruments of biology are often derived from research in physics. Furthermore, some of biology's most famous scientists were originally trained in physics, including more than one Nobel laureate.

Discussion and Comments

Biology faculty and graduate responses about discipline importance using an anonymous on survey

Physics is not currently a priority for students at UMass Boston. They are taking physics late in their course of study.

Next Steps

The biologists (faculty, n = 14 and graduate students, n =17) at UMass Boston work across all levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems. The survey shows they value bioinformatics and statistics as disciplines that can are important in many subdisciplines of biology.

Steve Vogel is the exception not the rule among biologists. Most biologists do not use physics explicitly in their everyday work.

Biologists are still unraveling the elements of their systems. Their questions take the form of YES or NO answers or they spend their time counting. The complexity of biological systems and their interactions are so poorly understood that machinery of physics can not be applied. Furthermore biological systems are far from equilibrium, states relatively unstudied by physicists and chemists.

Part of the conversation is to explore the questions “What do biologists think about physics?

The next generation science standards’ Crosscutting Concepts offer fruitful territory for discussion.

Thanks to Rachel Skvirsky and Brian White in our Biology Department and Bala Sundaram an Steve Arnason in the Physics Department for stimulating discussions.

The seven themes are:

1. Patterns. 2. Cause and effect.3. Scale, proportion, and quantity.4. Systems and system models. 5. Energy and matter: 6. Structure and function. 7. Stability and change.

These concepts cut across all science discipline and are likely to be a good starting point for physics and biologist to collaborate on making introductory Physics more valuable for biology students.

1. Rate disciplines that are important to your research.

2. Increasing my knowledge and skill in this area would make me a better scientist in my field.

3. Many undergraduate biology curricula, including our major, require science courses outside of biology to complete a degree. If you had to trim requirements by two classes, which ones would you remove?

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4. Assuming a person holds a BS in Biology, proficiency in what two additional disciplines would improve their chances for employment, for admission to graduate school, or for employment as a technician in your lab?

Among 10 science disciplines, biologists ranked Mathematics, Statistics, and Bioinformatics the most important. Chemistry and Computer Science were ranked 4th and 5th . Physics is not regularly used by many biologists. The four environmental science disciplines of Oceanography, GIS, Geology and Atmospheric Science are never used by 50% of the respondents.

Bioinformatics, Statistics and Computer Science were identified as the three most important disciplines in which scientists thought increased knowledge and skill would improve their research. Chemistry and Mathematics were followed. Physics was ranked in the bottom half along with the four environmental disciplines.

Among the three courses, Chemistry, Physics and Calculus, often required for an undergraduate college degree in Biology, the second semester of Calculus and and the second semester of Physics were voted the least useful for biologists

Consistent with their previous rankings, biologists rated Bioinformatics and Statistics expertise as the most desirable when hiring a technician. Chemistry and computer science were rated 3rd and 4th. Physics ranked with Oceanography, GIS, and Mathematics

Bioinformatics and Statistics are important to Biologists

Chemistry and Mathematics are valued more than Physics

1. Are there other important questions to ask of Biologists?

2. Do you have suggestions about how to expand the survey to a range of institutions?

In all four questions biologists ranked Chemistry as more important than Physics. Biologists also believe they use Mathematics more than Physics (Q 1&2) and clearly value many disciplines (bioinformatics, statistics, computer science) that might be classified as applied mathematics.

One aspect of changing the priorities of the students is to make the introductory physics course and the labs relevant for biology students. To improve the chances of success we have started conversations between the biology and physics faculty.

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