Physics 438 / Biology 438 --- Zoological Physics

Professor Oser's dog challenges the speed of light.

Term: January 2023
Lecturer: Scott Oser
Class coordinates: Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, 13:00-14:00 in Wesbrook 201
My Office Hours: Mondays 12:00-12:45 and Thursdays 15:00-15:45, by Zoom (Zoom coordinates posted on Canvas)

TAs: Delbert Yip (office hours & lectures), Gabriel Dall’Alba & Daniel Korchinski (HW marking)

TA Office Hours: Fridays from 16:00-17:00, by Zoom

Topics covered: Quantitative analysis of zoological systems; biological applications of thermodynamics, mechanics, and fluids; physics of animal body design and locomotion; wave phenomena; optical and acoustical applications to biology; electromagnetic senses of animals

Prerequisites: One of PHYS 101, PHYS 107, PHYS 117, PHYS153, PHYS157, or SCI001. BIOL 325 is recommended but not required.

Required Textbook: Zoological Physics, by Boye Ahlborn. Note: an electronic copy of this book is available for free for UBC students from the UBC library web site. You must be using a UBC IP address or VPN to access it.

Homework: There will be approximately biweekly homework assignments. You are welcome to discuss problems informally with your classmates. However, you must complete the assignment yourself, and if you hand in obviously copied homework, you should expect a mark of zero on that assignment, and a penalty to your final course grade. I reserve the right to refer incidents to UBC for an academic misconduct investigation as well. Late assignments are penalized at a rate of -20% per day. I will also throw out the lowest of your six homework scores at the end of the term, even if that score is zero.

Research Project: Working in teams of three or four you will prepare a "research paper" and accompanying poster illustrating a particular example of zoological physics. This will include reviewing the relevant research literature and doing your own calculation/mathematical modelling of the topic you choose. I will assign the teams for the project.

Exam Logistics and Invigilation: The midterm and final exam will be conducted in person. You are allowed to use a non-internet-equipped scientific calculator during the exams, but you are not allowed to use your cell phone, laptop, etc as a calculator. Buy a cheap scientific calculator such as this if you don’t already have one.

Missed exams: There will be one in-class midterm exam. If you miss the exam with a legitimate excuse (proof of illness, family emergency, etc), contact me to discuss make-up options.

Religious holidays: Students are entitled to request an alternate test date if a scheduled test date falls on one of their holy days. If you think this may apply to you, please contact me as soon as possible to make an alternate arrangement. Please don't put this off until the last minute---you must give at least two week's notice.

COVID safety: For our in-person meetings in this class, it is important that all of us feel as comfortable as possible engaging in class activities while sharing an indoor space. Good quality masks that cover our noses and mouths are a primary tool to make it harder for COVID-19 to find a new host. Masks are recommended during our class meetings, for your own protection, and for the safety and comfort of everyone else in the class. If you have not yet had a chance to get vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccines are available to you, free of charge and on campus. The higher the rate of vaccination in our community overall, the lower the chance of spreading this virus. You are an important part of the UBC community. Please arrange to get vaccinated if you have not already done so.

If you’re sick, it’s important that you stay home – no matter what you think you may be sick with (e.g., cold, flu, other).  You can do a self-assessment for COVID symptoms here: https://bc.thrive.health/covid19/en

Do not come to class if you are sick, have COVID symptoms, have recently tested positive for COVID, or are required to quarantine. This precaution will help reduce risk and keep everyone safer. I will not be taking attendance or awarding participation marks, and all lecture notes are available on this page. If you are sick on the day of the in-class midterm exam, stay home --- I will gladly arrange a make-up exam for you.

A word on university policies: UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious, spiritual and cultural observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available here.

FINAL EXAM: The final exam is scheduled for Sunday April 23, 2023 at 15:30, in BIOL 2200.

Syllabus: The nominal lecture schedule follows. Click on the lecture number in the left-most column to access the lecture slides.

Scott Oser (email me) March 13, 2023