5 days agoCalculus Made EasyIntermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology assumes the reader knows calculus. Most medical doctors and biologists have studied some calculus, but I’m not sure they remember much of it. And most high school students, and even college freshman, have yet to take their first calculus course. What should these readers…Calculus2 min readCalculus2 min read
May 26Terminal Speed of MicroorganismsHomework Problem 28 at the end of Chapter 2 in Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology asks the reader to calculate the terminal speed of an animal falling in air. Although this problem provides insight, it includes a questionable assumption. Russ and I tell the student to “assume that the…Paramecium3 min readParamecium3 min read
May 19BreathlessWhenever David Quammen has a new book, I put it on my “to read” list. Recently I finished his latest: Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus. Here’s the opening paragraph: To some people it wasn’t surprising, the advent of this pandemic, merely shocking in the way a…Breathless4 min readBreathless4 min read
May 12The Unscientific King: Charles III’s History Promoting HomeopathyKing Charles III of England was crowned this week. What’s that got to do with Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology? Well, the king is a big supporter of alternative medicine and one goal of IPMB is to highlight science-based medicine. If you believe in science, you don’t believe in…Homeopathy3 min readHomeopathy3 min read
May 5Plans for a 6th Edition of Intermediate Physics for Medicine and BiologyThank you for your interest in the 5th edition of Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology. We’re considering a 6th edition and we would like to get your opinions and input. Some of you may have heard that about a year ago the senior author Russ Hobbie passed away. He…Physics2 min readPhysics2 min read
Apr 28Biomagnetism: The First Sixty YearsThe last two blog posts have dealt with biomagnetism: the magnetic fields produced by our bodies. Some of you might have noticed hints about how these posts originated in “another publication.” That other publication is now published! This week, my review article “ Biomagnetism: The First Sixty Years” appeared in…Biomagnetism2 min readBiomagnetism2 min read
Apr 21The Magnetic Field Associated with a Plane Wave Front Propagating Through Cardiac TissueWhen I was on the faculty at Vanderbilt University, my student Marcella Woods and I examined the magnetic field produced by electrical activity in a sheet of cardiac muscle. I really like this analysis, because it provides a different view of the mechanism producing the magnetic field compared to that…Biomagnetism2 min readBiomagnetism2 min read
Apr 14The Magnetoencephalogram is Not Sensitive to a Radial DipoleOne of the key limitations of the magnetoencephalogram (MEG) is that it’s not sensitive to a radial dipole. What does this mean? The MEG is the magnetic field outside the head produced by the electrical activity of neurons in the brain. Often the source of this activity can be described…Magnetoencephalography2 min readMagnetoencephalography2 min read
Apr 7I’ve Got CovidFor three years I’ve dodged the bullet, but no more; I have covid. I’m doing fine, thank you. For me the symptoms were similar to a moderate cold. My doctor put me on a five-day regimen of the antiviral drug Paxlovid plus some supplements to support my immune system (…Covid-195 min readCovid-195 min read
Mar 31Should Exclamation Points Be Used in Scientific Writing? Yes!Exclamation points are rare in scientific writing, but I like them. Occasionally Russ Hobbie and I use them in Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology. They’re fine as long as you don’t overdo it. Let’s see what my favorite books about writing say. Strunk and White (The Elements of Style)…Exclamation Point5 min readExclamation Point5 min read
