The IPLS physics recitation and labs use biological examples to teach the same – or more – physics that you would have learned in the “traditional” or “modern” flavors of intro physics. We expect it to be more interesting, more relevant and (we hope) more fun for life-sciences people. Fair warning: it will also be more chaotic – at least in this, our inaugural year.
- General information (course policies, logistics, jokes, etc.)
- Technical and scientific information (software, hardware, actual biology and physics)
Week-by-week specifics will be posted in the table below as the semester progresses. Quizzes and Recitations are posted on T-Square.
| Date | Pre-reading | Lab Instructions | Writeup due | Notes |
| Week 1 (Aug 26) |
none | 0: Introduction | none | Introduction |
| Week 2 (Sept 2) |
1a: Neutrophil velocity | End of lab | Lab 1a | |
| Week 3 (Sept 9) |
1b: Neutrophil velocity | By next week’s lab (9/16) | Lab 1b | |
| Week 4 (Sept 16) |
Bye week | |||
| Week 5 (Sept 23) |
none | 2a: Viscous drag and terminal velocity | none | Lab 2a |
| Week 6 (Sept 30) |
Bead physics | 2b: Viscous drag and terminal velocity | Upload data during lab.
Writeup due by next lab (10/7) |
|
| Week 7 (Oct 7) |
none | 3a: Brownian motion | Extremely short individual writeup due by next lab (10/14) | Brownian motion |
| Week 8 (Oct 14) |
none | 3b: Brownian motion | none | |
| Week 9 (Oct 21) |
none | 3c: Brownian motion | Writeup due by next lab (10/28) | |
| Week 10 (Oct 28) |
none | bye week | none | |
| Week 11 (Nov 4) |
none | 4: Drift + Brownian motion | With one-week delay: 11/17 | |
| Week 12 (Nov 11) |
none | 5: Vesicle transport | see next week. | |
| Week 13 (Nov 18) |
none | 5: Analysis of vesicle transport | Dec 1 | |
| Week 14 (Nov 25) |
Thanksgiving break | |||
| Week 15 (Dec 2) |
X: Makeup lab | Quiz/recitation for all. Makeup lab only for those who need it |