Neuroscience and Calc based physics.

[Handinhand]

How important is calculus based physics in neurobiology/neuroscience? The reason I'm asking is I'm transferring schools next year to a school with a neurobiology degree; and I'm incredibly interested in it already. I've looked at all the material they provide online about it and was looking through the "suggested 4 year path" when I noticed they suggest having calc-based physics completed before getting into the neurobiology classes. As a bio major I never really planned on taking calc-based; because it's not needed for the MCAT and I don't have a huge interest in physics. Is it really important to the field though, something that will be very hard to grasp if I don't take calc-based?

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[Katatonic]

You won't "need" calc-based physics. However, speaking from experience (I switched from algebra based into calculus based), using calculus makes more sense than just plugging numbers into equations that come forth out of the ether. Knowing WHY the equations work the way they do may help you out. Not in terms of neurobiology necessarily, but in terms of thinking about problems.

 

[Handinhand]

Yeah I took Calc I last semester and got a C+ in it. I felt like I knew the material real well; I just had a teacher with such a superiority complex he put stuff on our tests that wasn't even in our book, it was ridiculous. I was thinking about taking calc based but my counselor said it's not needed for anything I plan on doing and that it's not worth it to go out of my way to take a class that is harder than one that still fufuills the reqs. I know a few people that were/are taking calc based and they said they find it easier than they assume non-calc would be because they know what they are doing. Non-calc based is more just, bush the I believe button and do problems based off of that, but with calc you can understand more. Whether that is something I should consider important is what I'm trying to decide on. I mean besides working in like Rad-onc, do any medical professions need to deeply understand physics?

EDIT: Thanks for the response by the way, I appreciate it.

 

[niranjan162]

How important is calculus based physics in neurobiology/neuroscience? The reason I'm asking is I'm transferring schools next year to a school with a neurobiology degree; and I'm incredibly interested in it already. I've looked at all the material they provide online about it and was looking through the "suggested 4 year path" when I noticed they suggest having calc-based physics completed before getting into the neurobiology classes. As a bio major I never really planned on taking calc-based; because it's not needed for the MCAT and I don't have a huge interest in physics. Is it really important to the field though, something that will be very hard to grasp if I don't take calc-based?

not at all. just take physics w/o calc.

 

[Excelsius]

How important is calculus based physics in neurobiology/neuroscience? The reason I'm asking is I'm transferring schools next year to a school with a neurobiology degree; and I'm incredibly interested in it already. I've looked at all the material they provide online about it and was looking through the "suggested 4 year path" when I noticed they suggest having calc-based physics completed before getting into the neurobiology classes. As a bio major I never really planned on taking calc-based; because it's not needed for the MCAT and I don't have a huge interest in physics. Is it really important to the field though, something that will be very hard to grasp if I don't take calc-based?

It really depends on how far you want to take your knowledge. Is it an absolute necessity if you want to do some basic neuroscience work? No. Do you need it if you want to truly understand the concepts and do a really good research? Definitely yes. In fact, I am double majoring in neuroscience and physics. At the lab where I am doing research, I already have a better understanding of some concepts because the rest of the graduate students have very minimal knowledge in physics. Interdisciplinary studies are the best way to break new ground in any single field. And if you can master physics, you can master anything else. It requires a new way of thinking that can be useful in any research project. I am very excited about a neuroscience research proposal that I am going to write in about a year and it consists of over 70% physics. So, if you want to understand neuroscience very well, you need to have a clear understanding of physics. Introductory physics won't really let you do that.

 

[Ubergeek]

As a neuro major, I can say that there is no reason to take Calc-based physics. Other posters are correct in saying that physics may be helpful to some neuro projects, but if you take a second to look at any of the high-impact journals dealing with neuroscience about 98% of the articles involve no calculus. This goes double for somebody with a C+ calculus.

 

[mskk]

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[Handinhand]

I'm a third-year neuro major. While I would definitely recommend finishing physics before starting your neuro courses (especially charge/electricity, which is usually second semester), I don't think that calc-based is necessary. I took the general courses concurrently with my first two semesters of neuro, and discovered that some of the concepts would have come much more easily with the physics background. But, again, calc is not necessary.

That's what the plan is for me. Take general physics I and II while taking Neurobiology I and II equally. Then taken classes like Cellular and molecular neuroscience and Systems after both of those are done. If I had the opportunity to possibly take a B in a class I would take calc-based... but I was a bone head and took classes my first year and a half of school that I didn't need and they hurt me.

 

[Dannyw]

Calc-based physics is much easier than gen physics if you have a decent basis in calculus. To see the derivations in physics are much more important in the understanding than a plug and chug method.