Why do people who do physics dislike biology?

I see many people on tsr who do physics disregard biology being a science.

Yes, I understand physics is basically the building blocks of science as is chemistry. However, I think physicists are looking at biology in the wrong way.

(Summary of the sciences to me)
Physics - scientific study of energy/movement
Chemistry - scientific study of atoms/chemical and their physical/chemical properties and how they react.
Biology - scientific study of how molecules in the body work together to form complex structures. Also, ecology etc... (other aspects)
(Obviously more to each but just a simple summary)

But I still can't understand why people disregard biology as a science?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1

bellalalaxo

11

People I know say it's an "easy" science and would rather look more intelligent by studying other sciences.

Reply 2

_Ddraig_

19

I personally hated it because it was 'too wordy' if that's a phrase i can use. I like calculations, equations and numbers; biology was a lot of writing.

I wouldn't consider it a non-science, however i do tend to dislike any subject where it can be a matter of just memorising information.

Reply 3

Asuna Yuuki

9

I only have a problem when Biologists argue that Physics is stupid :tongue:

Other than that, I'm a Physicist who sees the importance of all the different bits - but it's true, as a subject, it does get disregarded as being the 'easy option'.

Reply 4

tanyapotter

20

i just don't like it and enjoy how fundamental and logical physics is, but bio should never be disregarded as a science. how stupid is that

Reply 5

1144297

9

Original post by KingAuthor

I see many people on tsr who do physics disregard biology being a science.

Yes, I understand physics is basically the building blocks of science as is chemistry. However, I think physicists are looking at biology in the wrong way.

(Summary of the sciences to me)
Physics - scientific study of energy/movement
Chemistry - scientific study of atoms/chemical and their physical/chemical properties and how they react.
Biology - scientific study of how molecules in the body work together to form complex structures. Also, ecology etc... (other aspects)
(Obviously more to each but just a simple summary)

But I still can't understand why people disregard biology as a science?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Generally physics has definite answers (or at least strives to get exact answers, or a reason why you can't). For example, if you have something with a mass mkg and force of FN then you know that the acceleration = F/m.

If you compare this to a subject which generally isn't considered a science, say History, it is very interpretive - one person may say one thing based one some piece of evidence, another may say another. It is rather more wishy washy.

If we now look at biology, it is less of a precise subject that physics generally - you may be able to say that if you cut down a rainforest the species diversity will decrease, or that over time an animal will adapt to its environment, but you can't quantitatively say that if you cut down 40 acres of the Amazon rainforest exactly 5 species will die out and the biodiversity index will decrease by 1.75 - this is because the system is more complex and we may not have all of the information, and other things can affect it.

This means that to many physicists who like to see fixed definite answers biology can be seen as more vague, and closer in nature to a non science subject. Likewise, I have known some biologists who say that physics does not examine the whole picture and is therefore lacking as the models and systems are simpler.

Spoiler

Reply 6

Laurasaur

14

Original post by KingAuthor

I see many people on tsr who do physics disregard biology being a science.

Yes, I understand physics is basically the building blocks of science as is chemistry. However, I think physicists are looking at biology in the wrong way.

(Summary of the sciences to me)
Physics - scientific study of energy/movement
Chemistry - scientific study of atoms/chemical and their physical/chemical properties and how they react.
Biology - scientific study of how molecules in the body work together to form complex structures. Also, ecology etc... (other aspects)
(Obviously more to each but just a simple summary)

But I still can't understand why people disregard biology as a science?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I am a happy exception to this! I do physics and biology A levels, and both have their charms. I love biology though, and the degree I want to do is mostly biology (and chemistry).

Reply 7

KingAuthor

OP

12

Thanks for all the great replies!
I was on skype with a friend and her friend and I was saying I had biology tomorrow. He sounded really offended and said "Pfft, biology? Is that even a science? Study a real science like physics."
I was so offended :'(

Reply 8

Serine Soul

18

Original post by KingAuthor

Thanks for all the great replies!
I was on skype with a friend and her friend and I was saying I had biology tomorrow. He sounded really offended and said "Pfft, biology? Is that even a science? Study a real science like physics."
I was so offended :'(

He probably didn't do well in biology sometime :lol:

Reply 9

Plagioclase

21

Because it makes them feel superior. It's ridiculous and doesn't make them sound particularly intelligent since despite the "Biology is Chemistry is Physics" mantra, a particle physicist would be absolutely useless when put in a virology lab (and of course, vice versa)... yet they keep saying it. A worrying number of people seem to be of the conviction that the validity of a science is proportional to how difficult the maths is.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

username2088165

20

I didn't take biology or physics for A Level, but I would guess that people say this because biology is generally seen as easier than physics, as physics studies more complex topics, has more maths etc. However, I definitely wouldn't say biology isn't a real science; it's just as important as the other sciences.

I'd also say the same for geology, which I did do at A Level - a lot of people doing the traditional sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) tend to look down on it, but I think geology is a useful science too. It's less complex and more descriptive than the other sciences, but important nonetheless :smile:

Reply 11

help089

6

in terms of difficulty: physics>biology>chemistry

Reply 12

ellsie98

2

Biology depends on the whim of a plant basically. At least in physics you can generally give definitive answers (or probabilities in quantum, but hey, quantum is infinitely more cool than biology anyway).

I don't understand biology at all lol :P biologists have my respect! I'm only jealous...

Reply 13

mewter

I study mech eng. I like biology.

Reply 14

Asuna Yuuki

9

Original post by Plagioclase

Because it makes them feel superior. It's ridiculous and doesn't make them sound particularly intelligent since despite the "Biology is Chemistry is Physics" mantra, a particle physicist would be absolutely useless when put in a virology lab (and of course, vice versa)... yet they keep saying it. A worrying number of people seem to be of the conviction that the validity of a science is proportional to how difficult the maths is.

Yeah, basically. :3

Reply 15

Scotland20201

6

I see that in some prerequisites for a lot of physics I need biology, and I know I need chemistry under my belt to, but why do I need biology under my belt? if biology is: scientific study of how molecules in the body work together to form complex structures. Also, ecology, etc... (other aspects), sure I am interested in genetics and closing but I'm more into the math stuff like physics.

Why do people who do physics dislike biology?

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