UBC Crest 		BIOL/PHYS 438 UBC Physics & Astronomy
 

Project Ideas

SAMPLE PROJECTS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS

FREE IDEAS:

Eventually I plan to put all these Ideas into a database to which anyone can add their own or borrow others'. But for now here is a list compiled by Boye Ahlborn:

  1. ½ pip for snowboards a) how to turn the boards, b) what forces?
  2. How to throw a knuckle ball and a curve ball?
  3. How fast is a hockey puck?
  4. Life on Titan at T≈0ºC.
  5. Jet propulsion of octopus, squid, and other aquatic animals.
  6. Physics of Nautilus
  7. The news? physics of major evolutionary steps.
  8. Comparison of a muscle cycle and a combustion engine, stroke by stroke.
  9. Electrical effects in nerve conduction: design a similar technical system,
  10. Benefit of myelin, and conduction speed,
  11. Electrical effects in the cells of a retina
  12. Animal batteries, & circuit diagrams of electric eels.
  13. Piezoelectricity of bones & how to replace joint surfaces most efficiently.
  14. Magnetic senses
  15. Can one learn from muscles about cold combustion ?
  16. What processes of mass transport can one learn from the blood system?
  17. Is the size of the alveoli optimal?
  18. Why are the wing forms of albatross and eagle so different?
  19. Flight in the air only, under water (penguins) and both (muirres?)
  20. Physics of body features of 2-legged and 4- legged animals
  21. What physical problems are associated with long necks ?
  22. Physics of animal groups how schools of fish coordinate their motion
  23. Derive muscle Efficiency and Power as function of contraction speed
  24. Pinned muscles optimize a) for force, b) for contraction speed.
  25. Muscle action on bike when jumping onto a bench.
  26. Comparison of image resolution of eyes and cameras,
  27. How important is time resolution for animal eyes?
  28. Fourier analysis of voices a) cat b) human and the mouth geometry
  29. Voices in the forest, on the plains and in the ocean
  30. How do aquatic animals produce sounds?
  31. The sperm whale’s booming voice
  32. Frequencies generated by the vocal tract and by other body parts
  33. Sounds generated by insects
  34. Comparison of eyes of vertebrates and insects
  35. Thermals induced by Zebra stripes
  36. Asynchronous muscle & diesel engine
  37. Speed of nerve conduction eyes &ears
  38. Sky diving ants H≈5m - mid course correction after 2-3 m fall
  39. Comparison of Squid and Human eye
  40. How bees can “cook” an invading hornet predator

Jess H. Brewer