13 tips for engaging with physicists, as told by a biologist this is a great, and unfortunately rare, example of interdisciplinary work:

Understand what ‘I do not understand’ means When physicists do not understand something that you have said about biology, it’s possible that you do not understand that topic either. 2. Seek common ground When a physicist does not understand an aspect of biology, they are not requesting a ‘biology 101’ explanation. In my experience, when physicists ask a biology question, they want to apply the thinking of physics to biology; specifically, they are searching for universal, mathematical explanations. 4. Keep in mind the maths shortfall in biology For most biological phenomena, we don’t have precise equations — unlike in physics. This is not to say that we don’t have maths, but our field needs a lot more detailed quantification. This lack is the Achilles heel of biology, and affects even the concepts we use every day.

there’s also a view from the other side: 12 tips for engaging with biologists, as told by a physicist

Get comfortable being uncomfortable I went from being one of the most knowledgeable people in my research field at the end of my PhD to knowing less than most of the first-year PhD students in my new lab. For me, that meant I was doing something right, but you do have to be OK with taking that hit and spending time building a new skill set Do not blindly accept dogma Challenging prevailing ideas in biology using your perspective can bring about revolutions. I greatly admire colleagues who have upturned decades of accepted dogma using quantitative methods that were not even considered by the biological community.

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