The Physics of Superheroes (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "JERRY SIEGEL AND JOSEPH SHUSTER'S original conception of Superman was of a pulp action hero with a liberal dose of science fiction added to lend..." (more)
Key Phrases: repulsor rays, punch his way out, mutant power, Silver Age, Gwen Stacy, Fantastic Four (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This terrific book demonstrates a number of important points. First, a subject that everyone "knows" is difficult and boring can, in the hands of a master teacher, be both exciting and fun. Second, it's a myth that only people particularly adept at mathematics can understand and enjoy physics. Third, superhero comic books have socially redeeming qualities. By combining his love for physics with his love of comic books, University of Minnesota physicist Kakalios has written a book for the general reader covering all of the basic points in a first-level college physics course and is difficult to put down. Among many other things, Kakalios uses the basic laws of physics to "prove" that gravity must have been 15 times greater on Krypton than on Earth; that Spiderman's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, died because his webbing stopped her too abruptly after she plunged from the George Washington Bridge; and that when the Flash runs, he's surrounded by a pocket of air that enables him to breathe. Kakalios draws on the Atom, Iron Man, X-Men, the Ant-Man and the Hulk, among many others, to cover topics as diverse as electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, string theory and thermodynamics. That all of this is accomplished with enough humor to make you laugh aloud is an added bonus. B&w illus.
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Product Description

If superheroes stepped off the comic book page or silver screen and into reality, could they actually work their wonders in a world constrained by the laws of physics? How strong would Superman have to be to "leap tall buildings in a single bound"? Could Storm of the X-Men possibly control the weather? And how many cheeseburgers would the Flash need to eat to be able to run at supersonic speeds?

Face front, True Believer, and wonder no more! Because in The Physics of Superheroes acclaimed university professor James Kakalios shows that comic book heroes and villains get their physics right more often than you think.

In this scintillating scientific survey of super powers you’ll learn what the physics of forces and motion can reveal about Superman’s strength and the true cause of the destruction of his home planet Krypton, what villains Magneto and Electro can teach us about the nature of electricity—and finally get the definitive answer about whether it was the Green Goblin or Spider-Man’s webbing that killed the Wall Crawler’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy in that fateful plunge from the George Washington Bridge!

Along the way, The Physics of Superheroes explores everything from energy, to thermodynamics, to quantum mechanics, to solid state physics, and Kakalios relates the physics in comic books to such real-world applications as automobile airbags, microwave ovens, and transistors. You’ll also see how comic books have often been ahead of science in explaining recent topics in quantum mechanics (with Kitty Pryde of the X-Men) and string theory (with the Crisis on Infinite Earths).

This is the book you need to read if you ever wondered how the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four can see when she turns transparent, if the Atom could travel on an electron through a phone line, or if electromagnetic theory can explain how Professor X reads minds. Fun, provocative, and packed with more superheroes and superpowers than an Avengers-Justice League crossover, The Physics of Superheroes will make both comic-book fans and physicists exclaim, "Excelsior!"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592401465
• ISBN-13: 978-1592401468
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #212,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a physics textbook should be!, August 17, 2007

By	A. Kataryniak "SKATMAN" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Physics of Superheroes (Paperback)

This really could be a textbook to teach physics by. It is very well written and flows so smoothly, you won't realize how much you've learned. It covers every aspect of physics starting with simple forces and progressing to Quantum Mechanics all the while using superheroes as examples. I can only imagine that the author must be a great professor. I've been out of college for 15 years and I would go take his class. He finds the right combination of logic, humor, & scientific information to make this a great read. You could even skim over the more technical parts concering equations if you're not into the mathematics and still get a great understanding of the point he is trying to make.

I actually thought this would be more of a compilation of superhero examples from a comicbook point of view. I had envisioned a rough analysis of many superheroes involving each of their attributes & discussing what was & what was not correct about them in the comic book world. The book is actually very different from that focusing on really only a few main figures such as Superman, Spiderman, The Atom, & Ironman. The book is structured more or less as a physics outline as I mentioned above & it works out very well this way. Almost everyone is familiar with Superman & Spiderman in some respects and the beginning of the book focuses primarily on these two figures. By then, if you're still reading, it won't matter if you really know the rest of the superheroes by then anyway. The author provides enough of a storyline background (to satisfy comic book fans) and to tell you everything you need to know concering the physics aspect.

I don't think you really need a background in physics or comicbooks to appreciate this book, maybe at least an interest in one or the other. Either way it is very informative. Being a comic book fan from way back in the seventies it was great to hear some stories and characters mentioned again that I have been away from for a long time. And if you've taken physics classes, many moons ago as I have, you'll be surprised at how well the information is presented. I think the author explains Quantum physics better than anyone I've had teach it to me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true geek's book, January 10, 2006

By	Justin Bramley (Blacksburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although I no longer collect comic books and I no longer take physics classes, I still have an interest in both. As such, it was with great pleasure that I recently read Kakalios's book. A marvelous interweaving of easy-to-grasp physics with an amusing look into comic books (and groan-worthy humor from the author). As a lover of math, I would have enjoyed seeing more math to get from one point to another, but I was more than happy to keep a pad of paper by my side to see if I could derive formulas on my own. The book is written in a very easy to understand manner, and although there are parts that get a little hairy (or maybe I was just a little tired), the overall feel of the book is one of a nice summer reader. Not so easy that you'll have to get out of the hammock in an hour or so, but not so hard that you'll throw the book across the lawn and take a nap instead.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intro to Physics, comic-book style, August 12, 2007

By	mrliteral - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Physics of Superheroes (Paperback)

If you've been waiting to be bitten by a radioactive arachnid, struck by lightning while bathed in strange chemicals or be showered by a heavy dose of cosmic or gamma rays all in hopes of getting some cool superpowers, you're apt to be disappointed. Actually, you're apt to be dead, but even if you somehow survive the experience, it's unlike you'll be climbing walls, lifting cars or running past Mach One anytime soon. Forget the luck that would be required from a biological standpoint: the physics would make these and most other superhero powers impossible (and you're similarly in trouble if supervillainy is your goal).

James Kakalios's The Physics of Superheroes discusses the unlikelihood of various superpowers. He doesn't do so in an effort to debunk comics - in fact it's obvious he is a huge fan of superhero comics - but rather as a starting point to educate readers about physics. As a physics professor, he has seen that in introductory courses, students often relate to the subject more if it he puts in a context they can relate to. One can discuss gravity, for example, while discussing falling balls and the like, but it's more entertaining when Superman is brought into the equation.

And this book is definitely entertaining. Kakalios gives us a nice general overview of the world of physics for the layperson. The laws of motion and thermodynamics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and other topics are illustrated through specific comic book examples. For example, what would really happen if you could shrink like Ant Man, run like the Flash or manipulate magnetism like Magneto. Sometimes the science is bad, but sometimes the powers are actually plausible if unlikely.

Kakalios's writing style is easygoing and has a healthy dose of humor, often poking fun at various comic cliches as well as the real world of scientists. It's often really funny in addition to being informative. If you know your physics already, you probably won't learn that much here, but you can still have fun with the comic book material. And if you don't know your physics, this is a good way to learn the basics. Either way, this book is worth reading for science and comics fans alike.