The Physics of Superheroes

This book is what happens when you cross a comic book geek with a science nerd, but in a good way. Full of actual formulae, this is rather a more intellectual look at how Superman leaps tall buildings and why the Flash needs more skin lotion than the average guy. By the way - Thor's magic hammer that helps him fly? Scientifically accurate. So there.

A fun read by an educator who clearly loves and appreciates comics. Although the science is rather basic for anyone who majored in the field, the exploration of how super-powers might actually work was informative for those of us who lack such a background. And it probably kept a few students more awake in his classes.

A gift from my buddy Bob Rudolph, this is a physics reference I could have used in my college days. The author, who is obviously well-acquainted with superhero comics of the Silver Age, uses the powers of the heroes and situations they have been in to teach physics in an interesting and clear manner that nearly rivals the abilities of Isaac Asimov. Kakalios tries as much as possible to keep the math to a manageable level. I like his premise of granting the occasional "miracle exception" for which no physical explanation can be construed, and then proceeding from there to explain the plausibility of the scenarios from the comics. His physics classes must be a lot more interesting than the ones I went to.

Un buon libro di divulgazione fisica; fornisce alcuni spunti e idee interessanti su come spiegare i principi della fisica con immagini semplici e comprensibili.

If I weren't working on a PhD in physical chemistry, I would have found this book more enjoyable, but the physics were much too basic. I kind of knew that going in, but I was hoping for more focus on the comic book aspects.

Kakalios uses examples from Silver Age and Golden Age comic book heroes (and villains) to describe concepts from classical, quantum, and relativistic physics. The classical physics descriptions were much better, with a lot more focus on comic characters. Once he got to quantum physics, he had to use a lot more exposition to explain the physics before getting to the comic book example, which often felt (to me) a bit stretched. While it isn't that surprising that there would be fewer examples of superheroes that use show more quantum mechanical tunneling than super strength in the course of their duties, it made the end feel a lot more like a textbook.

For someone looking for a fun intro to physics concepts, this would be a fine place to start. If you already have a background in physics, however, I wouldn't bother. show less

I thought it would be a critique of the physics of comic books, but it’s not. Rather, it’s more of a physics for jocks, using comic books as the vehicle to make physics interesting.

James Kakalios is a professor at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches a seminar for freshman titled Everything I Needed To Know About Physics I Learned From Reading Comic Books. My understanding is this book grew from that seminar.

(Full review at my blog)

It is about the physics of superheroes. It explains the real science behind the people, powers, etc. It explains how the hulk is able to transform, and his shorts don't fall of. It even explains if Vibrainium (Captain America's shield) can block Adimantium (Wolverine's claws. Vibrainium wins, because it absorbs the sound, of the claws, meaning there is no damage. The reason why hulk's pants stay on is because of the CCA (Comic Code Authority), it wouldn't exactly be appropriate for children. This is all accurate because the author is a professor of the School of Physics and Astronomy, in the University of Minnesota. Oh, and he loves superheroes.
It is an amazing book, because it shows the science in a fun way. I completely adore show more superheroes, as does many people in the world. Knowing that this book exists, is awesome. It teaches science in the most fun way possible. However, some of the parts are confusing, but that is expected. It is also cool to know that the professor claims he knows the science, because he learned it from comic books. He discusses about all the best and most respected superheroes (OK, not all, but a lot). He uses the superheroes, to teach science in he most fun way possible, which is the coolest thing ever. show less