Any lover of superheroes with a yearn to read funny textbooks is honor-bound to pick up this piece of reference by James Kakalios. Comic book lover and physics professor at the University of Minnesota, Kakalios employs the mathematics behind electricity, motion, power, time, theory and, if it applies, logic, to defend or debunk the ideas behind super powers. Why is Superman so strong? Could Henry Pym really become an "ant man?" And why is it believable that the X-Men's Kitty Pryde can walk through walls? As Kakalios doesn't cover everything, what he does cover is fascinating.He opens his book with a preoccupation with Superman and his origins. It's interesting how his beginnings as a transplanted alien who can merely leap over tall buildings in a single bound were drastically upped into his becoming a man who can carry skyscrapers around like serving trays. Kakalios understands that Superman's powers come from the difference in Krypton's and Earth's gravity and gives us the math to prove the extent of those powers. Moreover, the author goes on to use physics theory to explain to us why Krypton blew up in the first place! Astounding.However, as interesting as most of this piece is, a great deal of it is really, really boring. It is, after all, a physics textbook. Long mathematical equations are thrown at us as proof to anyone other than the Layman that Kakalios knows what he's talking about. But normal readers might find themselves skimming to the fun bits. The regular non-physics major wouldn't care about the numbers. But, when you go out and buy a book called "The Physics of Superheroes," by all means, expect some physics gobbledygook. Did Spiderman or the Green Goblin kill Gwen Stacy? What are "pym particles?" Can the tiny Ant-Man truly retain the strength of a full-sized man? Why doesn't Marvel Comics great Stan Lee understand science? And, can Storm really control the weather? The make-up of Spiderman's webbing is analyzed. Thor's powers are rationalized with Wonder Woman's. The outlandish prerequisites needed for the Flash to run super-fast, over water, and up the sides of buildings are scrutinized and explained with stupefying clarity. It makes one's head spin just thinking about how easy it is to gain superhuman abilities just by getting struck by lightning, bitten by a radioactive spider or being born on a different planet.There is something for everyone in this book but not enough for one person. Yes, a great deal of it is a bit too brainy. But, all of that is more than made up for with the last forty pages. Therein, Kakalios deals with the superpowers that have no business even trying to make us believe them. Long loved characters like Cyclops, Superman and the Atom are poked fun at, not only due to unbelievable storylines, but thanks to unbelievable powers! This is by far the most hysterical part of the book as Kakalios takes no prisoners. He gives a long tirade on why Cyclops, who wears the wrong colored ruby quartz glasses, can expel forces of energy without breaking his neck (thanks the the Laws of Physics.) Kakalios' facts are good, but not perfect. He has a class question and answer section at the end of the book. One of the questions was "Could Wolvervine cut through Captain America's shield?" Of course not, but Kakalios neglects to point out that Captain America's shield is an amalgam of Adamantium and Vibranium. And so on. If you choose to pick this piece up, refer to the back of the book for Key Equations first. You will be glad you did.
Have you ever been so fascinated by a superhero that you try to get yourself bitten by a spider so as to be able to swing from one high rise building to another, regardless of the fact that those spiders were neither genetically mutated through exposure to radiation nor are there that many high rise buildings in the city that you live in?Well I have been. That probably explains why I liked this particular book so much. This book will be enjoyed by the following grades of people, in the descending order:1.tPeople who love superhero comic books and love physics2.tSuperhero Comic Book Lovers3.tPhysics loversI belong to the first kind. And so does James Kakalios. The difference being that he is actually a physicist.The author goes about exploring one physics aspect after another, in more or less increasing amount of complexity of the concept and uses superheroes as and when required to show how comic books got their physics surprisingly right or ridiculously wrong. So there are lessons on mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism and lastly quantum physics with the superheroes that use the fundamentals respectively thrown in. If I am making it sound as if the book focuses more on physics than on superheroes, I wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Because the book does explain some concepts quite at length. That said it is not in a boring, class notes kind of a way and loaded with mathematical equations. The sense of humour is retained through the book. Even while explaining Schrodinger's equation. (A picture of a smiling scientist, coupled with the fact that he was somewhat of a Casanova will cheer you up even in your grumpiest mood)Another very pleasing aspect of the book is that it dwells into quite a bit of history of comic books as it explores the physics side of things. That gives a lot of interesting trivia which any comic book lover would love to be abreast with. Did you know the earlier Superman could not fly and was only able to jump great heights and his source of powers was not the Sun but because he hailed from Krypton which had a supposedly stronger gravitational field. (After calculations, Kakalios determines the gravitational force of Krypton to be 15 times stronger than that of Earth’s) That and many more interesting tit-bits from the Comic Books hall of history are showcased in the book.Overall, Kakalios keeps a nice balance between science, history and most importantly superheroes. Even Quantum Physics is explained in an absolutely layman’s language and how superheroes like Flash and Kitty Pryde use such complex principles. The book keeps getting better and better as you turn the pages over and ends with a brilliant closing chapter on Superhero bloopers.So read it for superheroes, or read it for physics, you should have fun. You probably wouldn’t enjoy it if you are not into either of them. But then, if you are neither of them, this book is not meant for you. And as far as I am concerned, I am the target market for who the book was written
Do You like book The Physics Of Superheroes (2006)?
I knew I was going to be an English major in college, so when I was in high school, I decided NOT to take physics. Instead, I took a speech course, where I learned skills I used throughout college and grad school. IF I had taken physics from Professor Kakalios, I would be a physicist (applied, not theoretical) and working to win a Nobel prize! This book should be required reading for anyone who is "a-scared" of science. I heard Professor Kakalios speak at a program by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and he made everyone in the audience want to learn about physics. What a gift! I am buying a copy of his book, and if I ever get the chance, I am going to ask him to autograph it.
—Becky Loader
Una obra cuanto menos, curiosa.Kakalios cuenta en el prefacio que siempre que tenía que explicar los conceptos más complejos en sus clases de física, sus alumnos acababan desconectando...¿cuál fue su solución? Una genialidad: explicarlo todo con superhéroes. Después de varias charlas con enorme éxito, decidió escribir el libro.La idea es explicar los conceptos básicos (y no tan básicos) usando a Superman, Flash, Spiderman y demás héroes de reconocida fama y el resultado es una obra de calidad, con humor y muy fundamentada.Los conceptos se quedan grabados a fuego en tu mente gracias a recordar el héroe en que se aplica y el gran sentido del humor con el que escribe (Me encantó el tema de las hamburguesas y Flash).Es de agradecer el gran conocimiento del autor acerca de los cómics originales, demostrando un nivel de "frikismo" sano que hace que le cojas cariño ya desde las primeras páginas.Como conclusión, un gran libro para entender el funcionamiento de nuestros héroes favoritos. Además, algo genial debe tener si ha conseguido que un negado en física como yo, llegué a incluso disfrutarla.¡No te lo pierdas si te gustan los superhéroes y tienes inquitudes científicas por resolver!
—Samuel Miravet Verde
"In altre parole, il nostro superpotere è l'intelligenza. Come disse Niels Bohr, pioniere della meccanica quantistica, «la conoscenza in se stessa è la base della civiltà»."Un saggio appassionante come un racconto, scritto bene e soprattutto divertentissimo!Kakalios affronta praticamente tutti gli argomenti della fisica, dalla meccanica di Newton (forza, velocità, massa, accelerazione), all'elettromagnetismo, alla meccanica quantistica delle particelle subatomiche (fino alle teorie su viaggi nel tempo e mondi paralleli).La cosa migliore è che per tutto il tempo della lettura sembra di soffiare via la polvere accumulata sui ricordi scolastici finiti nel dimenticatoio, una bella sensazione!Non temete di annoiarvi però, perché il tutto è condito da aneddoti sulla nascita dei vari supereroi e sulle loro missioni per salvare l'umanità dal cattivo di turno, e perché il professore ha un grande senso dell'umorismo che vi farà affrontare con entusiasmo anche qualche passaggio un po' ostico...E se ce l'ho fatta io che ho problemi a dividere il conto della pizzeria senza calcolatrice, può farcela chiunque, garantito! ^_^
—Chiara
