I just finished to read this book. And I can tell you, it is GREAT!
How I discovered this book? Well, one good day, I was thinking if someone has wrote something about “The physics of superheroes”, I google it, and found this book. I am not a comic reader, but after reading this book I am thinking to buy some Marvel and DC comics.
It was great to know, that Superman is that strong, because on Krypton the gravity is 15 times stronger that on Earth (according with some calculations) , so on Superman DNA is the information to develop stronger muscles and bones.
You can also find out the physics behind Magneto, Flash, Aquaman among others, and how is that Charles Xavier known as Professor X can read minds, and induce thoughts (this is explained by Electromagnetism). It also explains why Gwen Stacy died when Spider-Man was trying to save her.
The book is not intended to be a textbook (but It should, because is GREAT), and is written in friendly way to understand physics. According to the author, who is also a professor in physics at University of Minnesota, this book was inspired by a class given by him, titled “Everything I Know About Physics I Learned From Reading Comic Books”, that is an introductory course in Physics.
Well that’s it. I just wanted to share this great book.
“If the study of the natural world has demonstrated anything, it is that, unlike the Hulk, the smarter we get, the stronger we become” — James Kakalios.
