Impulse Purchase.

I am a sucker for the impulse purchase. I have heard of will power, but we don't really have much of a relationship. True to form, I was at the grocery store and purchased Wired magazine yesterday, mostly because I was in the line long enough I started reading the articles. One of the articles was a scientific probe on superpowers. Apparently, a physics professor at the University of Minnesota, James Kakalios, is publishing a book appropriately titled, The Physics of Superheroes, which gives physics-based explanations for the supernatural powers of leaping tall building in a single-bound, etc. I kid you not.

Now, I am all for getting the public interested in physics, but is this the way? Am I missing something, since I clearly don't make the 13-year-old boy demographic? I thought the fantasy aspect of comics made them appealing for escapism. Why try to root them in reality and tie it to the fundamental principles of physics?

Comments

[cvj]

Hi Caolionn,

Me again. I would say that it is indeed a way into science for some. I, for one, grew up on comics, and although my science interests predated my interests in comics, I think I found a lot of inspiration and food for thought there. I spent a lot of time trying to think of a consistent physics framework for lots of the characters (not neccessarily the physics of our world, you understand), and it was fun. It the thing you're talking about is also clearly tongue-in-cheek, then it can't hurt. (I should have written my own book on this, now I think about it....)

Coincidentally, I was just discussing the positive and negative portrayals of science and scientists in the comics over at cosmicvariance. Come tell us what you think.

Finally..... not only 13 year old boys read comics. Men, girls, and women read them too!

Cheers,

-cvj

[m.visaya]

iron filings?

[m.visaya]

it's an alternative to holy cow, anyone? you often see it in these old martial arts movies, "you k****d my teacher!" one liners. both meet there. big iron, otherwise, as in my previous input...(dpt-257)

[m.visaya]

close to a groundhog day you could get to from where i come from. there is a process involving ice called regelation. a quantum-gravity analog of time reversal, like humpty dumpty fixing itself, over and over or a bowl of spaghetti that continuously keeps itself orderly. reminds me of the fur on ms.claire gray's cat. that's hot... (BKD-742)

[solargirl]

I would be most interested if the text attempted to explain the X-men.

So, is Storm (my favorite) a living capacitor able to discharge at will?

[Caolionn]

cvj: Oh no! Not at all saying that only 13-year-old boys read comic books. Like Solargirl, I am a big fan of X-Men. I was being a bit glib. I just don't see the point of forcing reality into fantasy. But you are right, the tongue-in-cheek approach to the problem is pretty funny. I just wonder to what degree the author intends it to be as such. Also I am a shy commentator on other people's blogs, which is why I tend to be quiet, sorry.

Solargirl: Nice touch. Beast is my favorite, but I don't think I want to explain him in scientific terms despite the fact I think he would like it.

[Jim Kakalios]

Actually, its a real physics book, written for the general public, which starts with Isaac Newton and goes all the way through a standard undergraduate curriculum up through how a transistor works. There are simple algebraic equations throughout. It is NOT a textbook, but again, a general audience book.

The sneaky aspect is that there's not a single inclined plane or pulley in sight. Rather, ALL the examples come from comic books, and in particular, those cases where they get their physics right.

So, granting a one-time miracle exception - if you were as strong as Superman, how much force would it take to leap a tall building in a single bound? If your strong legs resulted from your home planet having a larger gravity than Earth's - what is the minimum excess gravity of your planet? Now, how would you construct a planet with this excess gravity? You can do it - but it's hard to keep it from exploding!

Answering these questions takes you through Newton's laws of motion and of gravitational attraction.

People have decried the lack of basic physics knowledge of the general public. If I can use the Atom to explain Maxwell's Demon, and hence the Second Law of Thermodynamics - why not?

Cheers,

Your Freindly Neighborhood Physics Professor,

Jim

[cvj]

Hi Jim,

It sounds like a great idea! I'll try to get a hold of a copy for myself, and recommend it to others if it is as good as it sounds. It sounds really fun!

Cheers,

Up Up and Away....to teach class.

-cvj

[Jim Kakalios]

cvj:

Thanks. More info on the book can be found at:

http://www.physicsofsuperheroes.com

Received a very nice review from Publisher's Weekly, which is reproduced at the amazon.com web page for the book.

Make Mine Physics!

Jim

[Caolionn]

Hi Jim,

I didn't realize we would get the author's attention on this post. I am sorry the idea of melding fantasy and physics doesn't excite me, but I do agree that any physics book that doesn't mention a pulley or inclined plane has to be a good thing.

If you are still checking and wouldn't mind a question, I was wondering who is your intended demographic for the book. Is it physicists who like the idea of applying their field to comics (cvj, like yourself, is also a professor of physics and comic book lover), young kids/students who like comics and may get interested in physics, or something for students starting to learn about physics? It sounds a little like your seminar course based on your previous post - the format of physics explanation and then example based on comic book hero. But I wasn't totally sure.

Also I do have to give you props for the line: Good thing [Wonder Woman's] on our side, fighting for our rights in satin tights. Should your book include similar witticisms interspersed with education, I imagine it will do very well.

[James Kakalios]

I was wondering who is your intended demographic for the book. Is it physicists who like the idea of applying their field to comics (cvj, like yourself, is also a professor of physics and comic book lover), young kids/students who like comics and may get interested in physics, or something for students starting to learn about physics?

***********

yes.

In my class, I was surprised to find that roughly 1/3 of the class were NOT comic book fans. Rather (since this was a Freshman Seminar and not tied to any curriculum), they were entering students who enjoyed physics in high school. As History, Communications or Journalism majors, they knew that there was no room for another physics class - and they were a bit intimidated by a regular Introductory Physics class. They saw my Seminar class as a non-threatening way to continue, for at least one semester, their physics education.

I have done a fair amount of radio shows prior to this class, and have been struck by the number of adults who are "physics junkies". They enjoy Nova and SciAm, but find most popular science books a bit too rich for their blood. If you tell someone that you'll explain how a microwave oven works, they'll be interested but secretly fear that they won't follow you. If you start talking about Iron Man's arch-nemesis The Melter, they'll follow you farther along.

The Preface, Introduction and First Chapter are excerpted on the web page http://www.physicsofsuperheroes.com and you can get a flavor of what the book is about.

By the way - several of my freinds - women with ZERO interest in comic books have read the book and enjoyed it - particularly the history and sociology of comics that is interspresed throughout the text.

Who says this isn't the Marvel Age of shameless plugs?

Cheers,

Jim

[cvj]

Ah, Speaking of shameless plugs Jim, I was so amused by your book's table of contents that I gave your book a plug in a full blog post over at cosmicvariance. Good work...it must have been a fun class to take. I've used superhero references to illustrate key points in my freshman physics class at USC a little bit, you see, which is another reason why this resonates with me.

-cvj

[m.visaya]

to know quantum mechanics without flavius josephus is one hero less of a bunch... (ANN-537)

[DHender]

Hi Caolionn:

I am curently reading a book by Deepak Chopra and am fascinated by quantum physics. I must confess, however, that I've never taken a physics class, nor do I have any in-depth knowledge of physics. Is there a book, or books, that you recommend to enable me to begin down the path to a better understanding of the subject.

Thank you,
Doug

PS - I think you are beautiful.

[Caolionn]

Doug: Thank you. As for more science-y matters: a good quantum book. Off hand, I am not really aware of good options. I have heard positive things about Brian Greene's books from non-physicists who read them. I think the "Elegant Universe" might touch on some quantum topics, but I haven't actually read it myself. So my help is somewhat limited on the topic. Sorry.

[DHender]

Dear Caolionn:

Thank you for your prompt response. I will do some research to bring me up to seed. If you're ever in New York, I'd love to take you out to dinner.

Stay Well,
DOug

[m.visaya]

kids today seem to like those dragonball z cartoons... <- *'