(Super) Natural Science: The Real Science of Superheroes, Mythic Creatures, and the (Sci-Fi) Universe

by Charles Liu Ph.D.

Starships! Death Rays! Superheroes! Mutants! Monsters! The Multiverse! An astrophysicist (and science fiction fan) explores the scientific possibilities behind superhero superpowers, time travel, the supernatural, Bigfoot, ghosts, vampires, alien worlds, and much more!



Have you ever wondered whether we might someday teleport from place to place with transporters like those shown in Star Trek? Or pondered the existence of ghosts and the possibility of alien life visiting the Earth? Or debated whether being bitten by a radioactive spider might turn you into a superhero? From black holes to sentient robots to werewolves, astrophysicist Charles Liu investigates the real science of the supernatural, science fiction stories, mythology, folklore, fairy tales, and other wild, crazy, mysterious, spooky, fantastical, and sometimes real, sometimes not phenomena! Looking through a scientific lens, (Super) Natural The Real Science of Superheroes, Mythic Creatures, and the (Sci-Fi) Universe probes the scientific foundations and frontiers of all things fantastic, including …


Alien life and artificial intelligence;
The Big Bang, Bigfoot and black holes;
Cyborgs, dark matter, and death rays;
The end of time, event horizons, and extra dimensions;
Faster-than-light travel, transporters, genetic modification, and ghosts;
Gravitational waves, hypernovas, insect invasions, and Jurassic Park;
Kaiju, King Kong, magic, and mutants;
Nucleosynthesis, Planck time, and quantum teleportation;
Robots, super-senses, super-serums, and super-strength;
Telepathy, teleportation, and time travel;
Vampires, Frankenfoods, and werewolves;
X-ray vision, Yellowstone supervolcanoes, and Yetis;
Zero-point energy and zombies;
And so much more!



Science and the supernatural aren’t mutually exclusive—and science is often stranger than fiction! (Super) Natural Science shows how science can be used to explain all sorts of strange, wondrous and unusual phenomena!

352 pages, Paperback

Published October 13, 2026

Reviews

[Jerry Edward Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Works of science fiction are often populated by different forms of alien life, superheroes, ghosts, zombies and many others. There are, furthermore, many examples of science and technological development that can seem even stranger than fiction. These developments include faster-than-light travel, death rays, robots, and many others. They have become real staples of the science fiction genre. But are they in any way possible or even likely? Liu is a professor of physics and astronomy. He readily understands the realities of the modern science that underlies these truly fantastic developments. Liu is notably committed to formal science education and to the effective communication of science and its work to the general public. Liu’s new book is based, furthermore, on his professional experience which includes the Cosmic Evolution Survey, the Hubble which includes the Cosmic Evolution Survey, the Hubble Space Telescope, the mapping nearby galaxies project, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory research into galaxy evolution. This new book is an accessible guide to the scientific foundations and explanations into matters that seem simply fantastic at first glance. It can be read profitably and for entertainment value along with many other works of the same vein. One notable suggestion is the 2008 book by another physicist, Physics of the Impossible (Doubleday Publishing), by Michio Kaku. Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals—and the limits—of the laws of physics as we know them today. Kaku explores the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed impossible today but that might well become commonplace in the future. This book by Charles Liu is highly recommended for readers of science fiction and others who are interested in scientific and technological developments

[Dana Nourie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Liu has a remarkable way of explaining science to the general reader. He is often a guest on Neil Tyson's Star Talk podcast, and Charles has some really excellent books out, and this is no exception. He is also a master of the science fiction universe, in comics, books, and movies. I really enjoyed this book and you get to learn a LOT of science with science fiction as the entry point. A very fun and resourceful book, one to be kept on the shelf for future reference as well. Charles also has a wonderful astronomy podcast on YouTube. I think he is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world.