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The Science of Marvel: From Infinity Stones to Iron Man's Armor, the Real Science Behind the MCU Revealed!
Science meets fantasy in this behind-the-scenes look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe—now you can experience the magic of the movies, and learn how to replicate it in real-life.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with extraordinary humans and abilities. There are teenaged geniuses swinging through the streets of New York, billionaires creating impenetrable armor in hidden caves, and aliens flying through wormholes to Earth. All of these characters seem to lie firmly in the realm of fantasy—but the technology behind them might not be as farfetched as you think…
The Science of Marvel pulls back the curtain and reveals the secrets behind Marvel movie magic, and shows us how to recreate these comic book wonders in our everyday life. Using quantum physics, a little bit of mechanical engineering, and some out-of-the-box thinking, you’ll be amazed to discover that it’s possible to create a real-life Captain America, Incredible Hulk, or Black Panther. The perfect gift or collectible for Marvel fans everywhere, The Science of Marvel brings beloved movies and characters to life like never before.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with extraordinary humans and abilities. There are teenaged geniuses swinging through the streets of New York, billionaires creating impenetrable armor in hidden caves, and aliens flying through wormholes to Earth. All of these characters seem to lie firmly in the realm of fantasy—but the technology behind them might not be as farfetched as you think…
The Science of Marvel pulls back the curtain and reveals the secrets behind Marvel movie magic, and shows us how to recreate these comic book wonders in our everyday life. Using quantum physics, a little bit of mechanical engineering, and some out-of-the-box thinking, you’ll be amazed to discover that it’s possible to create a real-life Captain America, Incredible Hulk, or Black Panther. The perfect gift or collectible for Marvel fans everywhere, The Science of Marvel brings beloved movies and characters to life like never before.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2019
53 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 24, 2020
Definitely well-researched and very scientific, but a reference book, not meant to read cover to cover
February 17, 2020
This could have been super hokey, but it was great. I learned so much about some real science facts and theory, and it's clear that the author really understands the MCU on a deep level.
My only criticism of the book was that it was clearly written just before Endgame...and at that point, could you just wait a few months? It would have been great to have that entire story arc in here, but it stops with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Would recommend to MCU nerds that like science or vice versa.
My only criticism of the book was that it was clearly written just before Endgame...and at that point, could you just wait a few months? It would have been great to have that entire story arc in here, but it stops with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Would recommend to MCU nerds that like science or vice versa.
July 10, 2020
For anyone that loves Marvel/Avengers (yes, I do) and is a science nerd (yes, I am) this is fabulous! I teach general elementary school science and some of this was a bit over my head. However, I appreciated all of said science content and the connections to the science of the MCU. I learned quite a bit and now have some new science vocabulary. I will also enjoy sharing some of what I've learned with my students this fall.
July 18, 2021
This is a great bathroom or before-bed book, divided into short sections that are interesting and informative. It’s clear that author Sebastian Alvarado understands both the Marvel universe and theoretical (and practical) science. I really liked considering both the possible science behind the Marvel powers and the real-life possibilities around them.
June 21, 2020
A fun and interesting read. The author structures the book very well and makes it easy to follow. It was also thought provoking as he highlights the real world potential of a lot of science and technology most people would not have come across.
June 1, 2022
Such a great idea to connect real science to the MCU! It was very interesting but a large majority of it went over my head. My biggest complaint is that there was no list of references or resources to look at if I wanted to know more about a certain topic.
July 2, 2023
Mainly for fans of the MCU. The science is quite superficial and the entries are quite disjointed, making reading the book cover to cover quite a chore. More readable if you pick and choose then entries you are interested to find out more about.
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Groot may photosynthesise during downtime and store energy as resins or saps in his torso (oh sweet little thing), which would explain how a leafless plant can still have energy.
Raccoon feet can turn 180 degrees.
Spiders are very adapt at using their web to sense and collect information (e.g. which parts of it need mending, or detecting a trapped fly by plucking at its threads).
It seems like the future of exoskeletons will rely less on hard metallic infrastructure and more on softer, more flexible forms. (biomimetic designs)
The Guardians of the Galaxy could handle the Power Stone because of the Power of Friendship
The purple glow of the Power Stone suggests that its burning potassium (hurhur science).
___
Groot may photosynthesise during downtime and store energy as resins or saps in his torso (oh sweet little thing), which would explain how a leafless plant can still have energy.
Raccoon feet can turn 180 degrees.
Spiders are very adapt at using their web to sense and collect information (e.g. which parts of it need mending, or detecting a trapped fly by plucking at its threads).
It seems like the future of exoskeletons will rely less on hard metallic infrastructure and more on softer, more flexible forms. (biomimetic designs)
The Guardians of the Galaxy could handle the Power Stone because of the Power of Friendship
The purple glow of the Power Stone suggests that its burning potassium (hurhur science).
July 2, 2019
This is interesting in theory, but Alvarado undermines his own premise by this being unauthorized and filled with his own biases. A lot of the entries are based on speculation of how he thinks the MCU is supposed to work and nebulous connections to real science.
The book is also full of text blocks for the entries fail to drive interest and could be overwhelming to the uninitiated to the MCU and quantum physics.
In the end, the rating is up to you and your interest in the topics presented, but to me it was unsatisfactory.
The book is also full of text blocks for the entries fail to drive interest and could be overwhelming to the uninitiated to the MCU and quantum physics.
In the end, the rating is up to you and your interest in the topics presented, but to me it was unsatisfactory.
May 18, 2023
This is one of the books you pick up because you think is interesting, and you immediately get hooked.
Yeah, as you can tell by the title this book basically explains everything behind the science of MARVEL. Sure if you like science, this would be a great read for you, but even if you dont like science, its still worth reading.
Although some of the stuff covered here is pretty intense, even I found myself confused at times, and resorted to looking up definitions on the internet. But besides all that, this was a very interesting, and enjoyable read.
So good luck.
Yeah, as you can tell by the title this book basically explains everything behind the science of MARVEL. Sure if you like science, this would be a great read for you, but even if you dont like science, its still worth reading.
Although some of the stuff covered here is pretty intense, even I found myself confused at times, and resorted to looking up definitions on the internet. But besides all that, this was a very interesting, and enjoyable read.
So good luck.
August 23, 2024
T’was interesting, I liked some topics more than others, had to skim some of the more fantastical things. Definitely set up more like a glossary but nice to switch these ups every once and a while LOL.
February 19, 2020
I love Marvel and the MCU and this guy explains all the confusing parts perfectly
March 3, 2021
This book has some very interesting information but is very technical and way over my head. If you studied science in college you will get more from this book than the average reader.
September 6, 2022
It was really helpful in presenting complicated scientific topics in a fun and understandable way. Perfect for fans of marvel or science.
August 4, 2021
Seems to speculate a lot on things well established in the MCU. Could have done a better job explaining the fictional science in the movies, then trying explain how it may work in real life.
April 22, 2023
I went into this with pretty low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. I thought it would contain a lot of BS pseudoscientific gobbledygook and would function mainly as a thinly-veiled piece of marketing merch.
On the contrary, it was a refreshingly well-researched and engaging book with a very wide-ranging exploration of the scientific theories behind the MCU's characters and events. Some of the links are obviously a bit tenuous, but Alvarado does a good job of creating a logical framework wherein these superpowers and super-gadgets can at least be discussed.
May 18, 2024
This is a very informative book that delves into real life science, using the MCU to approach a variety of different topics and comparing the film science with real science. The approach is interesting, and although I feel like there’s a lot here and a lot of value, it veered more towards ‘not for me’ than anything else.
This book is more for people who really like science, than people like me who have a kind of casual interest but are fans of the MCU. The book takes us up to Infinity War, and explores quantum physics, engineering, and biology to demonstrate how the MCU science isn’t as out of reach as we might initially think. I think I was expecting this to be…a bit lighter, more pop science, but it was heavier than I anticipated.
And, being totally honest, parts of this just went right over my head. The bits I understood I did like, and it’s clear Alvarado is incredibly interested in the topics being discussed, as you can almost hear the passion coming through in his writing, his excitement about the discoveries bringing the ‘MCU magic’ ever closer. But for me, this was too much ‘seeing how the sausage is made’. I like my sci-fi to be more fantasy than science, and I like the way things aren’t too science-heavy in the MCU. I’m fine with “look! We have magic stones that let us time travel!” and don’t need to know why or how they do it, just that they can. For those who do really enjoy science as a whole, and have a deeper understanding than I do, I think this is a good book for showing the amazing realities of what science is doing now. For someone with a more casual understanding, I’d say maybe give it a miss.
This book is more for people who really like science, than people like me who have a kind of casual interest but are fans of the MCU. The book takes us up to Infinity War, and explores quantum physics, engineering, and biology to demonstrate how the MCU science isn’t as out of reach as we might initially think. I think I was expecting this to be…a bit lighter, more pop science, but it was heavier than I anticipated.
And, being totally honest, parts of this just went right over my head. The bits I understood I did like, and it’s clear Alvarado is incredibly interested in the topics being discussed, as you can almost hear the passion coming through in his writing, his excitement about the discoveries bringing the ‘MCU magic’ ever closer. But for me, this was too much ‘seeing how the sausage is made’. I like my sci-fi to be more fantasy than science, and I like the way things aren’t too science-heavy in the MCU. I’m fine with “look! We have magic stones that let us time travel!” and don’t need to know why or how they do it, just that they can. For those who do really enjoy science as a whole, and have a deeper understanding than I do, I think this is a good book for showing the amazing realities of what science is doing now. For someone with a more casual understanding, I’d say maybe give it a miss.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews