The Physics of Superheroes

by James Kakalios

An exploration of the science behind the powers of popular comic superheroes reveals how differences between Krypton and Earth might enable some of Superman's abilities, the number of hamburgers that Flash would need to run at supersonic speeds, and more. 40,000 first printing.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics, Comics, Humor, Superheroes, Reference

365 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

James Kakalios is a physics professor at the University of Minnesota. Known within the scientific community for his work with amorphous semiconductors, granular materials, and 1/f noise, he is known to the general public as the author of the book The Physics of Superheroes, which considers comic book superheroes from the standpoint of fundamental physics.
Kakalios, who earned PhD from the University of Chicago in 1985, began his comic book collection as a graduate student as a way to relieve stress. At Minnesota, he taught a freshman seminar that focused on the physics of superheroes as a way to motivate students to think about physics. This course gained great popularity as an enticing alternative to the typical inclined planes and pulleys of physics.
The seminar was a great success, leading to articles in popular magazines including People, lectures on the subject, and publication of The Physics of Superheroes. In his talks, favorite examples are the death of Gwen Stacy (Spider-Man's girlfriend), "can Superman jump over tall buildings and what does this tell us about Krypton?", the high-velocity actions of The Flash, and the shrinking problem of the Atom. His analysis of Gwen Stacy's death eventually became integral to the plot of a new Spider-Man comic.
Kakalios is of the opinion that the most unrealistic aspect of the comic-book universe is often the sociology. He notes that pedestrians don't usually provide running monologues describing everything around them. There is one aspect of the story of the Atom that he does not question, however. The Atom begins as a physics professor, who encounters a chunk of white dwarf star and picks it up. "By a conservative estimate, he is lifting about 5000 metric tons. This is not unreasonable," Kakalios will say at the end of his talk, taking off his glasses before walking offstage. "We physics professors are just that strong."
He provides content on the DVD of the film Watchmen. Under extras, he is filmed discussing the physics of superheroes.
Dr. Kakalios has been nominated by the University of Minnesota to be one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty Speakers who will speak about his work and career to middle and high school students in October 2010.

Reviews

[Uhtred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful! This book (original title “The Physics of Superheroes”) is a really good book, which entertains you and at the same time makes you learn many things. The author is a physics professor and he explains to us, starting from comics, what are the principles of physics on which the superpowers of comic book heroes are based. Or rather, he explains if these superpowers (beyond the imagination) have any scientific basis that, at least theoretically, could make them possible. I also learned that if you want to heat a room you have to put a refrigerator in the middle with the door open: don't you believe it? Yet it is true, and in the book the author illustrates with very simple concepts to understand what is the principle of thermodynamics that explains this effect which is apparently contrary to logic. Read it: and you will see Superman, Flash Gordon, Hulk, Batman and all the other characters we love in a new light.

[Sensei_cor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante a la par que intenso. A grandes rasgos cada capítulo tiene dos partes: una primera (intensa) introducción en lo referente a los cómics relacionados con el fenómeno físico correspondiente y luego una segunda (intensa) explicación de la física que afecta al capítulo correspondiente. Hay cosas que se justifican como realistas, otras que se desmienten y otras de las que se explica cómo tendrían que ocurrir las cosas en la realidad para que fueran ciertas. Casi todo con números por delante.

Hay que reconocer que el tío sabe una barbaridad de los temas tratados, o al menos eso da la impresión.

Sin duda merece la pena. Aunque por ponerle una peguita, algunas partes se me han hecho un poco pesadas. Ah! y una tontería más: al ser un libro de 2006 hay algunos detalles desactualizados, cómo que se refiera a Plutón como planeta :-D

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man...how many times could this book have been written when I was a kid?
Here's a short list of role playing games involving human mutations, animal mutations, super secret powers and abilities I got into with some of my friends- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Generic Universal Role Playing System; Heroes Unlimited; Battletech; Robotech; James Bond; DC Universe; Marvel Universe and of course, D and D.
We'd spend afternoons and summer nights arguing about this concept- what is the most powerful human mutation? I'd have characters that were twins with superhuman reflexes, fighter jets in their garages and mutated Feline genes for agility; secret agents with exploding bullets and special ninja weaponry, mutated wolves, cheetas and bears with benevolent dispositions, intent on protecting the general populace from the nefarious thinking of that night's GameMaster.
From the world of teenage dorkdom, this book is a collection of arguements that all started with the same statement: "My dad can beat up your dad."
The application of actual physics laws and principles to the Marvel and DC Universe does little to thwart the actual reasoning behind the superheroes powers, for example, Kakalios stays away from the really hot topic characters like Cloak and Dagger, (a black hole in a trenchcoat and his accomplice, a young woman capable of emitting pure light), and stays with the big sellers, ie. Batman, The Silver Surfer, Superman, The Flash, et cetera. It would be more interesting if he decided that the case history of certain superheroes, like cloak and dagger, wasn't nefarious enough to forgo explaining their astonishing and imaginative powers...for example....Colossus, Sasquatch and Hawkeye all might warrant some attention.

SPOILER ALERT

Through all of the reasoning, Kakalios maintains that of all of the superheroes he studied, the only feasible one was Batman, a person so wealthy and so capable of having strength, agility and martial skill that he is able to stop bullets, fight villians, conceal his identity and maintain fiscal solvency...the template, therefore, that Kalakios agrees with the most, is an ordinary person, endowed with extraordinary attributes, who is able to magnify those through the application of personal wealth and intense training.

[Aspry Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a friend a few years ago who taught leadership principles at a homeschool co-op using John C. Maxwell books and superhero comics.

I've read and enjoyed the pedantic detail of lawyers calculating the legal damages superheroes cause.

Now sit back and enjoy a freshman level course in physics through the lens of superheroes.

This book was a great combination of serious and jocular. There is enough history and backstory that you can jump in no matter your knowledge of superhero lore. Better yet, it made it incredibly easy and fun to pick up some of the principles of physics. This would be a great book to use if you were a science teacher to engage what are commonly dry subjects in exciting, different ways.

Worth a read even if you don't like math or science! The only thing required is an appreciation of superheroes.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! A surprisingly thorough overview of physics told with many many illustrations from super hero comics. Sprinkle with a bit of multiplication and some humor and serve hot.

A warning that this blasts through about three semesters worth of physics in 300 pages, so if you aren't all that interested in the science it's probably a bit too intense.

[William Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor James Kakalios uses the comic-book medium as inspiration for a series of lectures on physics. At the same time, the book references old comic books as a matter of course.

Kakalios introduces some caveats in the heroes and villains that he discusses. For example, Kakalios considers Golden Age Superman but goes no further. What I mean is, he doesn't consider Silver Age Superman or modern Superman. I completely understand this limitation Kakalios uses; at some point, Superman just became a deity.

The first chapter explores Superman's ability to leap over tall buildings, and it just gets better from there. Kakalios takes a tongue-in-cheek glance at different superheroes from their origin stories to specific storylines. Take Aquaman as an example. I remember watching the Superfriends cartoon and thinking Aquaman was lame. They never showed his powers beyond fish telepathy. However, for Aquaman to reside in the ocean's depths, he would have to be as powerful as Golden Age Superman.

As an aside, a lot of supervillains do stupid things with their powers. Why would you decide to rob banks if you can control electricity? On the other hand, a lot of supervillains have antisocial tendencies.

The book doesn't use too many equations. In the prologue, Kakalios promises not to go above Algebra, and he keeps his word. There is mention of the Schrodinger Equation, but he doesn't go too deep into it.

[Sandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh. I'm officially giving up on this book. It's not that it's really awful. In fact, I thought the first section was very interesting and entertaining. However, I just got bored when the author started discussing how many calories the Flash needs to run at super speeds. From that point on, it turned into more of a physics lecture than a discussion of the scientific validity of superhero powers. I've been out of college to long to wrap my brain around all the math he uses.

If only the second section had been as fun and comprehensible as the first section, I might have stuck with it.

[Ance Zveja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daudz varoņu, daudz komiksu un vēstures.
Lieliski ieliek perspektīvā komiksu universus, nedaudz neveiklāk ar to fiziku (mani reizēm uzvilka amerikāņu mērvienību sistēma, bet principā jau atsvaidzināt pamatlietas fizikā nenāk par ļaunu.
(Ļoti neveiksmīgi, ka šāda lasāmviela ietrāpīja tieši manā "lasīšanas bloka" brīdī.)

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I got a D in physics. However, when I originally bought this book I couldn't put it down. With a great, entertaining surrounding like comic books, Kakalios sneaks in some serious education.

[Valerio Civitani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leggendo questo libro, che è comunque di fisica base, e facendo comunque fatica nel capire le cose, alcune volte mettendoci del tempo, e altre volte non capendo proprio il concetto, nonostante lo amplii con approfondimenti esterni, ho capito una cosa:


Non ho una mente scientifica molto sviluppata.


Il me 15enne non sarebbe fiero di questa scoperta... Ma devo riconoscere i miei limiti.


Cioè non che io non possa imparare la fisica, ma ci metterei molto piú tempo rispetto ad una persona piú portata, tutto quì.


Comunque, nonostante la difficoltà, voglio appuntarmi ciò che ho guadagnato da questa lettura:


1. Riflessione sulla comunicazione

Lavorando nella comunicazione, faccio caso quasi piú al modo in cui spiega, che al soggetto della spiegazione stesso. E questo libro mi ha offerto una riflessione comunicativa importante:

Si possono dare gli spinaci, nascondendoli con delle caramelle. 

Se mostri il piano inclinato a uno studente alle superiori, ti dirà "ma a cosa mi serve tutto questo nella vita", mentre se gli spieghi la fisica dei supereroi, nessuno si pone il dubbio. Poi aggiunge una battuta bellissima "evidentemente per il loro futuro hanno tutti intenzione di mettersi la supertuta e combattere il crimine".

Cosa mi porto a casa da questo? Che l'insegnamento reso divertente, e messo nell'ottica di ciò che piace allo studente, è molto piú funzionale, e permette di ricevere piú attenzione e interesse.



2. La Luna e la gravità

Non mi ero mai posto il dubbio, sul perché si formassero le orbite con l'attrazione gravitazionale.

Cioè alla fine se è una forza di attrazione, non dovrebbero attrarre a sè i corpi? 

Il sole, che ha una forza gravitazionale così forte, non dovrebbe attrarre a sé tutto il sistema solare? 

Ora mi sembra di aver capito che, per via di un equilibrio tra la distanza, e la forza che porta al moto orizzontale del pianeta, e quindi che spinga anche continuamente nella direzione opposta, lo schianto non si verifichi.

Questo vuol dire che se la luna si scontrasse con un satellite, che la facesse decellerare, essa cadrebbe sulla terra.

Spero di non sbagliarmi con questo ragionamento.



3. La diffrazione

Non sapevo che gli animali piú piccoli, potessero sentire solo le frequenze piú alte.

Comunque la diffrazione, tra le varie cose, riguarda la grandezza dell'occhio, che piú è piccolo, e piú confusa e diffrazionata arriva la luce, non permettendo di vedere bene.

Infatti gli insetti hanno tanti piccoli occhi, che sono come tante finestre che fanno entrare la luce

[Stefano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un saggio sulla fisica raccontato in maniera umoristica ma rigorosa.
Il fulcro? I poteri dei supereroi, con la loro plausibilità (o meno) fisica. Se vi chiedevate in che modo Superman potesse saltare un palazzo con un solo balzo sfruttando le leggi di Newton, oppure come funziona la fisica dei poteri di Magneto, questo è il libro che fa per voi. Il tutto condito con qualche interessante digressione sulla storia del fumetto.
L'unica pecca, se una pecca devo trovarla, è che (per quanto divulgativo nei toni) spesso il volume si concentra in spiegazioni dove molte sottigliezze sembrano idirizzate ad un pubblico con già una buona infarinatura di fisica (sopratutto quando si finisce a parlare di fisica quantistica). Gli esempi non mancano (e potete immaginarne l'oggetto, visto il titolo), ma alcune volte sono appena abbozzati e troppo generici per aiutare la comprensione di un neofita della materia.

[Conor Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

in this book, I thought oh it's just a superhero book but my friend was like no read it you will like it. I enjoyed this book because it talked about the laws of physics laws of gravity and how superheroes defy these laws. I liked wanted how James added pieces and covers of actual comic books. At the end of the book, it starts talking about Issac newton and the laws of physics and gravity. but throughout the whole book, he focuses on different superheroes and what they do to defy the laws but also talks about why they do this. but he towards the end of the book put the laws and shows what they do or how it works.

[Nina Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book is super fun! It’s a totally geeked out physics textbook contextualized in comic book superpowers. As a lay person, I got lost in some of the math complexity, but for the most part, the superhero analysis pulled me right in to learning college level physics. The geek excitement and energy of the author seeps into these pages, and I’m grateful for this access point to higher level science.

[Tom Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this is actually a good Physics textbook. There are great examples taken from comic books but it is about physics. The author clearly knows comic books and physics. Well done.

[Melvin Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun way to learn some physics. Well written and a fun read.

[Alice]

This is literally the only way you could feed me physics without scaring me away.
Thank you, James Kakalios.

[Stories. - Federica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blog Stories Review: http://storiesbooksandmovies.blogspot...

Spesso alcuni fattori ci impediscono di leggere un libro in particolare. Questi possono essere un certo stato d'animo, mancanza di tempo oppure, nei casi più frequenti, la 'paura' di affrontare l'argomento. Inoltre, se il suddetto argomento è scientifico... ahimè, che dolori! Quanti di voi sono stati perseguitati, ai tempi delle medie o delle superiori, dalla matematica, o peggio, dalla fisica? Immagino che piani inclinati, molle e pendoli vi abbiano terrorizzato per molti anni contribuendo alla cattiva reputazione della scienza di Newton e Galileo. Il vostro contrastato rapporto con questa materia ovviamente vi ha fatto rinunciare a letture ed approfondimenti ad essa legati. Tuttavia, nel profondo, ognuno di noi è curioso. Ogni lettore - e non solo! - nutre un interesse non troppo nascosto verso ciò che lo circonda e non perde occasione di meravigliarsi delle leggi fisiche che regolano la nostra vita.



Fidatevi di me. Ho in serbo per voi una lettura che vi farà immediatamente cambiare idea sulla fisica. James Kakalios, professore all'Università del Minnesota ha trovato la formula perfetta capace di unire complicate formule matematiche e divertimento. Lo so, suona un po' strano tutto questo. Non mi credete? Provate ad aprire questo volumetto giallo di poco più di trecento pagine e scoprite chi saranno i vostri professori di fisica. Superman, gli X-Man, Ant-man, Spider-Man... e questi sono solo alcuni dei supereroi Marvel e DC che popolano i capitoli de La Fisica dei supereroi. La gravità, le forze e l'elettromagnetismo non saranno più oscuri misteri comprensibili solo da pochi eletti.

Chi avrebbe mai pensato che i supereroi, esseri sovrannaturali dotati di poteri oltre i limiti del credibile, fossero in grado di spiegare in maniera così semplice i meccanismi che regolano la nostra quotidianità. I loro superpoteri non sembreranno così super dopo aver scoperto che essi sono dovuti a campi gravitazionali, proprietà dell'elettromagnetismo e scoperte della fisica moderna. Perchè Clark Kent è capace di compiere ampi balzi, riuscendo a saltare alti grattacieli? La risposta risiede nella legge di gravitazione universale di Isaac Newton. Come funzionano i sofisticatissimi gadget di IronMan? Provate a chiederlo al preparatissimo Tony Stark!

Avete mai sentito parlare dell'equazione di Schrodinger? Sì, quella lunghissima equazione differenziale che solo a vederla scritta sembra essere la causa di tutti i mali. Ecco, quella regola spiega infiniti aspetti della fisica. Non ci credete? Kakalios ve la spiegherà con i toni più semplici possibili utilizzando come esempi alcune serie di fumetti che vedono come protagonisti Flash e molti altri eroi che hanno animato l'infanzia, l'adolescenza e non solo di molti appassionati lettori - aggiungo anche spettatori considerando il grande numero di cinecomics programmati per i prossimi dieci anni.
Vedete quel bel faccione qui a fianco? Ecco, Erwin Schrodinger e molti altri scienziati, ingegneri e fisici come lui, pagina dopo pagina, capitolo dopo capitolo, appariranno ai vostri occhi come veri e proprio supereroi realmente esistenti. Chissà, magari tutto ciò che apprenderete leggendo questo fresco e divertente libro vi farà scoprire poteri nascosti e vi renderà capaci di diventare dei supereroi della vita di tutti i giorni.
Ricordatevi, però: da grandi poteri, derivano grandi responsabilità!

[Lorenzo Coltellacci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi aspettavo un libro per appassionati di fumetti che vogliono scoprire qualche aneddoto di fisica. Invece mi è sembrato un libro più adatto ad appassionati di fisica che vogliono scoprire qualche aneddoto sui supereroi.

[Rohun Yarala · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios was one of the most informative books which I have ever read. I personally tend to read more fantasy and fiction than non-fiction or educational books, generally fearing that I will easily become bored and have wasted my time with purely factual books. This was not the case this time. Kakalios was masterful in his ability to mix his knowledge of comic books, fun-filled stories and characters with complex physical phenomenon. By explaining some of the most popular powers/abilities belonging to the most popular superheroes of all time, he makes physics a much more understandable topic. Most students, including myself, would agree that the use of examples such as Antman's shrinking abilities, Superman's flight, and Thor's hammer are far more engaging and relatable than a standard plane or pulley example. From Newton's laws to electromagnetism, topics covered gradually increase in complexity but the book still remains both exciting and educational from cover to cover. Kakalios' writing style is not intimidating or overly complicated, he maintains a consistently simple style and word choice. Despite all of the positives, the reason I would give this book 4 stars rather than 5 is the fact that, at times, it focused a bit more on superheroes than on physics. I enjoy comics, and occasionally read them and felt comfortable with most of the references, but it became a bit repetitive once Kakalios decided to go deeper into the plots of some issues than the physics concept at hand. Had the superhero explanations been equal to the amount of physics explanations in this book, I would have had to give it five stars.

[Samuel Miravet Verde · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Kakalios is not only a theoretical physicist, but a comic book maven who can quote reams of superhero lore by issue, page, and panel. His book might be described as a freshman physics text for humanities majors, but with this twist—all of the physical principles are illustrated with the characters and stories from superhero comics. Did you know that, in order for Superman to leap a tall building (of a certain specified height) in a single bound, his muscles would have had to evolve on a Krypton with fifteen times Earth’s gravity? Did you know that, for Krypton to exert that much gravity and still be terrestrial rather than mostly gaseous, it would have to have a core made of neutronium, which would explain why Superman’s home-world exploded? Did you know that, allowing for the “miracle exception” of the Flash’s super powers, some of the physics in his early stories are actually pretty good? These are just a few of the many scientific insights that Kakalios brings to bear on super-heroes, which he describes with consistently affectionate bemusement.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as influential as The Physics of Star Trek but still pretty cool, the Physics of Superheroes is still more realistic than most of the technology discussed in the Physics of Star Trek. My lovely wife got this book for me for Christmas, hoping that it would help my with Physics and entertain some of my lifelong questions of who is faster, Superman or the Flash, and which are tougher, Wolverine's claws or Captain America's shield. Surprisingly, the book even helped answer one of my first Statics questions I had for homework. I am forever in your debt Physics of Superheroes. And just so you know, the Flash is technically faster, and Captain America's shield is basically indestructible. I gave it four stars because it had much more stuff about superheroes I didn't care about than superheroes I did care about.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like MOST Physics books I read, the author is a physicist But thinks they're a Superhero. This ones is no difference... No Science or physics beyond mainstream yarns they've spun into facts on Rumpelstiltskin's wheel; every theory spewed as fact; no alternate ideas presented. That said, the author knowledge of Superhero comic books Appears extensive... as I have little or no knowledge of the literature (all from movies or Sat morning cartoons as kid) this made the book reasonably interesting... but certainly nothing I'd want to spend the Time I Did on a book about superhero powers analysis by a mainstream physicist (what he does I don't know). Anyway, the book will likely appeal to some; its (too) long but an easy read; needs no math of physics (so that means you did no physics according to physicists) And as always have fun!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were in high school or a high school physics teacher, this book would be a great way to get interested or get your students interested in physics problems. At a fundamental level thinking about situations in the right way lends to easy analysis and this book gets the intuition right.

While the calculations are trivial, their implications are interesting. For example, calculating the force that Superman requires to jump over a building leads to discussions about what Krypton must have been like physically for this power to be possible in the real world. Overall the book was accurate and entertaining, if somewhat pedestrian for my experience with physics.

If nothing else, this book gave me an appreciation for Aquaman (fish-talk is just the beginning).

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book from start to finish. It doesn't shy away from the physics, but keeps it fairly easy to grasp without requiring advanced math. Kakalios's style is straightforward and immediately endearing. He's funny, authentically passionate about both physics and comics, and transparent about his goals for the book. Comic book examples are compelling, and always help illustrate the physics principle under discussion. I found myself equally fascinated by the physics lessons and by his commanding knowledge of comic book history.

[Lirya Rigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo libro è un gioiellino. Divertente e stimolante, per goderselo appieno consiglio di leggerlo a spezzoni, un capitolo al giorno. Il livello di fisica base da conoscere è quello del liceo, e ogni cosa viene spiegata con attenzione, quindi anche coloro che non sono dei campioni della fisica o della matematica non avranno problemi nella comprensione. In grado di mettere l'umorismo al punto giusto, questo libro lo consiglio col cuore a tutti gli appassionati di fumetti.

[Dasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very good and concepts are explained very well. Even if you don’t know much about comic books, the stories and heroes are introduced so you know what’s going on. I enjoyed the more complex topics like wave function, which I didn’t learn about before. The excitement for science this book is written with is contagious and in glad I finally read it.

[Jore Bharadhwaj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scientific explanation that leaves no room for argument and a hilarious take on superheroes. Convincing enough to believe superheroes do exist.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, fun, and easy to follow. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and it is a great thing when and educational book is also an engaging read.