The Science of Superheroes

    (John Wiley & Sons, 2002-2003)
™ and © 2002 Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg

In this brief but entertaining volume, Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg—who previously examined The Computers of Star Trek—turn their attention to the real science, if any, behind some of comics’ most famed super-heroes. They take a look at the possibilities and probabilities of there actually being people with the powers of, among others, Superman, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Aquaman, Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man, The Flash, and The X-Men.

In several cases, notably The Hulk/Fantastic Four chapter on radiation effects, the examination becomes the scientific debasing of the fantastic elements of the comic-book stories. Flatly, Gresh and Weinberg tell us, radiation is going to kill you—not give you superpowers.

On the other hand, the chapter on undersea characters goes into some depth (sorry!) on the subject of recent advances in subsea exploration techniques, including a process called fluid breathing, in which experimental animals have managed to “breathe” through the intake of oxygen-saturated fluorocarbons.

This is a good book for anyone with an interest in the science that sometimes inspires (and sometimes obstructs) the writers of super-hero fiction.

— Patrick Daniel O’Neill
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist
#1 (Hardcover Edition by Lou Brooks)

September, 2002
Cover Price: $24.95
1 copy available for $22.00 		Lois Gresh, Robert Weinberg