The Secret Science of Superheroes

Edited by Mark Lorch, Andy Miah

Publication date:

14 September 2017

Length of book:

227 pages

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry

ISBN-13: 9781788012652

Ever wondered what a superhero eats for breakfast? Do they need a special diet to feed their superpowers? The odd metabolisms of superheroes must mean they have strange dietary needs, from the high calorie diets to fuel flaming bodies and super speeds, to not so obvious requirements for vitamins and minerals.

The Secret Science of Superheroes looks at the underpinning chemistry, physics and biology needed for their superpowers. Individual chapters look at synthesising elements on demand, genetic evolution and what superhero suits could be made of. By exploring these topics, the book introduces a wide range of scientific concepts, from protein chemistry to particle physics for a general scientifically interested audience.

With contributions from leading science communicators the book hopes to answer some of these important questions rather than debunk or pick holes in the science of superheroes.

The Breakfast of Superheroes; The Evolution of Superpowers; The Hallmarks of Hulk; Supervillainy 101; How to Build a Super Soldier; The Real World Super Metal; Is it a Ceramic? Is it Graphene? No it's Vibranium; The Science of Super Suits; Why Doesn't the Invisible Woman Bump Into Things?; The Flash: The Fastest Man on Fire; You've Got to Learn to be More...Flexible: The Mechanics of Marvellous; Big Data, Big Heroes and Bad Computers; The Wonder-ous Truth: The Workings of Wonder Woman's Lasso; Super Frequently Asked Questions

Cover-to-cover, the book is short and sweet, an experience populated with quintessential superheroes and comic history (the authors’ knowledge is impressive). It introduces a wide range of topics that can captivate a diverse range of readers — from those with general science knowledge to comic book and film enthusiasts. What I enjoyed most about this book was how well it made difficult concepts understandable.