Superhero Science
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SPECIAL REPORT THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FICTION Superhero Science BENJAMIN RADFORD pasibo. It means thank you. I tists: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is really know only a few words an accomplished science student; Sof the Russian language, but the Incredible Hulk (in his human what little I do know I learned form, Bruce Banner) is a nuclear about twenty years ago. I was taught physicist; Mr. Fantastic (Reed by a man named Piotr Rasputin. I Richards) holds doctorates in phys- didn’t know him very well, and ics and electrical engineering; and never asked if he was related to the so on. Most Marvel Comics super- czar’s infamous “Mad Monk,” but I heroes have some strong link with do remember that he had the curi- science or technology (for exam- ous ability to turn his flesh into a ple, Peter Parker invented his own sort of impervious living steel. Very web-slinging mechanism, and engi- cool, really. neer Tony Stark created his own One of my earliest geology les- Iron Man exoskeleton). (For an sons came when I was about ten in-depth look at science and super- years old. Like my smattering of heroes, see The Science of Super- Russian, it wasn’t a full, formal heroes, by Lois Gresh and Robert lesson. But I did learn some inter- Weinberg.) esting and scientifically sound facts, Marvel Comics founder Stan including that because limestone in Lee had created dozens of superhe- the earth is partially water-soluble An Iceman exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre teaches roes to populate his comic books, visitors about heat transfer. Photos by Benjamin Radford. it often creates caves and sinkholes. each with amazing and wondrous I overheard a young duck without scientists in cluding a chemist and an powers. He had heroes who could pants discussing this. electrical engineer), and, of course, com- do amazing things rarely if ever seen I don’t recall if it was Huey, Dewey, ic-book superheroes. in the real world. They could fly, walk or Louie, but, in any event, they were The world of comics is not just for through walls, teleport, turn invisible, searching a cave for hidden treasure on kids anymore, with complex storylines and so on. But Lee had a problem: com- behalf of their avaricious great uncle, and very adult graphic novels. Comic- ing up with the powers was the easy part; Scrooge McDuck. (In the same comic book heroes have jumped from colored coming up with a reason why they had I also learned that Scots are tight with a splash panels to the big screen in block- those powers was tricky. So Lee—whose penny, but perhaps that was a stereotype buster films such as Batman, Superman, grasp of science is admittedly shaky— I shouldn’t have picked up.) X-Men, and, of course, the Spider-Man used science to ground and lend a sense I learned scads of (mostly accurate) franchise (Spider-Man 3 was recently of validity to the characters. Thus, many factoids from my youthful reading, released in theaters on May 4). Benjamin Radford is an avid supporter of following the adventures and exploits It’s easy to forget that many of the science centers, even if he doesn’t always of Encyclopedia Brown, Tintin, Tom superheroes who have repeatedly (albeit understand all the principles he sees. Swift, Doc Savage (and his band of fictionally) saved the world are scien- SKEPTICAL INQUIRER July / August 2007 35 interesting way. The exhibit intro- duces the public to many scientific topics and principles, including mag- netism, engineering and hydraulics, acoustics and the physics of sound waves, chemistry, genetics and evo- lution, visual perception, and arach- nology. Instead of dry display panels, the thirty action stations are geared toward hands-on demonstrations and learning. Among them: •Doctor Octopus, a veteran Spider- Man foe who has four robotic tenta- cle-arms, serves to introduce a fascinating discussion of prosthetic limbs. Photos and artifacts illustrate the evolution of pros- thetics from rudimentary hook hands to modern mechanical limbs. • The Spider-Man display explains The X-Men exhibit discusses the science behind evolution and mutation. that the tensile strength of spider’s silk is higher than any artificial material, and allows people to hang from hair-thin fibers, eight times stronger than steel. • A station featuring Professor X, who trains his band of mutants to become crime-fighting X-Men, explores how mutations come about. Visitors are given three examples of living organ- isms, and then asked to guess the per- centage of DNA that the three share. • Daredevil, a blind superhero, is used as an example of how blind crea- tures can navigate using echolocation and acoustics. Other superheroes who took time off from ridding the world of evildoers in order to educate kids for the exhibit include the Hulk, Iceman, Wolverine, Visitors to the Spider-Man swing can hang by a A couple watch themselves through a thermal imag- the Human Torch, Storm, Banshee, super-strong thread. ing camera. and Iron Man. While some of the heroes gained their powers through sci- strength can stop taunting their radio- exhibits and displays are a bit silly (does entific, naturalistic (if not wholly realis- active spiders. (And where do you get matching the Hulk’s angry facial expres- tic) processes. The Fantastic Four were radioactive spiders, anyway?) sions help us understand the physiology exposed to cosmic rays; Peter Parker was Part of the reason the comics had of anger?), overall, the exhibit is very bitten by a radioactive spider; and so on. an educational element was that Stan well-designed, fun, and informative. This worked for a while, but, finally, Lee did not believe in talking down to Any exhibit that educates as it entertains Lee just got lazy. Once he read about the his audience. He wrote his scripts and is well worth a visit, and this is one of process of genetic mutation, that opened dialogue at a college level, unafraid of the best. Excelsior! up a whole new world where mutations making his readers reach for a dictionary The Marvel Superheroes Science could be used as a blanket cause of myr- now and then. Exhibition premiered at the Ontario iad abilities ranging from psychic pow- Recently, Marvel Comics launched Science Centre in Toronto, Canada, ers to teleportation to weather control. an educational science exhibit using and will be at the St. Louis (Missouri) Thus, the X-Men were born. many of its most popular comic-book Science Center from April 28, 2007, Of course, the veneer of science only superhero characters. The goal was to until September 4, 2007. For more infor- goes so deep; children wishing to climb educate children and the public about mation on the exhibit and tour schedule, walls and have superhuman Spider-Man scientific principles in a fun and see www.marvelscienceexhibition.com. 36 Volume 31, Issue 4 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.