The Science of Superheroes

De: Lois Gresh, Robert Weinberg

Narrado por: Oliver Wyman

The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.

If gamma rays can’t turn a 128-pound weakling into the Incredible Hulk, what could? Are Spider-Man’s powers really those of a spider? Could a person ever breathe water like a fish? From telepathy to teleportation, from cloning to cosmic rays, this vastly entertaining romp through the nexus of science and fantasy separates the possible from the plausible and the barely plausible from the utterly ridiculous.

With an introduction by author Dean Koontz.Executive Producer: Dan Zitt
©2002 by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg
(P)2002 Random House Inc.

Beautifully done!

A grand mix of comic history, trivia, and science. Using the superheroes by nature or origin, they jump on subjects like black holes, relativity, genetics, evolution, probability of alien life, and more. As a follower of comics for decades, I was surprised at the detailed stories that were referenced and compared, some only a few years old. Whether a lover of DC or Marvel, you'll find something to interest you here. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Xmen -they're all here to some level or not.

Super Discussion

The Science of Superhereos proved to be outstanding in two respects. First, it is a great history of comics for anyone who grew up reading comics.

But more than that, it excels ar discussing the science behond the fiction. Topics from many arreas of science are covered, including physics, astronomy, biology, evolution, and chemistry. The explanations are clear and easy to follow, even for someone with no background in science at all. It was also very entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of black holes and stellar evolution.

This book is highly recommended.

Great Book Except a Little Inaccurate

I love the concept of this book. As a hardcore superhero fan I was delighted to find out that someone had gone through the trouble of answering the questions I had always wanted to know. The narrator was top notch and kept things interesting.
The only real problem I have with this book is the last chapter. Listening to the book, things kept building and getting better, I was actually on the edge of my seat trying to guess what the final question would be. Seriously on the edge of my seat over an educational science book - WEIRD!
The thing is that the last chapter was about Donald Duck comics. And while Donald Duck had a great comic I am sure, he is in no way, shape, or form a superhero or anything that resembles a superhero.
How could the authors get it so wrong. It should have been called the Science of Comics not of superheroes.
This small complaint last them a star but it is still a great book.

The One, Two Punch of Heroes!

Would you listen to The Science of Superheroes again? Why?

I think I will!

Any additional comments?

This is just a fun book. I even enjoyed the Donald Duck part. I have been looking for Heroes in modern books and sadly have found few. This book allowed me to spend some quality time with some true heroes. Thanks Audible!

Fun read

This is an interesting book and answers a number of questions that just aren't relevant when you're deep into comic book reading. It's a good step back from the fantasy world and provides intriguing explanations on how each superhero is able to do the things they do. I wish there were more analysis on other superheroes. Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Batman were either inadequate or just plain boring. Spiderman, Atom, and Submariner explanations were ok. Maybe the author will write a second version with analysis on characters from the Avenger, Xmen, Ironman, and DareDevil.

This first book is too long on the history of comic books and short on analysis of the superpowers. Hopefully version 2 (if it comes out) will jump directly into the analysis of each superhero's powers and analyze more Marvel characters.