2011年1月7日 星期五

"The Physics of Superheroes" by James Kakalios


Do you like comic books? Did you ever like comic books? If the answer to both of these questions is "No," then you're not going to like this book.

For those of us who grew up on comic books, however, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into both the possible and impossible aspects of our favorite Marvel and DC superheroes.

The author sometimes acts as an consultant for big-screen incarnations of these same superheroes, so there is something in this book for movie watchers as well. There is a in great interview with him on the "Watchmen" DVD, for which he advised the film makers on how they might plausibly reconstruct Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's comics for the movie-going audience.

Another great thing about this book is that he uses The Flash throughout. Growing up, The Flash was always my favorite comic book character, and I was gratified to see him consistently use The Flash when talking about concepts such as Acceleration, Inertia, and even the possibility of Parallel Universes.

Anyone while likes both superheroes and science will love this book. Those who only like one or the other will probably find it difficult, irrelevant, or even silly.

I won't give this book any stars because it is a work of NON-fiction. I highly recommend it though. For the uninitiated, it is bound to change the way you look at both Physics and Superheroes.

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