The Physics of Being a Superhero:
May 13th, 2002
Apparently a professor at the University of Minnesota is using comic books to teach physics. Like, how strong is Spiderman’s web? How much does the Flash need to eat to run around the globe? (Actually, I believe this was actually once addressed in Flash comics. I know that, according to the comics, the Flash has a “field” around him that prevents friction from getting in the way and slowing him down.)
This reminds me of a great essay written in the sixties by the science fiction author, Larry Niven, titled “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex (which of course is on the Web — god, I love Google) that illustrates why Superman would basically kill Lois Lane — or any regular woman — if he ever actually had sex with her. My favorite quote:
Ejaculation of semen is entirely involuntary in the human male, and in all other forms of terrestrial life. It would be unreasonable to assume otherwise for a kryptonian. But with kryptonian muscles behind it, Kal-El’s semen would emerge with the muzzle velocity of a machine gun bullet. (One can imagine that the Kent home in Smallville was riddled with holes during Superboy’s puberty. And why did Lana Lang never notice that?)