Sporting the slogan “More heroes! More villains! More SCIENCE!” on the cover, the second edition of The Physics of Superheroes, by James Kakalios, delivers the goods. Revamped since the first edition, with more examples and a new section on quantum mechanics, this book makes learning physics exciting and fun. No more “ball falling off a cliff” examples to demonstrate Newton’s F=ma. Instead, you learn how hard Superman would really have to push off to leap as high as a tall building. This is a book for comic book enthusiasts who never knew they liked science, or at least never thought they could explore the two at the same time.
Kakalios is a college physics professor, but not like any one I’ve ever met! While far from “real world” examples of angular momentum, electromagnetism, and materials science, Kakalios offers compelling illustrations of the principles of physics through Superman, the Flash, Electro, and other heroes in spandex. This book is a great way to get a resistant high school-age kid interested in science, and it’s a fun read for adults, too.
Book giveaway time!
We’re giving away three copies of The Physics of Superheroes! Just leave a comment, telling us your favorite comic book physics moment, even if you’re not sure of the science behind it (that’s what the book should teach you, right?). Please be sure to enter your email address in the “email” field (it won’t be published). The giveaway will close on Thursday, December 10th at 12pm PST.
ADVERTISEMENT
