Review of "DC Superhero Science," by Jennifer Hackett

 Review of

DC Superhero Science, by Jennifer Hackett ISBN 9781941367537

Five out of five stars

Physics explains the consequences, not the origins

 The members of the DC superhero group are capable of amazing things. While some like Batman, Robin and Green Arrow are simply highly skilled humans, others have superpowers. In this book, while the origins of those powers are not heavily discussed and explained, the physics behind those powers and the consequences are very well explained.

 For example, in order to understand Superman and Supergirl’s heat vision, it is necessary to understand how energy is transferred via electromagnetic waves. To see in the dark, it is necessary to be able to see differences in the thermal energy content of your surroundings. Super vision is explained by describing how the human eye accepts light and then transfers it to the brain for processing and interpretation.

 The most interesting segment is called “Can People Really Walk on Water?” It turns out that if a person were capable of running 67 miles per hour with normal sized feet, they could in fact walk on water. This is the speed necessary for the contact with the water to be so short that the water molecules could not move fast enough to allow the person to sink.

 This book is more a science book than it is a reference to DC superheroes. Those references help make the explanations more interesting.