A real world Spiderman (minus the genetic modifications)

French man Alain Robert on his third attempt climbing Petronas towers. His previous two attempts both failed when he was arrested at the 60th floor.

This time he makes it all the way to the top and stands in the clouds - victorious!!

March 2011: Alain Robert scales the world's tallest building in Dubai - 2,717 feet in 6 hours

Spiderman Tech - How could Spiderman climb walls?

Have you wondered how Spiderman can climb walls?

Let's look at how spiders can climb walls.  Spiders have claws on all of their 8 legs, which enable them to grasp onto the walls or other surfaces.  But Spiderman seems to have tiny hairs that help him climb to the top of a tall building.  These hairs create electrostatic forces (Van der Waals forces)

Van Der Waals forces, causes the hairs on the spider's feet to interact with surface on the molecular level. These hairs are very similar to spikes on the boots that ice climbers use to climb glaciers.  Except that the hairs on the spider's feet interact with the actual atoms on the wall's surface which help to generate forces that hold them onto the wall.  

For a more in depth explanation of Van Der Waals forces, check out the Khan Academy.

Start the video below at 6:40   

Scientists are also working on molecular type of Velcro which could allow humans to walk on walls like spiders do.  With enough tiny hairs in a piece of fabric, this material could be used to help astronauts move around in space or move large pieces of equipment.  

0:00 through 1:10 in the following video

Spiderman Tech - What is 'Spider-sense"?

Spider-sense - what does this look like? Would the world around you go in slow motion or is it like a radar that would permit additional reaction time to sense motion around you? How would it help Spiderman detect danger on the horizon? Do real spiders actually have a 'spider-sense"?

This could be explained through a spider's ability to sense vibrations and changes in air pressure. Spiders can feel things approaching be sensing changes in the environment. Maybe Spiderman can sense these changes through the use of trichobothria (a really fine hair that can perceive air currents and vibrations).

Play video at 4:35 - 6:30

Spiderman Tech - Could a human spin a web like a spider?

One of Spiderman's greatest tools are is web shooters.  How did these develop in the comic books and are they scientifically possible?  Find out how his abilities could be similar to Silly String!   (Start video at 3:30 to end) 

1. How strong and elastic is drag line silk?  
2. Spiders can lift great weights, which could be explained by their unique body structure.  How could Spiderman's super strength be explained through science?   Let's consider endorphins (pain-killing molecules that help humans perform incredible acts of strength under stress).  When you have an endorphin rush, you don't feel much pain.  (Start at 5:30) 

Also, check out a previous Science of Superheroes blog post on Spider Silk - Representing on a human scale

Can genetic engineering explain Peter Parker's / Spiderman's origins?

Spiderman has spider strength, spider strength and web shooting... and the ability to defy gravity!  How does Spiderman's powers hold up to scientific fact?  Which ones can be scientifically backed up, and which ones are pure science fiction?

Peter Parker gained his abilities after getting bit by a radioactive spider.  How much of this origin story could really happen?  Start the first video below at 3:40 to find out.

1. If an irradiated spider bites a person, will it transfer its radiation to the human?  
2. How might it be explained by genetic engineering?  

 

1. Transferring traits from one organism to another at the stage of inception is one things but...  is it possible to genetically modify a nearly grown man like Peter Parker?  The answer might be found in retroviruses (such as HIV) 
2. How could the genetic information passed along also help Peter Parker climb walls, shoot webs, and have the proportional strength of a spider?   (Beginning of video through 3:30)

Meet Magneto: Man of Magnetism

Magneto possesses the power to control all forms of magnetism. He can shape and manipulate magnetic fields that exist naturally or artificially. It is unclear, however, whether he must draw magnetic force from outside himself (if so, then he can do so over vast distances), or whether he can also generate magnetic force from within himself. Nor is it clear whether Magneto's power is psionic or purely physiological in nature. Magneto's power is, for all practical purposes, limitless. Moreover, he can use his magnetic powers in more than one way simultaneously. He can completely assemble a complicated machine within seconds through his powers. He can erect magnetic force fields with a high degree of impenetrability around himself for protection.

Although Magneto’s primary power is control over magnetism, he can also project or manipulate any form of energy that is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light, radio waves, ultraviolet light, gamma rays, and x-rays. However, Magneto almost always uses only magnetism, since it’s more difficult for him to manipulate other forms of energy. Magneto has also exhibited powers of astral projection and telepathy, and has claimed to be able to control the minds of others, though his abilities along these lines appear to be minimal.

Magneto’s ability to wield his superhuman powers effectively is dependent upon his physical condition. When severely injured, his body is unable to withstand the strain of manipulating great amounts of magnetic forces.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/universe/Magneto_(Max_Eisenhardt)#ixzz1jM5cF9Um

Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge

Gone and Forgotten

Gone & Forgotten is a blog dedicated to the bottom of the comic book barrel; the Secret Wars IIs, the Kitty Pryde and Wolverines, the Green Teams and John Targitts and the one time Krypto swore like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

This blog has been around in some form or the other since 1997 or so...

http://gone-and-forgotten.blogspot.com/

DC Comics' Plastic Man - The Power of Elasticity

Plastic Man is a super-hero whose unique completely malleable body chemistry allows him to stretch to great lengths and contort himself into any position imaginable. Originally a criminal nick-named "Eel" O'Brian, an accident in a chemical factory gave him his ability and he reformed to fight against crime. Woozy Winks is his bumbling best friend and side-kick. Despite being one of the most powerful entities on the planet because of the limitless nature of his powers, he has a care-free and humorous attitude towards life, leading many to not take him seriously. He has been a member of the Justice League, the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters. Plastic Man was created by Jack Cole, first appearing in Police Comics #1. (1941)


Malleable Physiology: Plastic Man's powers are derived from an accident in which his body was bathed in an unknown industrial chemical mixture that also entered into his bloodstream through a gunshot wound. This caused a body-wide mutagenic process that transformed his physiology. Eel exists in a fluid state, neither entirely liquid or solid. Plastic Man has complete control over his entire molecular structure.

• Elasticity/Plasticity: He can stretch his limbs and body to superhuman lengths and sizes. There is no known limit to how far he can stretch his body.

• Size Alteration: He can shrink himself down to a few inches tall (posed as one of Batman's utility belt pockets) or become a titan (the size of skyscrapers).

• Shape-Shifting: He can contort his body into various positions and sizes impossible for ordinary humans, such as being entirely flat so that he can slip under a door or using his fingers to pick conventional locks. He can also use it for disguise by changing the shape of his face and body. In addition, he can alter his bodily mass and physical constitution at will, there is virtually no limit to the sizes and shapes he can contort himself into.

• Superhuman Agility: These stretching powers grant Plastic Man heightened agility enabling him flexibility and coordination that is extraordinarily beyond the natural limits of the human body.

• Superhuman Strength: He can alter his strength by growing or adding more muscle.

• Color Change: The only limitation he has relates to color, which he cannot change without intense concentration. He generally does not use this ability and sticks to his red and yellow colored uniform. 

Source:  http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Plastic_Man

Meet Mr. Fantastic!

Powers and Abilities

Reed Richards gained the power of elasticity from irradiation by cosmic rays. He has the ability to convert his entire body into a highly malleable state at will, allowing him to stretch, deform, and reform himself into virtually any shape. Reed Richards has been observed as being able to utilize his stretching form in a variety of offensive and defensive manners, such as compressing himself into a ball and ricocheting into enemies or flattening himself into a trampoline or a parachute to rescue a teammate. Reed is also able to shape his hands into hammer and mace style weapons, and concentrate his mass into his fist. All of these feats used to require extreme concentration; however, due to mental and physical training, he can now perform these feats at will. The most extreme demonstration of Reed's powers is when at one point he was able to increase his size and mass to Thing-like proportions which also increased his physical strength.

Despite this, Reed Richards' strength comes more from the powers of his mind than the powers of his body; indeed, he once told Spider-Man that he considers his stretching powers to be expendable compared to his intellect (although it has been implied that Reed's intellect may be a result of his powers, as he once visited an alternate universe where his other self had never been exposed to cosmic rays and was notably less intelligent than him). For virtually his entire publication history, Richards has been depicted as the most intelligent human in the Marvel Universe. A visionary theoretician and an inspired machine smith, he has made breakthroughs in such varied fields as space travel, time travel, extra-dimensional travel, biochemistry, robotics, computers, synthetic polymers, communications, mutations, transportation, holography, energy generation, spectral analysis and more. However, he is never afraid to admit when others have greater expertise in certain fields than him (such as recognizing that Doctor Octopus possesses greater knowledge of radiation, that Hank Pym is a superior biochemist, or that Spider-Man can think of a problem from a biology perspective where he would be unable to do so, since his expertise is in physics.). Richards has earned Ph.D.s in mathematics, physics, and engineering. His patents are so valuable that he is able to bankroll the Fantastic Four, Inc., without any undue financial stress. Mind control is rarely effective on him and when it does work, it wears off sooner than it would a normal person, due to what he describes as an "elastic consciousness".
Richards is also an accomplished fighter due to his years of combat experience with the Fantastic Four, and has earned a black belt in judo.

Equipment and technology

Although the Fantastic Four have numerous devices, crafts, and weapons, there are some items that Reed Richards carries with him at all times.

Fantastiflare: Launches a fiery "4" into the sky that is used during combat situations to let other members of the group know their location.


Uniform Computer: Like all the Fantastic Four's costumes and the rest of Reed's wardrobe, his suit is made of "unstable molecules". This means that the suit is attuned to his powers, which is why Johnny's costume doesn't burn when he "flames on", Sue's costume turns invisible when she does, and Reed's costume stretches with him. The costume also insulates them from electrical assaults. In addition, the team's uniforms are also, in essence, wearable computers. Their costumes have a complete data processing and telemetry system woven into the material of the uniform on a molecular level. This forms a network with the entire team, providing a constant, real-time uplink of everyone's physical condition as well as their location and current situation. The suit is capable of displaying data and touch-pad controls on the gauntlets. Its sensors can track all of the team's uniforms and provide a picture of their immediate vicinity. The suit has an intricate scanner system which can detect things around the wearer, from how many people are in the next room to what dimension or planet they are on. Reed can also up-link the bodysuit to any computer by stretching his fingertips to filament size and plugging them into an I/O data-port. With this, Reed can establish a fairly comprehensive database of any computer's cybernetic protocols and encryption algorithms.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Fantastic

Meet X-Man Havok: Alex Summers

This summer, we'll explore superheroes who can use transfer large amounts of energy through methods such as concussive energy blasts. We'll conduct our experiments with a type of energy a little safer than Havok's though.. we'll be demonstrating and experimenting with lasers.

Havok is a mutant with the superhuman ability to absorb ambient cosmic energy into the cells of his body, transform it in an unknown manner, and release it as waves of energy that heat the air in their path enough to turn it into plasma, which is a super-heated state of matter consisting of charged subatomic particles. These waves will emanate from his body in all directions unless he purposefully tries to channel them in a single direction, usually along the length of his arms. Havok is himself immune to the intense heat he creates, as well as the power blasts generated by his brother Cyclops.

Marvel Universe Wiki: http://marvel.com/universe/Havok

Superhero Science in the News

A team of chemical engineers at Cornell have created a palm-sized device that could one day turn troops into human wall crawlers, using an adhesive bond inspired by beetles.

ABC News: Pentagon Funds Spider-Man Tech for Real-Life Wall Crawlers

Soldiers can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, yet. Seeing through walls — that’s a different story. Later this year, American troops fighting in Afghanistan will begin to get gadgets designed to peer inside buildings and detect the heartbeat of people buried under rubble. It’s not exactly Superman’s x-ray vision. But it’s not that far way from it, either.

ABC News: US Troops will see through walls in 2011

Spider-Man Tech - Genetic tune-ups

Batman Tech - The Utility Belt

Can Batman's cape turn into a wing?

Scientists are currently working on developing fabrics that could be considered to have memory, AKA Memory Fabrics. With the help of MR (magneto-rheological fluids) it is a fluid with metal particles in it, and when you apply a magnetic field, they line up and become stiff. The problem is the amount they move is very small and you would need a lot of them to have any effect on your cloth.

This video shows a demonstration of a ferrofluid reacting to a magnet. The black liquid contains water and tiny iron particles that react to the magnet, locking together and dragging the water along with them. The spikes form along the invisible lines of magnetic force.

Superhero Science Fiction - Becoming a Superhero!