Science of superheroes

Oh no! The city of Laniatus is under attack by the gigantic monster Lacerta! Luckily we have a trio of trusty superheroes ready to save the day. These superheroes are equipped with super strength - surely this superpower will defeat Lacerta and bring peace back to the city?

Quick, a bus full of children and cute puppies has fallen over the cliff! Unfortunately your super strength can’t help. Even if your arms were strong enough to physically catch the bus, the pressure of the falling vehicle would crumple it on impact.

Even if things didn’t crumple when you handled them, all your bones would. For super strength your bone density would have to increase significantly. Bones would need to be 6 times their current width. No wonder the Hulk can’t fit in those jeans!

We are surrounded by animals with real-life super strength. The average ant can lift objects 50 times its own body weight. An ant the size of an average human could lift a truck easily, using only its jaws. Don’t try that at home.

Although the laws of physics stop humans from lifting up vehicles using only our bare hands, technology can help some of the way. Bionic frames have been developed which allow people to carry up to 200 pounds for an extended period of time. 

Malum is at it again, this time using sharks equipped with laser beams to break into the Laniatus aquarium and making off with millions of dollars worth of spotted jewel fish. 

Luckily the city of Laniatus is the home of many kinds of superheroes and has sent their special crack team of heroes who have the awesome power of invisibility. This has to be the superpower to finally stop Malum once and for all….

Now I can’t see you! The problem with invisibility is light passes through you, which is the point. But our eyes work by light reflecting off the backs of our eyes. So if light is passing straight through, then you can’t see. 

Invisibility rules are hard. Are your clothes invisible? If not, you are walking around naked. Is your breakfast invisible? Or can you see a floating ball of cereal? Plus what about all the dust and dirt that lands on you during the day?

Meet the cuttlefish. If you can find him, that is. These animals are the undisputed masters of camouflage, able to change their skin to match almost any background. They also change their actual skin texture to create horns or fins.

Using a series of lenses, researchers have created what they call the Rochester cloak. They hope to use this technology in places like hospitals so surgeons can see through their hands, allowing them to see more of what’s going on inside the patient. 

Yeah, creating a beam of heat from your eyes just isn’t going to end well for organs filled with a jelly–like substance called vitreous humor. Let’s just leave it at that.