Using Superheroes to Engage the Public

Costumed superheroes seem to dominate our movie and television screens, making them an excellent delivery system to bring real physics to the general public. While the super powers these characters possess clearly violate the laws of nature, often times how the super-heroes and super-villains utilize their powers is consistent with known physical laws. One can therefore leverage the public’s interest in these characters to illustrate and explain the physics principles that underlie their fantastic adventures. A discussion of the strength of Spider-Man’s webbing can lead to the real physics of carbon nanotubes. What metal would be strong enough for Wonder Woman’s bullet deflecting bracelets? One can draw the connection between the Black Panther’s vibranium suit and conservation of energy, while the Infinity Stones (the MacGuffin of the last 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films) can be related to Emmy Noether and her theorem explicating a deep connection between all conservation principles and symmetries in the laws of physics. People come for the superhero ice cream sundae, and stay for the real science. If superheroes can help explain physics and the benefits of research to the general public – well, it wouldn’t be the first time these heroes have saved the day!