Articles

• A Super Return for Superhero Science and Technology

  In 2017, I established the open access journal Superhero Science and Technology to provide researchers with a unique publishing medium to share their scientific findings with a diverse readership. In modern popular culture, superheroes are commonplace thanks to a host of successful TV series and films, and the reinvigorated interest in the source comic books. The high box office figures alone are testament to the popularity of the genre, which looks set to continue with a large number of films and TV series planned for the next decade.

  In 2017, I established the open access journal Superhero Science and Technology to provide researchers with a unique publishing medium to share their scientific findings with a diverse readership. In modern popular culture, superheroes are commonplace thanks to a host of successful TV series and films, and the reinvigorated interest in the source comic books. The high box office figures alone are testament to the popularity of the genre, which looks set to continue with a large number of films and TV series planned for the next decade.

  In 2017, I established the open access journal Superhero Science and Technology to provide researchers with a unique publishing medium to share their scientific findings with a diverse readership. In modern popular culture, superheroes are commonplace thanks to a host of...

  Barry W Fitzgerald

  1-4

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• How fast can Evangelion run? Application of aerodynamics and scaling laws to the Super Robot

  Super robots are huge, powerful robots that protect mankind from various invaders, and thus these superheroes are the main figures in many science fiction movies and Japanese animations. Among them, Evangelions have been a very popular type of super robot since the 1990s given that the animation series Neon Genesis Evangelion has been globally influential in various pop cultures. Evangelions (also called Evas) are cyborgs comprised of huge human body and robotic systems, and in the animation series, they often run at seemingly high speeds, which is quite different from traditional super robots. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the running speed of Evangelions based on known scientific facts. First, we measured the running speed of Eva Unit 01 (Eva-01) to be between 910 and 980 m/s based on its step length measured in movie scenes, and the Mach cone formed behind Eva-01. Second, we employed scaling laws known for animals and find that the maximum running speed of Eva-01 is 0.9 m/s. This striking difference between the anime-based speed and the physics-based speed raises a question as to how Eva-01 can run at such a high speed, and we conjecture that the cyborg can do so due to internally stored electrical power.

  Super robots are huge, powerful robots that protect mankind from various invaders, and thus these superheroes are the main figures in many science fiction movies and Japanese animations. Among them, Evangelions have been a very popular type of super robot since the 1990s given that the animation series Neon Genesis Evangelion has been globally influential in various pop cultures. Evangelions (also called Evas) are cyborgs comprised of huge human body and robotic systems, and in the animation series, they often run at seemingly high speeds, which is quite different from traditional super robots. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the running speed of Evangelions based on known scientific facts. First, we measured the running speed of Eva Unit 01 (Eva-01) to be between 910 and 980 m/s based on its step length measured in movie scenes, and the Mach cone formed behind Eva-01. Second, we employed scaling laws known for animals and find that the maximum running speed of...

  Super robots are huge, powerful robots that protect mankind from various invaders, and thus these superheroes are the main figures in many science fiction movies and Japanese animations. Among them, Evangelions have been a very popular type of super robot since the 1990s given that...

  Sangjin Ryu, Haipeng Zhang, Markeya Peteranetz, Tareq Daher

  5-12

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• Responsible deployment of a projectile device in society

  The superhero genre includes numerous examples of highly advanced technologies such as the Iron Man suit, the trick arrows used by Hawkeye, and the shrinking suit of Hope van Dyne (the Wasp). Another technology is the War Machine suit – an exoskeleton suit worn by Colonel James Rhodes. The War Machine suit is home to a plethora of weapons such as a Gatling gun. In this paper we present a prototype of a projectile device based on coils, which we constructed ourselves, that can replicate the projectile capability of a traditional projectile device. However, unlike traditional projection technologies, we imagine that this device could be used for the benefit of society to improve transportation systems and upgrade space travel.

  The superhero genre includes numerous examples of highly advanced technologies such as the Iron Man suit, the trick arrows used by Hawkeye, and the shrinking suit of Hope van Dyne (the Wasp). Another technology is the War Machine suit – an exoskeleton suit worn by Colonel James Rhodes. The War Machine suit is home to a plethora of weapons such as a Gatling gun. In this paper we present a prototype of a projectile device based on coils, which we constructed ourselves, that can replicate the projectile capability of a traditional projectile device. However, unlike traditional projection technologies, we imagine that this device could be used for the benefit of society to improve transportation systems and upgrade space travel.

  The superhero genre includes numerous examples of highly advanced technologies such as the Iron Man suit, the trick arrows used by Hawkeye, and the shrinking suit of Hope van Dyne (the Wasp). Another technology is the War Machine suit – an exoskeleton suit worn by Colonel James...

  Beau van der Meer, Jip Harthoorn

  13-18

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• Manipulating matter with a snap of your fingers

  Being able to manipulate matter has been a long-standing goal in material science. Would it not be amazing if we could control matter on the grand scale that Thanos does when in possession of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War? In this paper, we evaluate how far mankind has come in the pursuit of Thanos-like matter manipulation powers. As the properties of everyday objects are directly linked to the spatial organization of the elementary building blocks on the micro- or even nano-scale, control on these length scales is crucial. In this respect, the use of colloids is a promising strategy. Colloids are characterized by dimensions in between those of atoms and macroscopic objects such as a chemistry textbook and your smartphone. Although colloidal particles are small enough to display behaviour reminiscent of that of atoms and molecules, they are big enough for scientists to manipulate them on the single-particle level. By playing with the shape and chemistry of these colloids, materials that are sensitive to external triggers, such as light or temperature, can be created. By controlling the trigger, the colloidal matter can be manipulated, formed, or destroyed. Clearly, at the microscale, we can compete with Thanos, even without the Infinity Stones.

  Being able to manipulate matter has been a long-standing goal in material science. Would it not be amazing if we could control matter on the grand scale that Thanos does when in possession of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War? In this paper, we evaluate how far mankind has come in the pursuit of Thanos-like matter manipulation powers. As the properties of everyday objects are directly linked to the spatial organization of the elementary building blocks on the micro- or even nano-scale, control on these length scales is crucial. In this respect, the use of colloids is a promising strategy. Colloids are characterized by dimensions in between those of atoms and macroscopic objects such as a chemistry textbook and your smartphone. Although colloidal particles are small enough to display behaviour reminiscent of that of atoms and molecules, they are big enough for scientists to manipulate them on the single-particle level. By playing with the shape and...

  Being able to manipulate matter has been a long-standing goal in material science. Would it not be amazing if we could control matter on the grand scale that Thanos does when in possession of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War? In this paper, we evaluate how far...

  Bas G.P. van Ravensteijn, Jose R. Magana, Ilja K. Voets

  19-30

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