A Comical Look at Real Physics

摘要

James Kakalios is a physicist who knows how to shrink the separation between physics and play. While his research is directed toward understanding the properties of amorphous semiconductors, he also investigates problems that can be grasped at a glance. He has studied the "Brazil nut problem"—why the large, heavy nuts seem to defy gravity and rise to the top when you shake a can of mixed nuts. And he has piled up sand to see how steep the slopes can get before the grains start to spill down the sides. Thus, it comes as no surprise that in The Physics of Superheroes Kakalios offers a droll but sincere look at what Superman and Spider-Man can teach about physics. Granting the one-time "miracle exceptions" that give super-heroes their powers in the first place, it turns out they can teach quite a lot.