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The Science of Superheroes
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
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Publisher's summary
The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.
If gamma rays can’t turn a 128-pound weakling into the Incredible Hulk, what could? Are Spider-Man’s powers really those of a spider? Could a person ever breathe water like a fish? From telepathy to teleportation, from cloning to cosmic rays, this vastly entertaining romp through the nexus of science and fantasy separates the possible from the plausible and the barely plausible from the utterly ridiculous.
With an introduction by author Dean Koontz.
(P)2002 Random House Inc.
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"Weinberg and Gresh tell it like it is - and how it would be, if our favorite comic book characters actually existed. The Science of Superheroes is a fascinating and entertaining examination of everything from astrophysics to genetic biology to the evolution of the 'superhero.'" (Mark Powers, editor, X-Men and Uncanny X-Men)
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The Science of Discworld
- A Novel
- By: Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen
- Narrated by: Michael Fenton Stevens, Stephen Briggs
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Not just another science audiobook and not just another Discworld novella, The Science of Discworld is a creative, mind-bending mash-up of fiction and fact, that offers a wizard’s-eye view of our world that will forever change how you look at the universe.
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Not the best Pratchett, but gets there in the end
- By Rachel on 07-30-14
By: Terry Pratchett, and others
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Exoplanets
- Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System
- By: Michael Summers
- Narrated by: Jon Bennett
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than 2,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. More exoplanets are being discovered all the time, remarkable in their variety. Astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore these remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space.
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FINALLY, an Attention-Grabbing Planet Book!
- By aaron on 05-11-17
By: Michael Summers
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The Unknown Universe
- A New Exploration of Time, Space and Cosmology
- By: Stuart Clark
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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On March 21, 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the big bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometers of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: We will never see the early universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology; on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.
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Everything, Absolutely Everything!
- By Gillian on 03-09-17
By: Stuart Clark
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Life on the Edge
- The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology
- By: Johnjoe McFadden, Jim Al-Khalili
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Life is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the known universe; but how did it come to be? Even in an age of cloning and artificial biology, the remarkable truth remains: Nobody has ever made anything living entirely out of dead material. Life remains the only way to make life. Are we still missing a vital ingredient in its creation?
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More woo than new
- By Gary on 09-09-15
By: Johnjoe McFadden, and others
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Confessions of an Alien Hunter
- A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- By: Seth Shostak
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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This engaging memoir reveals the true story of the Search for ExtraterrestrialIntelligence (SETI), and discloses what we may very soon discover. Chronicling the program’s history with insight and humor, SETI senior astronomer Seth Shostak assures us that if there is sentient life in the universe, we are within decades of picking up its signal.
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Somewhat Disappointed...
- By Tim on 11-12-10
By: Seth Shostak
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The Story of Western Science
- From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Far too often, public discussion of science is carried out by journalists, voters, and politicians who have received their science secondhand. The Story of Western Science shows us the joy and importance of reading groundbreaking science writing for ourselves and guides us back to the masterpieces that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.
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Good text, tedious book structure
- By Diane K. on 10-07-15
By: Susan Wise Bauer
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The Science of Rick and Morty
- The Unofficial Guide to Earth's Stupidest Show
- By: Matt Brady
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Blending biology, chemistry, and physics basics with accessible - and witty-prose, The Science of Rick and Morty equips you with the scientific foundation to thoroughly understand Rick's experiments from the show, such as how we can use dark matter and energy, just what is intelligence hacking, and whether or not you can really control a cockroach's nervous system with your tongue. Perfect for longtime and new fans of the show, this is the ultimate segue into discovering more about our complicated and fascinating universe.
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Some good science in here?
- By Darin Harbert on 02-06-20
By: Matt Brady
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13 Things That Don't Make Sense
- The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time
- By: Michael Brooks
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Science starts to get interesting when things don't make sense. Science's best-kept secret is that there are experimental results and reliable data that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. If history is any precedent, we should look to today's inexplicable results to forecast the future of science. Michael Brooks heads to the scientific frontier to meet 13 modern-day anomalies and discover tomorrow's breakthroughs.
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10 interesting chapters-read epiloge first
- By Stephen on 06-10-09
By: Michael Brooks
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The Physics of Star Trek
- By: Lawrence M. Krauss
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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What actually happens when the words, "beam me up, Scottie" are uttered? What "warps" when something travels at warp speed? Internationally renowned theoretical physicist and educator Lawrence M. Krauss provides matter-of-fact scientific explanations of the physics of Star Trek in this highly creative and informative guide for both the devoted Trekkie and the physics novice.
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Interesting Book. Quite Technical
- By Christopher B. on 12-07-04
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
- By: Timothy Ferris
- Narrated by: Timothy Ferris
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
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Humans have long sought to comprehend the enormities of cosmic space and time. Here, best selling science writer Timothy Ferris tells the story of that quest. He interweaves the majestic themes of astronomy, physics, religion, and philosophy with fresh and lasting portraits of the men and women who created what has been called our society's most precious treasure - its conception of the universe at large.
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Brief survey of discovery from Columbus to now
- By serine on 01-23-16
By: Timothy Ferris
What listeners say about The Science of Superheroes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Mark A. Brinkman
- 12-09-04
Beautifully done!
A grand mix of comic history, trivia, and science. Using the superheroes by nature or origin, they jump on subjects like black holes, relativity, genetics, evolution, probability of alien life, and more. As a follower of comics for decades, I was surprised at the detailed stories that were referenced and compared, some only a few years old. Whether a lover of DC or Marvel, you'll find something to interest you here. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Xmen -they're all here to some level or not.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Gregory
- 03-17-06
Super Discussion
The Science of Superhereos proved to be outstanding in two respects. First, it is a great history of comics for anyone who grew up reading comics.
But more than that, it excels ar discussing the science behond the fiction. Topics from many arreas of science are covered, including physics, astronomy, biology, evolution, and chemistry. The explanations are clear and easy to follow, even for someone with no background in science at all. It was also very entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of black holes and stellar evolution.
This book is highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Harry
- 04-23-11
Great Book Except a Little Inaccurate
I love the concept of this book. As a hardcore superhero fan I was delighted to find out that someone had gone through the trouble of answering the questions I had always wanted to know. The narrator was top notch and kept things interesting.
The only real problem I have with this book is the last chapter. Listening to the book, things kept building and getting better, I was actually on the edge of my seat trying to guess what the final question would be. Seriously on the edge of my seat over an educational science book - WEIRD!
The thing is that the last chapter was about Donald Duck comics. And while Donald Duck had a great comic I am sure, he is in no way, shape, or form a superhero or anything that resembles a superhero.
How could the authors get it so wrong. It should have been called the Science of Comics not of superheroes.
This small complaint last them a star but it is still a great book.
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- Brightblade
- 12-01-12
The One, Two Punch of Heroes!
Would you listen to The Science of Superheroes again? Why?
I think I will!
Any additional comments?
This is just a fun book. I even enjoyed the Donald Duck part. I have been looking for Heroes in modern books and sadly have found few. This book allowed me to spend some quality time with some true heroes. Thanks Audible!
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Overall
- LM
- 02-25-03
Fun read
This is an interesting book and answers a number of questions that just aren't relevant when you're deep into comic book reading. It's a good step back from the fantasy world and provides intriguing explanations on how each superhero is able to do the things they do. I wish there were more analysis on other superheroes. Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Batman were either inadequate or just plain boring. Spiderman, Atom, and Submariner explanations were ok. Maybe the author will write a second version with analysis on characters from the Avenger, Xmen, Ironman, and DareDevil.
This first book is too long on the history of comic books and short on analysis of the superpowers. Hopefully version 2 (if it comes out) will jump directly into the analysis of each superhero's powers and analyze more Marvel characters.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kona Guy
- 06-16-09
The Science of Superheroes
This is the second best Audible Book I've listened too! I highly recommend!
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Overall
- Cather
- 12-22-06
For comic book geeks only
If you're the sort of comic book geek that can listen to arguments about whether Superman could beat up Hyperion, this one is for you. If not--- well, no.
There's some cool comics history in here, and a lot of fairly good science used to split hairs.
The authors tackle Superman, Green Lantern, the Atom, Aquaman, Spider-Man, Batman, and many more. The premise of the book is actually pretty weak, as you KNOW Superman is just a comic book. And sometimes you wonder if they really needed to bother analysing a particular power. But these are times where you learn something... and it's startling to see what actually holds up.
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Overall
- Robert
- 06-01-05
Comics & Useful Science
This was actually a wonderful listen. The only downsides for me were that the ratio of science to superhero is well in favor of the science (although there is quite a bit of comic history, it certainly is not the books focus), and some of the "points" that come across are fairly obvious. On the other hand, there are many quite complex explanations that the authors boil down so that they are easy to understand even for a layman. The reader has a good voice and keeps a great pace throughout some of the longer explanations, which only enhances the learning experiance. While most of the information isn't useful on a day to day basis, it certainly couldn't hurt to know it!
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Overall
- Sheryl Mason
- 03-01-08
This is fun
This book, I admit, took me a few listens before I realised how good it was. To begin with, I found it boring, then I really listened to it. It's full of information that's both informative and funny (although some of it may be out of date by now). The narration is good and the prologue is particularly funny, having been written by Dean Koontz. It gets a bit boring again towards the end when the authors questions cartoonists about the future of comic books. All in all though, it's a good listen, showing where the story of a comic book very often neglects the science in preference to the storyline. For fans of both comics and science, it's illuminating.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Ron
- 11-10-09
Loved it
Very interesting, funny, informative, entertaining.
You have to have a slightly open mind, but most of the stuff was justified. This book attempts to explain and theorise at the same time, and it does well. There is a tonne of useful scientific knowledge to gain, and there are some interesting facts that are brought to light. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I'm not a HUGE comic book fan. Before the theory comes out for each superhero, there is a brief history which I liked. Nicely done over all.
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