Modern Physics: Destroying our dreams since 1543

Popular Science broke some horrible news earlier this year: Superheroes can never be real, because the laws of physics say so. I know this may come as a surprise, but it turns out that people cannot fly, control the weather or turn into a big, green stomping machine.

Sarcasm aside, it's pretty interesting to see what's preventing the human body from wearing brightly colored spandex in public accomplishing tasks that were once depicted in comic books.

Take our friend Superman, for instance.



Apparently he shouldn't be able to fly, as pointed out by Sir Isaac Newton, a physicist who died before Superman was even "born" into DC Comics. According to PS, Superman can only fly if he can "emit high-velocity streams of air through the pores of his skin," or do something equally as impossible.

The article also explains why seven other heroes cannot possibly exist in the real world, even though radiation and mutations are very, very real.

So before you throw out your Batman action figures and X-Men nightlight,* keep in mind that most of today's technology was deemed impossible sometime in the not-too-distant past. I'm not saying that I expect someone to go out and become Spiderman, but maybe someone will prove Newton — who didn't have indoor plumbing or air conditioning — wrong.

And really, how much fun could you possibly have with an Einstein action figure?




*And replace them with grown-up stuff like calculus and a mortgage.