Course Code: SCIE 250
Academic Year: 2025-2026
Superheroes can face down villains, but can they stand up to science? By pushing the limits of what is possible, they allow us to probe true aspects of science in the real world. What feats of strength can actually be done, what can technology really achieve, and how might humanity evolve? Where is the line between science fact and science fiction in superhero stories? We discuss and critically consider the real science in case studies such as: Superman's flight, the Flash's speed, Ant-Man's size-changing, Iron Man's suits, Wonder Woman's lasso of truth, the mutations of the X-Men, and much more. Fictional characters and stories allow us to study real topics including relativity, quantum mechanics, space travel, evolution, artificial intelligence, etc. With great superpowers, comes great Science!