Scientific laws and principles often play a significant role in superhero narratives. By adhering to these logical rules, the superhero realm can become more captivating and innovative, as seen in concepts like time travel in Avengers: Endgame or the advanced technology of Spider-Man.
Superhero narratives often do not adhere strictly to scientific principles, and Superman is no exception – Image: Internet.
Superman is not exempt from the scrutiny of standard scientific principles that can potentially undermine his superhuman abilities. The DC superhero can lift up to two tons without breaking a sweat, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and can melt the most solid materials with his heat vision, all while defying gravity and moving at incredible speeds.
However, considering the laws of physics and gravitational forces on Earth, do Superman’s abilities hold up? Could he truly be a superhuman under the constraints of our reality, given that many scientists, like Paul Byrne, have delved into this issue and concluded that all of Superman’s strengths hinge on the very gravity present in reality?
Does Superman’s super strength hold true on Earth?
Superman would possess super strength, but different under the gravitational field of Earth versus Krypton – Image: Internet.
In the comics, Kal-El/Clark Kent primarily draws his energy from the sun. However, Superman’s inherent strength is greatly affected by the gravitational differences between Earth and his home planet, Krypton. Krypton is a much larger planet compared to Earth, and the gravitational pull there is significantly weaker. Under Earth’s gravitational conditions, known as 1g, Superman can achieve incredible feats like bending a steel beam, since gravity does not heavily impact him.
Nevertheless, scientists argue that gravity alone cannot fully explain Superman’s extraordinary abilities. Byrne notes: “The gravitational force does not exert any influence or effect on this circumstance.” Byrne compares Superman’s situation to astronauts traveling to the Moon, where the gravity is only about 16% that of Earth. Here, a person would weigh 1/6 of their actual weight on Earth.
Scientists indicate that changes in gravitational field do not inherently increase a person’s strength to Superman levels – Image: Internet.
“Indeed, when on a planet with lower gravity than Earth, you may be able to jump higher. The gravitational force directed downwards at this time will exert less pressure on you,” Byrne explains. However, your body’s mass remains constant. The gravitational field changes across different planets due to their varying gravitational strengths, while body mass only refers to the matter contained within that body.
Thus, you might be able to lift lighter objects more easily, but you would not possess Superman-like super strength on another planet. And certainly, you wouldn’t reach Superman’s limits, as lifting a steel beam would be far less challenging under the low gravity on Earth.
“Whether on the Moon or anywhere else in the universe, it’s no different from Earth. Therefore, gravitational changes will not have much significance, even when factoring in Krypton’s six times greater gravity than Earth.”
Can Superman achieve superhuman strength while traveling to another planet?
How does the gravitational field on other planets affect Superman’s strength and capabilities? – Image: Internet.
Superman’s origin story has often led to debates about whether he could become a real superhero in the vast universe, where he would retain his strength proportional to the gravitational forces acting on him. However, scientists often argue that this notion is utterly nonsensical.
“To survive on another planet, you need to be more resilient, as it is quite difficult to move around here. However, simply traveling to another planet does not guarantee you will gain superhuman abilities,” Richard Muller, a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, shares.
Byrne provides a striking example with a planet having a weaker gravitational pull than Earth – namely, the Moon. And no astronaut has ever been able to achieve Superman’s superhuman strength just by stepping onto this celestial body. In reality, we need to maintain the 1g of Earth to sustain a strong gravitational force. Traveling to a location with lower gravity will make us feel weaker instead of stronger, as many people might assume.
“We would essentially be a system of weak support, and our muscles would need to counteract the effects of gravity,” Byrne explains. This scientist clarifies that astronauts would need to train their muscles daily to counteract the effects of low gravity on their physical condition. Such effects, in turn, could lead to difficulties in future space travel.
“Humans will surely face difficulties when existing in 1g conditions over time. And this principle applies to Superman’s situation as well,” Byrne concludes. Thus, if interplanetary travel does not grant us superhuman strength, what might we do while remaining on Earth?
Can a human become a Superman on Earth?
Humans need technological assistance to potentially transform into Superman in reality – Image: Internet.
In theory, one could develop superpowers on Earth. Biologist Michael Regnier shared with NBC News that a person with average capabilities could potentially enhance strength levels by six to seven times their own body strength. This fact explains why, in emergency situations, average people may be able to lift a car off someone trapped beneath it.
However, even if we fully tapped into our potential through training and enhanced muscle strength, it is unlikely we would ever reach the steel-bending strength of Superman. Nonetheless, humans could potentially overcome natural limitations with the help of robotic arms, exoskeletons, and other devices designed to assist in enhancing human strength. This may sound far-fetched and resemble concepts in speculative science fiction, but it is much closer to reality than we think.
“Robotic limbs surely have more potential than human limbs,” Philip Brey, a philosophy professor and technology expert at the University of Twente, remarks. Meanwhile, Robert Gaunt, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, adds that robots have already helped many individuals recover or replace functions lost to injury, partially through brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which connect the brain to external devices.
External exoskeletons can help humans enhance their physical capabilities – Image: Internet.
“Ultimately, brain-computer interfaces cannot allow a person to become stronger in the same way as Superman. But theoretically, they could be used to control a body with a size equivalent to that of a person, similar to Iron Man,” Gaunt clarifies.
“We have all the necessary materials for construction, from joints and motors to power systems and signal transmission, processing units,” Lenzi further explains, “We just don’t know how to build them into a functioning system that could assist with a human’s physical capabilities.”
At present, superhuman strength remains a very distant concept for us. However, advancements in technology could bring us closer to the possibility of becoming Superman outside of reality.
