Batman’s life depends on the gadgets he stores in his Utility Belt. But is any of that gear real? The answer may surprise you. Look inside to learn how the tools in Batman’s Utility Belt are rooted in real-world science and engineering.
Batman often takes to the skies to fight crime in Gotham City. But are the high-flying features in his aircraft real? The answer may surprise you. Look inside to explore how the features in the Batplane and Batcopter are rooted in real-world science and engineering.
Batman depends on his Batsuit to protect him. But are the high-tech features in his body armor real? The answer may surprise you. Look inside to explore how the Batsuit's features are rooted in real-world science and engineering.
Batman rules the streets of Gotham City. But are the high-tech features in his road vehicles real? The answer may surprise you. Look inside to explore how the features in the Batmobile and Batcycle are rooted in real-world science and engineering.
Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it? Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman? Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian. A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable—though extreme—level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.
The truth about superpowers . . . science fact or science fiction? Superman, Batman, The X-Men, Flash, Spider Man . . . they protect us from evildoers, defend truth and justice, and, occasionally, save our planet from certain doom. Yet, how much do we understand about their powers? In this engaging yet serious work, Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg attempt to answer that question once and for all. From X-ray vision to psychokinesis, invisibility to lightspeed locomotion, they take a hard, scientific look at the powers possessed by all of our most revered superheroes, and a few of the lesser ones, in an attempt to sort fact from fantasy. In the process, they unearth some shocking truths that will unsettle, alarm, and even terrify all but the most fiendish of supervillains.
When it comes to fighting crime, technology is Batman's greatest weapon. From his gadget-packed Utility Belt to his high-tech Batmobile, the Dark Knight tackles Gotham's criminal underworld. But does any of his gear have a basis in reality? Or is it merely the stuff of fiction? Batman Tech uncovers the real-world connections behind Batman's equipment, and much of it will surprise you Accessible text, photos and Batman illustrations combine to reveal the real science and engineering behind Batman's fictional world.