Quick, what's the one piece of technology in the Iron Man saga that you want the most? If you said "Powersuits!" you're thinking small, my friend. Why not ask for the computer program that can build powersuits for you?? I am of course referring to the artificially superintelligent computer system known as J.A.R.V.I.S. Just look at the work Tony Stark does and think of how much more quickly you could design robots with that kind of software: Jarvis was originally a human butler in the Iron Man comic mythos. You could say he was the Alfred of the Marvel universe for the Stark family. After Edwin Jarvis's death, Tony Stark created an artificial intelligence system integrated into his home and powersuits called J.A.R.V.I.S. In a convoluted name worthy of its British-ness, J.A.R.V.I.S. was said to be an acronym for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. There are so many cool features about this computer system that can think, build fantastical machines, and instinctively call your girlfriend when you're afraid you're about to die. One of the greatest, I think we can all agree, is the seamless user interface between Tony's body and J.A.R.V.I.S. And thanks to new technology, we're getting closer to breaking down those barriers and reaching into the computer! There is another sci-fi interface system that eliminates intermediates like mice and keyboards, but still doesn't break all the way through the monitor. Remember the video-viewing system the Pre-Crime Unit used in Minority Report? If you thought that looked like a pretty real, stream-lined system, that's because the computer scientist consulting on the film basically used the movie as a product pitch for a new user interface (and did it more subtly than Lexus did). John Underkoffler and his team didn't go halfway when designing futuristic computers. To enhance the believability of the interface, they developed an entire language of gestures beyond what would be used in the scenes. Even that little glitch where Tom Cruise goes to shake Colin Farrell's hand and accidentally minimizes what he's looking at was a purposeful mistake to show how natural and responsive the system was. Watch Underkoffler demonstrate his gestural user interface and some other novel technologies for integrating computer displays into physical space in this TED Talk: It's always a pleasure to watch science fiction movies and realize how close we are to commercializing such incredible technology. Computer systems are usually one of the most instantly gratifying of these phenomena because the field is progressing at such a rapid pace. Who knows what kind of amazing 3D system we'll be using soon to waste time on the internet! Oh,and if the gloves looked at all familiar, it's because they hearken back to a more ancient technology from a more laughable movie:
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One scientific aspect that is glossed over too often in superhero stories is the energy required to perform amazing acts. Athletes and body builders with strictly high calorie, high protein diets can tell you that super strength and speed don't come without costs! Many of the powers demonstrated by beloved characters would be impossible without one additional ability: super eating. Let's cut the writers some slack, it would be boring if any movie or show included too much everyday stuff like sleeping and eating, even though that's what people realistically spend most of their time doing. But some good entertainment does take a moment to acknowledge the necessity of super nutrition. For example, the Justice League cartoon frequently makes references to the Flash's abilities to eat as fast as he can do everything else. Unfortunately they don't mention that everyone else on the team would have to eat just as much! Green Lantern has a power ring as a primary energy source, and Batman has upper-range human abilities, but both of them would still have to chow down frequently to maintain their crime-fighting shape. The only exception might be Superman if he really can perform photosynthesis. Although he would still need to consume plenty of nutrients for the raw materials for said synthesis. What they really needed in their Watchtower satellite headquarters was a live-in team of chefs and 24-hour buffet! So how much would the Flash have to eat to run as fast as he does? Again I’m going to borrow some mathematical expertise from James Kakalios’ The Physics of Superheroes in calculating the Flash’s metabolic requirements for super speed. It’s well known that the Flash can run at velocities close to the speed of light, so Kakalios uses a conservative example of 1% of the speed of light to estimate his kinetic energy given a body mass of 70 kilograms. The total comes to a whopping 75 billion Calories/kilocalories! That adds up to 136 million Big Macs, so Barry Allen needs to eat constantly at the same rate he runs. What it comes down to is that the Flash is physically impossible. The comics explained this by saying the Scarlet Speedster’s powers allow him to tap into the “Speed Force” to provide the excess energy needed for his antics. Use the Force, Flash! Now I’m going to add some calculations of my own modeled after the summer blockbuster Iron Man 3. One of the biggest factual holes in the plot was how the Extremis villains were capable of regenerating so quickly AND having enough energy to create searing heat on top of that. Sure, all cellular work has some waste energy lost as heat, but this is ridiculous! The example easiest to calculate for is the scene where Aldrich Killian forces Colonel Rhodes out of the Iron Patriot suit by heating it up. Let's start by assuming that the metal of the suit gets close to its melting point before it triggers the safety release. I'm going to say that about 15kg of the suit material gets heated to that degree since Killian is just focusing on the abdominal area, and from there we can use the specific heat and melting point of the metal it's made of to calculate and approximate amount of energy required to accomplish the feat. What if the Iron Patriot was really made of iron? Iron has a specific heat of 0.108 kcal/kg/°C, so that's how many Calories are required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of iron by one degree Celcius. Now we can calculate that to raise iron from room temperature (20°C) to its melting point (1,538°C) it would take 2,459 kcal! That's more than most people consume in one day and he just blew it in 5 minutes. That is if that heat transfer process was 100% efficient (spoiler alert: it's not). Still, he can make up for it with a believably large lunch of 2 Big Macs, 2 large fries, and a large Coke to wash it all down. This is still a conservative estimate, however, since the Iron Patriot is probably made out of something stronger. Like say, titanium. (Well, a titanium alloy actually, but let's stick to simple elements.) With a specific heat of 0.125 kcal/kg/°C and a melting point at 1,668°C, Aldrich needs a modest 3090 Calories to open up the suit. To cover that cost, he'll need to take a trip to Outback Steakhouse and eat one and a half bloomin' onions! Gross right? The last calculation I'll make is purely for fun: what if Rhodey's suit was hilariously made up of Rhodium? This would be a poor choice as it's a less sturdy metal. It's specific heat is only 0.058 kcal/kg/°C, but with a melting point at 1,963°C there's some distance to cover. The total comes to 1,690 Calories, so at least that's within range for normal human consumption. The main point is that a whole day's worth of food is burned up in a few minutes, and then these guys keep doing even more extraordinary fire acts throughout the movie! It's just not feasible without them refueling in between every superheated punch. Okay, so the powers of the Extremis virus were definitely exaggerated. It comforts me to know that there are some physical laws that prevent scientists from turning people into human bombs accidentally. But the idea of using a virus to alter organisms' DNA? That's totally legitimate! These Hollywood people hire science consultants to make sure they don't get everything wrong. The NAS's Science and Entertainment Exchange did work on Iron Man 2 and other Avengers-related movies, but I can't find a specific scientist credit for Iron Man 3. Now that you know that most superheroes are metabolically impossible without a fictional miracle exception, there are two ways to cope with this letdown.
For example, when Captain American is feeling down in his eponymous film after losing his good friend Bucky, he hides himself in the rubble of a former bar and fails to drink his worries away because he metabolizes the alcohol too fast to feel the effects. I like to imagine that he only turned to liquor after rummaging around for abandoned food to satisfy his unending hunger! The next time you see a big elaborate hideout, think to yourself: "Where's the food?" Wayne Manor doesn't have a lot of staff (or probably any) besides Alfred, so Batman probably doesn't have a team of chefs. But what if he used his gadget powers to build a breakfast-making machine that could be operated by one person? Every eccentric genius has one of those! Going back to Iron Man 3, it makes a lot of sense that in addition to all the other luxuries they had to make the Mandarin's mansion nice and comfy there would be an army of cooks pumping out food for all of the Extremis gang. And I know we see a lot of the helicarrier in The Avengers, but I would bet that the unseen sections are as large of kitchens as can be made airborne. What happens when the heroes are out adventuring? Utility belts can hold more than just weapons and toys. They're probably chock full of granola bars and trail mix! When you get to skintight costumes the thought exercise becomes more challenging. You can either think of really creative ways that the hero hides food on their person or admire their excellent foraging skills in adverse situations. I sincerely hope this game enhances your next viewing experience!
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Alanna DurkinExploring the realm of biologically inspired design one superhero example at a time, with some other natural sciences mixed in. Archives
September 2016
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