PSU-IPPRO

As University of Minnesota physics professor James Kakalios discusses how he was tapped to add a physics perspective to the Warner Brothers movie, Watchmen. Kakalios discusses how quantum mechanics can explain Dr. Manhattan’s super human powers in the film, and how he came to become an expert on the topic of the physics of superheroes.

Fiction is purely imaginary and don’t really exist that’s all about it. It contains things that don’t really exist. If it didn’t then it would be factual reportage or another non-fiction genre. But just because it doesn’t really exist that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got something to say about things that DO exist. As the great Terry Pratchett once said, at bottom all fantasy universes are essentially our own universe dressed up a bit. That’s why we relate to fiction – it has something to say about things we really do experience, even if it says them by presenting an implicit contrast with things we absolutely do not experience and never will.

That is what differentiates much science fiction from other fantasy genres is that it wears its scientific idiom on its sleeve. That makes it a natural point of departure for saying things about actual science. Dr. Manhattan is supposed to utilize aspects of real physics to achieve what he does, and Alan Moore uses the language of science to present his character. Contrast this with, say, Tolkein’s Gandalf or Shakespeare’s Prospero, who also achieve similar effects with magic. You probably wouldn’t find a book called “the meteorology of The Tempest” which tries to explain oceanic microclimate with reference to the conjurations of Ariel, or “The Biology of Balrogs” which tries to explain whether a being of shadow and flame really could evolve in certain environmental conditions. The idiomatic consonance between something like Watchmen and actual scientific discourse makes it an appealing vehicle for exploring real science with a popular audience however.