James Kakalios

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James Kakalios


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James Kakalios is a physics professor at the University of Minnesota. Known within the scientific community for his work with amorphous semiconductors, granular materials, and 1/f noise, he is known to the general public as the author of the book The Physics of Superheroes, which considers comic book superheroes from the standpoint of fundamental physics.
Kakalios, who earned PhD from the University of Chicago in 1985, began his comic book collection as a graduate student as a way to relieve stress. At Minnesota, he taught a freshman seminar that focused on the physics of superheroes as a way to motivate students to think about physics. This course gained great popularity as an enticing alternative to the typical inclined planes and pulleys
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Average rating: 3.76 · 5,057 ratings · 648 reviews · 12 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Physics of Superheroes

3.93 avg rating — 2,692 ratings — published 2006 — 36 editions
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The Physics of Everyday Thi...

3.33 avg rating — 1,029 ratings — published 2017 — 11 editions
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The Amazing Story of Quantu...

3.76 avg rating — 758 ratings — published 2010 — 4 editions
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Becoming Batman: The Possib...

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3.62 avg rating — 420 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions
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Teenagers from the Future: ...

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3.86 avg rating — 134 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions
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The Physics of Superheroes ...

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 12 ratings
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Gündelik Hayatta Fizik

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3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings
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Physik der Superhelden

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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The Physics of Superheroes

0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings2 editions
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The Amazing Story of Quantu...

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Quotes by James Kakalios  (?)
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“At one point in the story, following a brazen daytime bank robbery, Electro is shown escaping from the authorities by climbing up the side of a building, as easily as Spider-Man . . . we see one observer exclaim, "Look!! That strangely-garbed man is racing up the side of the building!" A second man on the street picks up the narrative: "He's holding on to the iron beams in the building by means of electric rays—using them like a magnet!! Incredible!"

There are three feelings inspired by this scene. The first is wonder as to why people rarely use the phrase "strangely-garbed" anymore. The second is nostalgia for the bygone era when pedestrians would routinely narrate events occurring in front of them, providing exposition for any casual bystander. And the third is pleasure at the realization that Electro's climbing this building is actually a physically plausible use of his powers.”
James Kakalios, The Physics of Superheroes

“Physics is not about having memorized all the answers, but rather about asking the right questions. For when the right question is posed of a phenomenon, either the answer becomes clear or at least a path to further and more fruitful questioning is revealed.”
James Kakalios, The Physics of Superheroes

“There'd be no molecules, no chemistry and, hence, no life without static cling.”
James Kakalios, The Physics of Superheroes
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