(Super) Natural Science: The Real Science of Superheroes, Mythic Creatures, and the (Sci-Fi) Universe

Starships! Death Rays! Superheroes! Mutants! Monsters! The Multiverse! An astrophysicist (and science fiction fan) explores the scientific possibilities behind superhero superpowers, time travel, the supernatural, Bigfoot, ghosts, vampires, alien worlds, and much more!

Have you ever wondered whether we might someday teleport from place to place with transporters like those shown in Star Trek? Or pondered the existence of ghosts and the possibility of alien life visiting the Earth? Or debated whether being bitten by a radioactive spider might turn you into a superhero? From black holes to sentient robots to werewolves, astrophysicist Charles Liu investigates the real science of the supernatural, science fiction stories, mythology, folklore, fairy tales, and other wild, crazy, mysterious, spooky, fantastical, and sometimes real, sometimes not phenomena! Looking through a scientific lens, (Super) Natural Science: The Real Science of Superheroes, Mythic Creatures, and the (Sci-Fi) Universe probes the scientific foundations and frontiers of all things fantastic, including …

Charles Liu, Ph.D. is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island, an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, and host of the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu, as well as being a recurring guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk! Bringing the Universe Down to Earth podcast. He earned degrees in astronomy, astrophysics, and physics from Harvard and the University of Arizona, and he held postdoctoral positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and at Columbia University. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe. In addition to his research publications, Dr. Charles Liu also writes for students and general audiences, including Visible Ink Press’ popular The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book, The Handy Physics Answer Book, and The Handy Astronomy Answer Book; StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jeffery Lee Simons; and The Cosmos Explained. Among his many professional honors, Prof. Liu has been awarded the American Astronomical Society Education Prize and the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. He currently serves as president of the Astronomical Society of New York and is a fellow of the American Astronomical Society. Dr. Liu and his wife have three children.