tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/spiderman-14640/articlesSpiderman – The Conversation2019-02-06T23:40:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1107522019-02-06T23:40:04Z2019-02-06T23:40:04ZWhat ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ can teach us about resilience<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256657/original/file-20190131-75085-u1s194.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), and Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) in 'Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What can the movie <em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> teach us about child development?</p>
<p>All stories and fairy tales contain symbols and archetypes. These are what make <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/media-lab/cmns320_06/readings/bettelheim.pdf">stories universal and relatable to everyone</a>. Such symbols and archetypes can represent human conflicts, struggles or experiences we have or may encounter — such as trauma and loss. </p>
<p>Stories provide us with options for how to deal with the adversity we face. They provide a way of experiencing how things could be resolved and show us that we are not alone in how we feel or experience events. </p>
<p>The film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/"><em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em></a> helps us to learn the importance of relying on people and fighting through life’s adversity to save ourselves and the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Miles Morales played by Shameik Moore in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Resilience is the process of adapting to adversity, the ability to bounce back after difficult experiences throughout life. It helps children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty — <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/resilience-game/">think of it as a balancing scale</a>, with protective or positive experiences and coping skills on one side and adversity or negative experiences on the other. </p>
<p>Resilience is evident when the scale tips to the positive experiences even when there is a heavy load on adversity. </p>
<p><em>Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> shares this message of resilience, frequently encouraging the main character, Miles Morales, to get up and keep fighting. In one scene, Peter Parker tells Miles:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“No matter how many hits I take, I always find a way to come back.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The theme of bouncing back and continuing the fight is consistent throughout the film. </p>
<p>As viewers watching the film, we find ourselves rooting for a teenage boy who has newly developed superhero abilities and is struggling to become a hero: Spiderman.</p>
<h2>Strong together</h2>
<p>The story is about the Spider-heroes throughout the multiverse who come together to help Miles Morales learn how to be a hero, to be himself, to fight through the pain, loss and tragedy. </p>
<p>It’s a reminder that we are not on our own and that we need each other; we are stronger together. It reminds us of the importance of connection, relationships and asking for help. </p>
<p>Relationships help children develop the ability to <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">monitor, plan and regulate behaviour as well as adapt to changes which help children respond to adversity</a>.</p>
<p>Miles Morales searches for the support of loved ones. <a href="http://origin-flash.sonypictures.com/ist/awards_screenplays/SV_screenplay.pdf">His mom supports him, while reminding him</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Our family doesn’t run from things.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Research indicates the <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">most common factor for children who do well after experiencing a trauma or stressful time is to have the support of at least one loving and committed relationship</a>, such as with a parent. </p>
<p>Such relationships are the most important factor in building resilience. They protect children from negative outcomes by providing a loving, personalized response while helping the child understand and manage their feelings. </p>
<p>Important relationships help Miles cope and discover who he is and his capabilities. <a href="http://time.com/5468861/spider-man-into-the-spiderverse-is-characters/">Peter’s friend Gwen Stacy</a> tells Miles: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I know how hard it is to have to figure this stuff out on your own. It’s kind of nice not being the only Spider person around.” </p>
<p>“We are probably the only ones who… understand.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://marvel-movies.fandom.com/wiki/Aaron_Davis_(Into_the_Spider-Verse)">And Uncle Aaron says</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You are the best of all of us, Miles.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Relationships help children develop the ability to <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">monitor, plan and regulate behaviour as well as adapt to changes</a>.</p>
<p>This process is a critical aspect of learning to cope with manageable threats. The movie tells us we cannot do that all on our own. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Peter Parker serves as Miles Morales’s reluctant mentor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miles’s dad speaks to him through a closed door and says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I see this…this spark in you. It’s amazing, it’s why I
push you.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>But Miles’s father also tells Miles the spark is his and whatever he chooses to do with it, he’ll be great. Then he tells him:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I love you… You don’t have to say it back though.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are important lessons for children and parents. </p>
<p>When adversity or stress feels overwhelming to the child and the parent is not available, the stress can feel toxic and create an opportunity for more negative outcomes. </p>
<p>This movie is a great reminder that not all stress or adversity is harmful.</p>
<h2>Takeaway tips</h2>
<p><em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> provides important tips for helping children develop resilience:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make connections: Create a strong family network and teach your child how to be a friend and make friends. This will help deal with stress. </p></li>
<li><p>Help your child remember they are not alone and others may feel as they do at times. This is important for trusting others and developing empathy.</p></li>
<li><p>Teach children how to move towards goals: focus on accomplishments rather than failures. Break down the desired outcome into smaller achievable goals and support your child in seeing them through.</p></li>
<li><p>Nurture a positive self-view and keep things in perspective: in this way, a child learns to trust their ideas, solve problems and make appropriate decisions, to understand past challenges, to build strength to handle future challenges. </p></li>
<li><p>Look for opportunities for self-discovery: tough times are often when children learn the most about themselves. Help your child look at what they can learn from whatever they are facing.</p></li>
</ol>
<p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-stan-lee-cameo-2018-12">The movie ends with a quote from Stan Lee</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s a beautiful message reminding us the importance of resilience and connection with others. These are two key factors in childhood development that will help our future generations become healthy and productive citizens — and save the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110752/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nikki Martyn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even superheroes can’t do it alone – relationships are the most important factor in protecting us from negative outcomes and teaching us adversity doesn’t have to be harmful.Nikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-HumberLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1096152019-01-22T11:49:45Z2019-01-22T11:49:45ZLessons from ‘Spider-Man’: How video games could change college science education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253094/original/file-20190109-32127-zrjg01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The new 'Spider-Man' video game isn't just fun and games – it's also science.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://insomniac.games/game/spider-man-ps4/">Marvel / Insomniac Games</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Like many people over the holidays, I spent some time – maybe too much – playing one of the most popular and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/17/18137458/best-video-games-2018-xbox-ps4-switch">best reviewed</a> video games of 2018: “<a href="https://insomniac.games/game/spider-man-ps4/">Spider-Man</a>.”</p>
<p>While I thought I’d be taking a break from chemistry research, I found myself web-swinging through virtual research missions all over New York City. I collected samples of <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/pahs_factsheet_cdc_2013.pdf">polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons</a> in Hell’s Kitchen, studied vehicle emissions in Chinatown and determined the chemical composition of atmospheric <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution">particulate matter</a> in Midtown.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zWxpIpFgUMU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>“Spider-Man” has many of these eco-friendly research missions. But what I found most encouraging is that the game also includes tools that can potentially teach advanced concepts in chemistry and physics. These tools include adjusting the wavelength and amplitude of radio waves, rewiring circuits to meet target voltages, and what will be examined here, using absorption spectroscopy to identify unknown chemicals.</p>
<p>Beleive it or not, the <a href="https://screenrant.com/spider-man-ps4-9-million-copies-sold/">millions of people</a> playing “Spider-Man” have been unwittingly introduced to principles of quantum mechanics. There is a lot of veiled science to this aspect of the video game. Perhaps more importantly – as a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aaron_Harrison3">chemistry researcher</a> and university lecturer – I believe the game represents an interesting opportunity to teach science in a fun and engaging way in higher education.</p>
<h2>Spectroscopy and ‘Spider-Man’</h2>
<p>To better understand the scientific technique that players simulate in “Spider-Man,” it helps to have a short primer on what absorption spectroscopy is.</p>
<p>The interaction of light with matter is the most powerful means scientists have to understand what matter is made of. When matter does not interact with light, we are quite literally left in the dark. This problem is made obvious in the still unknown composition of <a href="https://home.cern/science/physics/dark-matter">dark matter</a> that constitutes the vast majority of matter in the universe.</p>
<p>Using light to study ordinary matter like atoms and molecules is a broad field of science known as <a href="http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/Spectroscopy">spectroscopy</a>. It is an important part of university courses in chemistry and physics. There are currently many different types of spectroscopy. However, the underlying concepts are almost entirely the same as the original version that began in the 17th century when Isaac Newton first dispersed sunlight with a prism.</p>
<p>As famously illustrated on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album <a href="https://medium.com/@davidjdeal/pink-floyds-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-how-an-album-cover-became-an-icon-e95bae0bdc32">cover</a>, dispersing the white light of the sun with a prism reveals its continuous color spectrum extending from violet (higher energy, shorter wavelength) to red (lower energy, longer wavelength). However, if this is done carefully, you would find that this continuous spectrum is patterned with <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/University_of_Missouri/MU%3A__1330H_(Keller)/06._Electronic_Structure_of_Atoms/6.3%3A_Line_Spectra_and_the_Bohr_Model">intermittent dark bands</a>. </p>
<p>While the origin of these dark bands was not fully understood until the 20th century, scientists now know that they are due to absorption of specific wavelengths of light by atoms and molecules present in the sun. In fact, this kind of spectroscopy led to the discovery of helium in the solar spectrum before it was identified on Earth. This is why it derives its name from the Greek “helios” meaning sun.</p>
<p>So what causes this phenomenon? Atoms and molecules have a set of energy levels that depend on how their electrons are arranged. The absorption of light – which remember is energy – can cause the electrons to rearrange into these different levels. The catch is that the energy – or wavelength – of light must exactly match the energy difference between two electron arrangements in an atom or molecule for absorption to occur. This set of energies is unique for each chemical and leads to a distinct absorption spectrum much like a fingerprint from which it can be identified.</p>
<p>In “Spider-Man,” the player identifies unknown substances using simplified versions of these spectra.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254402/original/file-20190117-32810-1kgjfrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Spectrum of Unknown Molecule from Research Mission.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The goal is to match the pattern in the spectrum using the fragment inventory provided to give the absorption spectrum of the unknown substance. Unfortunately for chemists everywhere, determining the chemical structure of an unknown molecule is much more complicated.</p>
<p>Still, there is a significant amount of science conveyed in the video game version of what a spectroscopist would call assigning this spectrum. Only slight modifications and additional explanation could make these parts of the game an excellent way to teach these concepts to undergraduate science students. But are video games ever used in higher education?</p>
<h2>Video games in higher education</h2>
<p><a href="https://oedb.org/ilibrarian/50-educational-video-games-that-homeschoolers-love/">Video games for teaching</a> more elementary skills like arithmetic or spelling are common. Similarly, colleges and universities are <a href="https://www.ajpe.org/doi/abs/10.5688/ajpe79447">increasingly infusing video games</a> into their coursework.</p>
<p>In a recent publication in the journal Nature Chemistry, researchers presented a modified version of the video game “Minecraft” called “<a href="https://www.polycraftworld.com/">PolyCraft World</a>.” In this game, the player learns polymer chemistry by crafting materials in the game. Preliminary results showed that students <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nchem.2694">learned real chemistry</a> through the game even though they weren’t doing it for grades or getting regular classroom instruction.</p>
<p>In the popular game “<a href="https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com">Kerbal Space Program</a>,” the player builds their own space program by successfully launching rockets into orbit. The game was not originally intended for educational purposes but implements rigorous orbital mechanics in its physics calculations. It is so accurate that NASA <a href="https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2015/partnership_1.html">joined the game’s developers</a> to create new missions, and it now has a <a href="https://kerbaledu.com/">teaching-ready standalone game</a> that could be used directly in university physics courses.</p>
<p>A unique approach has been taken with the biochemistry-based game “<a href="https://fold.it/portal/">FoldIt</a>.” This game serves as both an educational as well as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/expanding-citizen-science-models-to-enhance-open-innovation-61554">citizen science platform</a>. In the game, players manipulate the structures of real proteins to search for the “best” or lowest energy structures. Results published in the journal Nature showed that the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09304">player’s search methods</a> can be successfully combined with computer-based algorithms to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/gamers-solve-molecular-puzzle-baffled-scientists-6C10402813">solve actual scientific problems</a>.</p>
<p>The use of video games in higher education is a real possibility and could even have a promising future in higher education given the advantages of delivering educational content through a video game format. These advantages include things such as remote access, personalized student progress and immediate feedback. However, creating an engaging video game from scratch is challenging, costly and time-consuming. As <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nchem.2694">indicated</a> by the creators of “PolyCraft World,” finding existing games to modify for educational purposes – like the research missions in “Spider-Man” – could be the best way forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109615/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aaron W. Harrison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The latest version of the Spider-Man video game offers insights into how science could be taught more effectively to today’s college students, a researcher and video game enthusiast suggests.Aaron W. Harrison, Teaching and Research Fellow, Chapman UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/799002017-07-04T20:12:08Z2017-07-04T20:12:08ZSpider-Man: Homecoming spins a web of fact and fantasy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175539/original/file-20170626-315-1h7k01d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Columbia PIctures/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>“Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can”</em></p>
<p>Spider-Man: Homecoming is the <em>second</em> modern reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, with the young Tom Holland following in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. That’s three different film series in a 15-year period!</p>
<p>The movie takes a relative step back in scale from the universe-destroying plot elements of recent Marvel films, concentrating on a young Peter Parker’s struggle to balance school and being Spider-Man.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176220/original/file-20170629-16091-1sjr0gr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vulture is a more human villain. Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The film is great - a very funny, teenage-focused take on Spider-Man. It also benefits from a more human, more interesting villain than recent Marvel films, in the form of Michael Keaton who plays Vulture.</p>
<p>Here we’ll get stuck into some of the science behind the scenes. There are minor spoilers ahead but nothing that you couldn’t get already from the trailer, which you can check out below:</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YPUASeS6qc0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Web shooting</h2>
<p>Spiderman moves through the city effortlessly (mostly) by shooting his web out to attach onto high points and swinging repeatedly.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176224/original/file-20170629-3435-1juncxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swinging along. (Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures/vitaliyvill/123rf.com/Michael Milford)</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If we assume that the web is itself not powered (more like an unpowered projectile; a bullet rather than a rocket), we can calculate the initial shooting velocity required to reach the tops of buildings with his shots.</p>
<p>First let’s try ignoring air resistance to keep things simple. We’ll need the acceleration due to gravity, <em>g</em>, and the height of the shot, <em>h</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>v = sqrt(2 × g × h)</p>
<p>= sqrt(2 × 9.81 × 100)</p>
<p>= 44.29m/s</p>
<p>= 159.5km/hr</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That’s not very fast - a bullet from a .22 rifle exits the gun at a <a href="http://www.ruger1022.com/docs/22lrballistics.htm">speed of about 300 m/s</a>.</p>
<p>However, if air resistance was taken into account, it’s likely that the web firing speed would need to be significantly higher.</p>
<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> Plausible, given the apparent speed of the web shots on screen.</p>
<h2>Swinging off a web</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176228/original/file-20170629-16069-13shxf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pool Party Crasher.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most people have heard the common sayings about spider web being “stronger than steel”, even though <a href="https://theconversation.com/spider-silk-is-a-wonder-of-nature-but-its-not-stronger-than-steel-14879">that’s a myth</a>.</p>
<p>On screen, it looks like Spider-Man swings around on a pretty thin bundle of web. Is this realistic (assuming his web is like a normal spider’s web, not some Marvel universe “super” web)?</p>
<p>Spider web has a tensile strength of about 1,000 Megapascals (MPa). This means it can support 10<sup>9</sup> Newtons per square metre - 1 billion Newtons is the force required to hold a 100,000 tonne weight. The square metre refers to the <em>cross-sectional</em> area of the web.</p>
<p>Of course, he hangs off a web strand that is much thinner than 1 square metre - from the image it looks like the strand has a width of maybe 3 mm. If the strand is a cylinder, of radius <em>r</em> and knowing PI (𝝅) is 3.14, then we can calculate area (<em>A</em>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A = 𝝅 × r<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>= 𝝅 × 0.0015<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>= 0.000007069 m<sup>2</sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>That means the web strand can hold a static force (<em>W</em>) of:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>W = A × tensile strength</p>
<p>= 0.000007069m<sup>2</sup> × 1,000MPa</p>
<p>= 7,069 Newtons</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That could support a static weight of about 720 kilograms (divide by gravity = 9.81 m/s/s).</p>
<p>Now when spider-man jumps off a building and falls, he exerts a dynamic loading on the web, increasing his effective weight from say 60 kg by several times. Even so, carrying his own weight is plausible.</p>
<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> Plausible for his own mode of personal transportation.</p>
<p>However, he takes on much heavier objects with his web…</p>
<h2>Holding a ship together with web</h2>
<p>During a fight between Vulture and Spider-Man, a malfunctioning Chitauri gun slices the Staten Island ferry in half, threatening to drown the passengers. Spider-Man intervenes with his web, endeavouring to hold the two halves of the ship together. </p>
<p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/mVwKZWc.gif" width="100%"></p>
<h4>Spider-Man doing his best to keep everything in one piece. Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures</h4>
<p>Doing the calculation properly for the forces involved in holding a ship together like this would be very complex and involve modelling the interaction of the ship with the water.</p>
<p>We can do an approximation by ignoring any supportive force from the water, and considering the moment at which the ship is cut in half (before the two halves tilt outwards much).</p>
<p>A Staten Island ferry can <a href="http://www.siferry.com/currentvessels.html">weigh around 3,200 tonnes</a>. Each half will feel a gravity force of 9.81 × 3,200,000 = 31,392,000N.</p>
<p>The ferry is 21 metres wide, so each half is 10.5 metres wide. If we assume the ferry is a homogenous mass, then each gravity force will act at a distance halfway out from the centreline: 0.5 × 10.5 = 5.25 metres out from the centreline.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Moment = 2 × F × d</p>
<p>= 2 × 31,392,000N × 5.25m</p>
<p>= 329,616,000Nm</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To counteract this moment, Spider-Man positions himself between the two halves of the boat and shoots spider strands out to hold the halves together - what the steel structure was doing before it was cut in two. It’s not dissimilar to the Strongman “Hercules Hold” event:</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d5qjY1cYdLM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>If we assume the ferry is about as tall as it is wide, we can say that Spider-Man’s webs are pulling the boat together at about half the height above the bottom of the ship - 0.5 × 21 = 10.5m. We can calculate the two forces he would have to pull together the boat with:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Moment = 2 × F × d</p>
<p>= Moment / 2 / d</p>
<p>= 329,616,000Nm / 2 / 10.5</p>
<p>= 15,696,000N</p>
</blockquote>
<p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/IO4Thst.gif" width="100%"></p>
<h4>A splitting headache for Spider-Man (DZIANIS RAKHUBA/123RF.COM/MICHAEL MILFORD)</h4>
<p>The web would be under a total tensile force from these forces combined - so about 31,392,000N. </p>
<p>We can calculate the cross-sectional area of spiderweb required to do that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Area = F / tensile strength</p>
<p>= 31,392,000N / 1,000MPa</p>
<p>= 0.03139 m<sup>2</sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>And consequently the number of “normal” web shots (3mm-thick strands) he’d need to shoot:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Number of web shots = area required / web shot cross sectional area</p>
<p>= 0.03139m<sup>2</sup> / 0.000007069m<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>= 4,441 shots</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Even though he does go crazy with the web, it still doesn’t look like he gets off anywhere near that many shots…</p>
<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> It’s a nice touch that they show him targeting the strong points of the ship structure for his web reinforcement. Even with that, he was in big trouble though - so it’s pretty realistic that Ironman had to come save him and the ship. </p>
<h2>The verdict</h2>
<p>Spider-Man: Homecoming is great blockbuster entertainment, as fun as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-volume-2-a-scientists-review-76511">Guardian of the Galaxy</a> movies in a more family-friendly way.</p>
<p>It’s regularly very funny, while managing to not veer into trying too hard. Tom Holland is fantastic as Peter Parker / Spider-Man and says he will continue with the role, which is great news for fans.</p>
<p>In terms of the science, the film does pretty well. Within the “rules” of the MCU universe, most of the big scenes are plausible.</p>
<p>There’s even a nice touch in a classroom scene, when Peter is quizzed by his science teacher on the formula for angular acceleration of a pendulum. </p>
<p>Peter’s answer of <em>angular acceleration = gravity * sin(theta)</em> is both <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/programming-natural-simulations/programming-oscillations/a/trig-and-forces-the-pendulum">correct</a> and also a sly reference to Spider-Man’s frequent mode of transport - swinging through the city streets on a web “pendulum”.</p>
<p>So - entertaining <em>and</em> accurate: we hope that the new Spider-Man sticks around for a while yet. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176221/original/file-20170629-16091-19s9mg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Good job on this one Tony.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel Studios/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Releasing</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Milford is a Chief Investigator at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Microsoft Research Faculty Fellow and Founding Director of the education startup Math Thrills Pty Ltd. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Government, Caterpillar Corporation, Mining3, Microsoft, the Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development and AMP.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juxi Leitner is a Research Fellow in the Australian Research Council funded Centre of Excellence in Robotic Vision. Juxi is founder of the Brisbane.AI and robotics interest groups, two not-for-profit organisations aiming to raise awareness about robotics and AI research in the general public and creating opportunities for communities to interact with local researchers.</span></em></p>Peter Parker knows the formula for angular acceleration of a pendulum, and applies his science knowledge with gusto in the latest Spider-Man movie.Michael Milford, Professor, Queensland University of TechnologyJuxi Leitner, Research Fellow, Robotics & AI, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/752022017-04-09T19:59:11Z2017-04-09T19:59:11ZThe golden age of superhero films ignores the golden aged at its peril<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163245/original/image-20170330-30328-1393ezw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart depict something unusual for superhero films in Logan: ageing. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel Entertainment and 20th Century Fox</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the two major comic book giants <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/">DC</a> and <a href="http://marvel.com/">Marvel</a> continue to vie for our attention on the big screen, the current <a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/golden-age-superhero-movies-has-yet-face-its-great-239826">“golden age” of superhero films</a> remains steady. But among the inundation of remakes and adaptations, one component of the stock standard, commercial superhero film complex has been repeated ad nauseam: the emphasis on youth. </p>
<p>The evolution of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/">Spider-Man</a> through three iterations (including the upcoming <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Spider-Man: Homecoming</a>) have always portrayed the eponymous Peter Parker as a student of high school age. This is despite the fact that in the comics, Parker does leave school. He even starts a family in some storylines. Similarly, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/">Iron Man 2’s</a> Justin Hammer, a character in his fifties or sixties in the comics, is rather a “young-washed” billionaire businessman (portrayed by Sam Rockwell) in the film. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=269&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=269&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=269&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164379/original/image-20170407-16665-y1o0ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Are they getting even younger? Tom Holland in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And even when superhero narratives feature apparently “ageing” heroes – most recently Batman in both <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/">The Dark Knight Rises</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/">Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice</a>, played respectively by Christian Bale and Ben Affleck – the consequences of ageing are never explored with much depth.</p>
<p>This is understandable, given that production studios need to create hype to sell tickets and merchandise to younger audiences. But in doing so, with films planned to the 2030s, at what point will “superhero fatigue” set in?</p>
<h2>The brave and the banal</h2>
<p>In a world awash with CGI and rampant commercialism, films that explore the ramifications of ageing give some nuance to treatment of the superhero genre. These compelling and more personal stories emphasise the “human” in superhuman.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342/">Logan</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/">The Incredibles</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/">Watchmen</a> are three films that offer a respite from the genre’s tiresome clichés.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eZbzbC9285I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Bob Parr, the protagonist of Pixar’s 2004 animation The Incredibles, is a paunchy, middle-aged superhero who is consigned to a boring desk job. With his crime-fighting days under the moniker “Mr Incredible” behind him, Bob moonlights as a hero in secret – and despite his wife’s knowledge. Through this lens, we see a fleeting glimpse of what happily ever after looks like: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC_97F2Zn9k">a nine-to-five job</a> and familial responsibilities that, when compared to the hero’s glory days, seem like a mundane existence.</p>
<p>Zack Snyder’s 2009 adaptation of Watchmen also stays true to its source material. The film’s treatment of retired superheroes (and villains) emphasises the inglorious through its focus on characters facing potential extinction via planned superhero genocide. </p>
<p>When compared, Mr Incredible’s dull family life seems idyllic to the fates of Watchmen’s retired heroes. Silk Spectre, once a pin up girl, has wound up in a retirement village, alone and miserable. Similarly, Nite Owl is an aged bachelor who runs an auto repair shop that specialises in “obsolete models”.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ZE5sEgqruU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Amid the commercial churn of 2017 is James Mangold’s Logan. With its R rating, the film immediately stands out as a superhero story that is pitched to an older audience.</p>
<p>Logan presents a bleaker and more personal picture than both Watchmen and The Incredibles. The film emphasises the physical toll of ageing on superheroes rather than their abilities. Its protagonist James “Logan” Howlett (played by Hugh Jackman) moves into the banality of ordinary living after retiring as famed X-Men mutant “Wolverine”. Now, he works as an Uber driver who cares for two other mutant invalids: the albino Caliban and the paraplegic Professor X. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ny3hScFgCIQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Importantly, each hero’s powers are presented as risks rather than blessings – to their own well-being and to the safety of those around them. Professor X’s uncontrollable powers are likened to an illness that requires suppression through medication. It is implied that his loss of control resulted in an incident where several hundred people died. And despite having regenerative abilities, even Logan suffers from blood poisoning caused by the indestructible metal claw implants characteristic of his hands.</p>
<h2>Young justice</h2>
<p>In their own ways, these films offer a realistic turn to a genre that spotlights youth. They remind us that our culture’s heroes are only human and that they exist in the same fabric of society as the rest of us. They are subject to the pressures and wills of being “others” living in a world populated by “ordinary” people.</p>
<p>Themes of collateral damage and the hero’s responsibility to society at large are addressed in Watchmen and The Incredibles. In Logan, individuals with powers are an extinct breed, accorded an almost mythical status, but are also exploited and treated as pariahs.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164381/original/image-20170407-16663-8csfpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hugh Jackman in Logan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These films, despite addressing ageing, also seem to require the presence of younger characters as a form of juxtaposition: Mr Incredible’s children have superpowers; the retired heroes of Watchmen have trained a younger generation to replace them; and Logan’s quest involves his protection of a young mutant who shares his same animalistic abilities.</p>
<p>Depending on your point of view, we can see this juxtaposition in two different ways. We could see the presence of youth alongside older characters as hopeful, in that the values of justice and freedom espoused by superheroes will always prevail. The Incredibles and Logan place intrinsic value on collaborations between the old and the young, who find common ground in defeating the forces of evil.</p>
<p>Conversely, the older characters in these films could serve to remind the young of time’s inevitable advances: they will grow old someday.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/75202/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Colin Yeo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As DC and Marvel battle for movie domination at the box office, older people are being left out.Colin Yeo, PhD Candidate, English and Cultural Studies, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/368572015-01-28T16:01:35Z2015-01-28T16:01:35ZWhat does Spider-Man eat for breakfast?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/70302/original/image-20150128-22292-1f8pizy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ready for brekkie.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/warriorpoet/8730046223">warriorpoet</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While stuck in a hotel room I got sucked into watching the 2002 Spider-Man movie. And it struck me that Peter Parker must have an enormously high-protein diet to generate all that spider silk he goes through. So being the geek that I am, I wondered what his protein consumption has to be to sustain his villain-beating lifestyle.</p>
<p>I think we can work it out with a bit of school-level physics, maths and some basic biochemistry. We will need to work out the strength of Spider-Man’s silk, calculate how much force Spider-Man would exert on the silk and then figure out how much and what kind of protein will be needed to enable Spider-Man to do his stunts.</p>
<p>Let’s assume Spider-Man produces silk that has the same characteristics as dragline silk produced by the European garden spider <em>Araneus diadematus</em>. That means it ought to have tensile strength – which is the largest stress that a material can withstand before breaking – similar to that of a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19221522">piano wire</a>.</p>
<p>A piano wire has the tensile strength of 1.1 billion Pascals. Pascals is a unit of measure for pressure, which is force per unit area. </p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/s/spiderman.htm">Marvel’s directory</a>, Spider-Man weighs 75kg. Applying Newton’s first law, we can figure out the downward force that Spider-Man exerts. It would be mass times the Earth’s gravitational acceleration, which works out to be about 735 Newtons.</p>
<p>These two values allow us to calculate the cross-sectional area of spider silk by dividing the force exerted by the tensile strength of the silk. Without going into the tiny calculations, it turns out that Spider-Man could hang from the ceiling on silk that is less than 1mm thick.</p>
<p>Now we need to figure out how much volume this total silk fibre would represent, if Spider-Man’s pre-lunch world-saving session requires 100m of it. Silk is slight heavier than water, which means that 100m of the wire would weight about 87g. </p>
<p>There is about 6g of protein in an egg. So it looks like Spidey only needs about 15 eggs for breakfast if he plans to use 100m of silk. That’s not too bad.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/70298/original/image-20150128-22305-ndza99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More eggs please.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonymadrid/4484935629">tonymadrid</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But spider silk consists predominantly of a protein call fibroin. Proteins are made from different amino acids, and fibroin is about <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010406X70909886">42% glycine</a>. While egg consists of just 10.7% glycine and serine (I’m counting serine because it can be easily converted to glycine). So really Spidey needs to consume four times more egg protein than the silk protein he plans to use. So actually he needs 60 eggs for his 100m of silk.</p>
<p>That’s not really the end of it either. After all what happens if he leaps from a building to save a falling Mary-Jane and deploys his webslingers to save the day, as he does about halfway through the movie. </p>
<p>In the scene, Spidey leaps from the balcony and falls for seven seconds before his silk starts to arrest his fall. He has caught M-J so let’s say their combined weight is 125kg. How much silk is he going to need here?</p>
<p>From the time of Spidey’s fall, we can calculate that he fell about 240m (wow, that’s one high balcony). Plus, assuming the silk stretches to its maximum, a stopping distance, it will be a fall of about the height of the Eiffel Tower. The impact force on the silk rope as they slow down would be about 35 times their weight.</p>
<p>Which is about six times greater force than when Spidey is just hanging around on the end of his line of silk. But taking into account the length of the fall (240m) and the extra force, he will need 1.3 kg of silk to catch his fall. So I reckon he must have had about 900 eggs for breakfast that morning, just to have enough silk for that one scene. I think Aunt May might have noticed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36857/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Lorch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While stuck in a hotel room I got sucked into watching the 2002 Spider-Man movie. And it struck me that Peter Parker must have an enormously high-protein diet to generate all that spider silk he goes through…Mark Lorch, Senior Lecturer in Biological Chemistry, University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.