Superman is often celebrated as the ultimate savior, yet the physics of his rescues suggests a reality far more gruesome than the comic books typically portray. If a person falls from a 32nd-floor balcony and is intercepted by a "Man of Steel," the impact would be physically identical to hitting the concrete ground, leaving the victim "quite dead" and squished like a "bug on a windshield". The StarTalk Plus contribution to this scientific inquiry suggests that to avoid this lethal outcome, Superman must possess a specialized ability to absorb motion, momentum, and energy. Effectively acting as a "flying airbag," his brain would need to function with the precision of a high-powered computer to calculate a perfect horizontal flight path that intersects with a falling body at the exact right moment.
The sources also explore the speculative biology of Superman’s internal systems, particularly the consequences of his "super digestion." Since the hero is known to consume food, his lower intestines likely host microbial action that produces anaerobic gases such as methane and sulfur. This "super taco Tuesday" effect could provide a tactical advantage; by using his laser vision to ignite these highly flammable gases, Superman could theoretically create a "physiological flamethrower".
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This would establish a permanent "rear guard defense," ensuring that no villain could ever sneak up on him with Kryptonite without being consumed by a fireball. However, some researchers argue that his digestion might be so efficient that it eliminates gaseous emissions entirely.
Cinematic depictions of Superman’s X-ray vision further challenge scientific principles, specifically his ability to identify the color of clothing through solid objects. Because traditional X-rays only distinguish between the densities of bone and soft tissue, the sources propose that Superman possesses an "evolutionary superiority" in the form of "X-ray rod and cone cells". By detecting and mixing various bands of hard and soft X-rays—similar to how humans mix red, green, and blue light—he could construct a three-color image of a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is entirely inaccessible to the human eye.
Grounding the Man of Steel in real-world astronomy, the sources detail how astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson collaborated with DC Comics to solve the riddle of Superman's origin. Tyson noted that if the infant had traveled at the speed of light, he would have arrived on Earth at the same time as the light beams from Krypton's destruction, making it impossible for him to observe the event years later. The only scientific solution for this "Moses-style" journey was travel through a wormhole.
Tyson eventually located a real red star 27 light-years away in the constellation Corvus—a choice inspired by the fact that "Corvus" means crow, the mascot of Smallville High. This collaboration culminated in a comic book appearance where Tyson meets the hero, witnessing a rare "tender moment" where the Man of Steel sheds "super tears" while watching the final destruction of his home planet.
