Physics-of-Superheroes Professor Kakalios to talk Oct. 20 at UNL

Somewhere in a parallel universe, a mild-mannered physics professor at the University of Minnesota named Jim Kakalios dons a cape and tights to battle the forces of evil.

In our own dimension, Kakalios -- a comic book enthusiast -- teaches physics with the zest of a costumed crime fighter, illustrating his points with examples from the annals of superhero history.

Kakalios will talk about "The Uncanny Physics of Superhero Comics" Oct. 20 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The talk begins at 8 p.m. in the Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. (room posted). it is free and open to the public.

In an imaginative and popular freshman seminar at Minnesota, Kakalios in 2002 first used concepts and characters from comic books to explore basic principles of physics, chemistry and biology. The course, "Everything I Know About Science I Learned from Reading Comic Books," attracted students from a wide variety of disciplines.

"As a kid, comic books helped fuel my curiosity," he said. In one story, his favorite hero, The Flash, lost his ability to avoid air resistance and friction. "It made me aware that aside from the silly notion of superpowers, there were all sorts of secondary issues associated with the ability to run super fast that I hadn't considered."

Convinced that comics could help make science more accessible and appealing to students of any age, Kakalios created his seminar on the science of superheroes.

The talk is sponsored by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UNL and Project Fulcrum, a partnership between UNL and Lincoln Public Schools that teams graduate students in math, science and engineering with elementary and middle school teachers to improve the quality of math and science education in Lincoln.

CONTACT: Renee Augustyn, Project Fulcrum, (402) 472-8685