How unrealistic are super powers?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of superpowers, particularly in the context of their realism and potential existence in the universe. Participants explore various abilities attributed to fictional characters and compare them to real-life adaptations found in nature, while also considering the implications of quantum mechanics and technological advancements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that while traditional superpowers like flying or invisibility seem unrealistic, the strange nature of the universe might allow for life forms with extraordinary abilities.
  • One participant references a Wikipedia article on superhumans, arguing that some proposed powers, like shooting lasers from eyes, are particularly unrealistic due to energy requirements.
  • Another participant lists various real-world animal adaptations that resemble superpowers, such as flight, camouflage, and unique defensive mechanisms.
  • Questions arise about the feasibility of invisibility, with some suggesting that creatures might use echolocation instead of sight if they could turn invisible.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of telekinesis and telepathy, with some arguing that telekinesis is not possible without a long-range force and others speculating about future technological advancements that could enable telepathy.
  • One participant mentions the concept of an invisibility cloak, discussing its mechanisms and limitations, including the potential for blindness if no light enters the eyes.
  • Concerns are raised about the ethical implications of developing technologies that could enable telepathy, with suggestions that quantum entanglement might be necessary for secure communication.
  • Some participants challenge the definition of "super power," questioning whether it must be inherently unrealistic to qualify as such.
  • Acoustic levitation is mentioned as a potential mechanism for telekinesis, though its classification remains debated.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the realism of superpowers, with no consensus reached. While some find parallels between fictional powers and real-life adaptations, others argue against the feasibility of certain abilities, leading to ongoing debate.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about the definitions of superpowers and the mechanisms by which they might operate, which remain unresolved. The exploration of quantum mechanics and technological advancements introduces additional complexity to the conversation.

  • #31
Only with tech. Technology ROCKZ!
 
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  • #32
MathJakob said:
This is basically the answer I was looking for. So it is safe to say that there can be no life in the universe which has a super power, because to posses such a power would mean breaking the laws of physics?
If we define "superpower" as a power that contradicts the laws of physics, then, yes, it follows that there will be no life in the universe with superpowers.

So there is no possible way that for as long as humans are alive we will never be able to evolve an ability to read minds, move objects without touching them, turn invisible or interact with electricity without getting fried lol.
We can already do some version of all these things, but not in a way that violates the laws of physics. Rather than mention specific things it would be better to broadly assert that we will never evolve to the point where we can authentically violate the laws of physics. (That's pretty much tautological, I reckon, since we're going to define anything we can do as within the laws of physics, whether or not we've figured out what those laws are yet.)
 
  • #33
OK I've just found this video and I'm stunned... it could be fake you never know with these shows but I'm not so sure.

This indian man can withstand massive amounts of electricity, his resistance is 10 times that of a normal persons and the electricity flows through his body to power light bulbs, fruit blenders and even a flat plate grill.

Although he says that he loses his vision a little when doing this... is this not an example that humans can have "super powers". OK it isn't exactly a super power but it goes against everything we know about electricity. Could you imagine how cool it would be to have a battery pack that was sending electricity through your body, you could touch people and zap them lol
 
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  • #34
I'm sure whatever the case, it doesn't really go against biology or electricity. Biological systems are complex and diverse enough that some people will just have extreme properties, but it doesn't require a violation of laws of physics.
 
  • #35
I watched the electric man video and can't think of any easy explanation for it.

The whole business about his resistance was garbled and unreliable, though. High resistance would hinder him from conducting electricity, not help.

They were measuring the resistance of his skin. This site says:

But if the electrocution is by an AC source, the epidermis's natural resistance is "shorted out", allowing the current to bypass that part of the body's resistance and making the body's total resistance much lower.

http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=6793

My tentative wild guess, then, would be that he is a biological freak such that his skin offers vastly lower resistance than the average person's when "shorted out" by AC. This would make the current favor the path of his skin from one place to another and keep it away from his internal organs, particularly his heart.

They should have measured the voltage drop, if any, with him in the circuit, and I would like to have seen them take his skin temperature before and during the demonstration, to see if it got any hotter.
 
  • #36
here is another dude who can do similar stuff lol. I wish there was a proper scientific study in these people not just some TV show looking to make money
 
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  • #37
256bits said:
Just take a look around and list all the 'super' powers that life on this Earth has. Birds can fly, flying insects, spiders spin webs, a certain lizard can shoot blood out of its eye, insects use camouflage, a chameleon that can change color, carnivorous plants, stinky shunks, fish breathing through gill in water, exoskeletons, quilled pocupines, sonar from bats, bees that can see UV rays, and the list goes on. So right here on Earth there is a wide variety of adaptations that animals ( and plants ) do use to better their chances of survival that we know about.
I guess a really good super power, one that is more original, would have to be based on events generally not thought of as belonging to our biosphere.
 

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