The Science of Superman

[toushin]

Superman's cellular structure is more dense, resilient and biologically more effective than human tissue. The human body is three quarters water, and all of the atoms in its body come from Earth because the human body replaces every cell every seven years. The cellular part of Superman, however, is extremely complicated, like a tight-weave of the atoms in his cells that gives him a tougher density, about thirty percent greater than a man of his general build. Strangely enough, he does not seem to possess superhuman strength levels despite his enhanced cellular ability without his cellular structure charged with yellow solar energy. This density allows his cells to act like solar collectors for a type of energy dubbed Bio-Solar luminance. It’s not an electro-magnetic phenomenon but some kind of life-force that converts power to the stuff that powers the human body beyond mere electrochemistry.

X-Ray Vision allows him to peer inside of seemingly solid objects that are of lighter density than Lead or Osmium. X-Ray vision is grossly mischaracterized as it is inaccurate and lacks any scientific validity. The ability actually has nothing to do with x-rays, which are an extremely energetic short-burst type of radiation whose wavelength measured at around 0.01 to 10 nanometers at intensities that are over 30 parahertz, which is slightly above the intensity of Gamma radiation. That is far too energetic for anything as delicate as a human eyeball to discern, even ones as enhanced as Superman’s own.

X-Rays, otherwise known as Rontgen energy, could be harmful to living tissues over long-term exposure, and if he were the one giving them off then even his own phenomenal regenerative capacity could not block off the mutagenic effect that this could produce.

His ability, like his telescopic vision and heat vision powers, and his so-called super-breath were entirely misunderstood by the common layperson in terms of 1940s-era Pulp Fiction pseudo-science in lieu of their actual function, which were nothing like their unfortunate misperception.

His abilities are actually a form of psionic projection similar to Clairvoyance and Clairaudience which allows him to listen in or focus upon things taking place at a great distance. His mind is so highly attuned to feeling the vibrational force of a type of energy that moved faster than light and is a part of the Morphic Life Field of the planet itself. He can actually hear the cries of people who are in peril and feel their emotional turmoil, especially if he focused his attention in a given area, though much of the time it is fairly random. This gives him the ability to perceive events that are taking place outside of the normal boundaries of space and time which is part of the reason he is able so often to appear at significant events in time to shape their outcome.

Similarly his Heat Vision is a type of Psychokinesis that could be focused upon a target with either broad-range effect or pinpoint precision, depending on the scope of his need. His eyes could hardly generate some laser-like beam energy form of attack the way so many persons tended to imagine, and does anyone realize exactly how dangerous it would be for him if he did have the ability to project X-ray beams from his eyes? What it would do to emit such dangerous radiation so near to his own brain matter that he would likely fry his skull from the inside? Let alone the potentially lethal effect it would have just focusing his gaze randomly on other people?

As for his Super-breath, did anyone ever stop to seriously wonder just how much lung capacity it would require for him to blow hard enough to freeze the molecules of even a small surface of water? That is simply another of his Telekinetic abilities, like his ability to project wind molecules by force of will, either out and away from him or inward to be collected like a balled-up mass that he could contain with moderate effort. Slowing down the vibrational rate of molecules to the point of freezing was no more difficult than exciting them to the point of catching fire.

As with his ability to fly, it was all perfectly within the framework of known Parapsychology and Noetic Sciences and hardly constituted anything supernatural or metaphysical beyond this.

Sort of like his ability to pick up massively heavy objects without them falling apart at this touch. His ability to control objects by the power of mind and muscle might appear superhuman to the average layman. But these are merely the effects granted to him by the life-giving Bio-energy of the Sun and well within the Scientifically validated threshold of human capability, albeit peculiar to the Kryptonian variation of the Human species.

He can even manage some low-level Telepathy, though this is very hard for him to master as his brain is not quite wired correctly to be as good at this as someone like Saturn Girl. He can do minor feats of mental ability after having been trained in the esoteric arts by the likes of Zatarra the Sorcerer, father to his friend Zatanna, and Doctor Fate, though by no means does he have the knack for actual magic. Rather he had studied with them to discover the reason why magic had such a strong effect on his kind and came away with the understanding that his very ability to tap-into the Earth’s Noetic Field is what makes him so vulnerable. In effect his Chakra centers are kept permanently open, making him extremely vulnerable to any object or spell that operated on the right frequency of thought variation.

Needless to say he has done what he can to diminish his vulnerability in that area, but with only partial success as to totally render himself invulnerable to magic would also shut down his ability to metabolize Bio-energy altogether.

[Spica75]

For the X-ray vision, ever considered terahertz imaging?

Also, be aware that IR viewing exists in multiple animals(snakes for example(like how sharks have a limited EM sense)) and needs no "special" explanation.