X-MEN SCIENCE MOMENTS by Kelly Parks & E.C.McMullen Jr.
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X-MEN: THE SCIENCE MOMENT

X-MEN - 2000

The mutants have a wide range of abilities, from Storm, who can control the weather, Cyclops,who can fire intense blasts of energy from his eyes, to Wolverine, who can heal instantly. But almost all of the mutant powers have one thing in common: they violate the Law of Conservation of Energy.

Cyclops' beams represent a tremendous amount of energy. Where does it come from? Is there a nuclear power plant in his head? And for Storm to change the weather at will she would need enough power to heat a small country. Even Wolverine's ability represents impossibly energetic cell division. If he had a metabolism fast enough to do that he'd need to eat constantly and digest his food instantly. Don't take him to lunch!

X-MEN X2 - 2003

I want to say something about physics and biology (which, like all sciences, is a mere subset of physics).

Biology first.

Narration and conversation at several points make references to mutants being the next "stage" in evolution and they compare their situation with the "conflict" between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. Both points of view are inaccuracies based on the common misconception that evolution is some mysterious force driving life toward greater intelligence and that we (and now mutants) are the pinnacles of that achievement. In fact, evolution could care less how smart you are. All evolution cares about is how good you are at reproducing. If being dumber helped, then each generation of dumber people would produce more offspring until the human species was gradually replaced by a less intelligent breed (Hey, wait a minute…).

Thus, being able to freeze things like Iceman does is great fun but if it doesn't help you get a date or support your offspring to make sure they survive long enough to breed, then evolution doesn't apply.

And the Neanderthal / Cro-Magnon situation is spurious as well. When modern humans entered Europe 30,000 years ago the Neanderthal had been living there already for at least 100,000 years. Within 5,000 years of our arrival the Neanderthal were gone. This wasn't a war or anything – we simply out bred them. We were better able to compete for resources (because we were smarter, but that part's still disputed) and generation by generation they declined and we increased. The situation in the movie doesn't fit the details very well.

And now the physics.

The fact is the powers possessed by these mutants clearly violates one of the most hallowed rules of science: The Conservation of Mass and Energy (neither mass nor energy can be created or destroyed – merely change form). In other words, where does the energy come from for Jean Grey's telekinesis or Storm's movement of huge masses of air? Are these things impossible?

No. But you have to assume that the basis for all mutant power is the ability to tap into some unknown energy source. What it is and what dimension it exists in is a mystery but if you assume its existence you can explain everything else.

X-MEN 3: X3: THE LAST STAND - 2006

Magneto's power is the ability to generate powerful magnetic fields and this is always shown by having him move metal around. But magnets can do more than that. There are a lot of experiments going on with TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation).

Properly applied magnetic fields can alter the electrical fields in your brain and activate or de-activate specific brain areas. It would take some experimentation, something Magneto is not shy about, but his power should also allow him to alter the emotions of the people around him. Beyond that, very strong magnetic fields are fatal for cordate life forms because your spinal fluid is slightly magnetic.

Ouch.

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