During Spring 2018, I facilitated the seminar Bioengineering 88S: The Biology and Engineering of Superheroes. This course was part of the Undergraduate Student Initiated Education (USIE) program. Undergraduate Student Initiated Education (USIE) is an innovative program designed to provide a select group of juniors and seniors with the opportunity to develop and facilitate, under close faculty supervision, a lower division seminar for their peers.
Description
In this course, we analyzed several unique superheroes and superpowers using relevant biology, physics, and engineering concepts. Students learned to use these concepts to evaluate if certain superpowers and superhero origin stories were scientifically sound. Innovative research was also be explored to assess whether technology can endow ordinary humans with superhuman abilities. Through this course, student learned of the scientific gap between normal human beings and superheroes, and how that gap can be narrowed by new technology.