BingeWatch Academy: Superhero Science

Episode I – Superman and Luke Cage

Can you be bulletproof? Tune in to BingeWatch Academy!

Superheroes are capable of a multitude of superpowers and abilities. Perhaps one of the most iconic powers is that of impenetrable skin, which is possessed by many characters such as Superman, who appears in the Netflix series Supergirl, and Luke Cage, the New York City based hero who has appeared in his own Netflix series.

But could current scientific advancements be used to replicate the impenetrable skin of Superman and Luke Cage? If so, how could these advancements be of benefit to society?

In BingeWatch Academy: Superhero Science Episode I, the possibility of creating impenetrable skin takes centre stage. First, Barry Fitzgerald of TU Delft outlines how graphene could be used to make an impenetrable skin and the benefits of this skin beyond being impenetrable. However, graphene isn’t the only material that could be used for an impenetrable skin. Bio-artist Jalila Essaïdi from Bio-Art Laboratories in Eindhoven will present a recipe of sorts to make bulletproof spider silk human skin! Finally, you’ll hear from TU Delft students Jeannet Liang, Leyi Hsu, and Max Wouters who were inspired in part by Jalila and her subsequent work on spider silk human skin in healthcare. The students will present some interesting findings from their case study .

While bullets bounce off Superman and Luke Cage, science could pave the way for an impenetrable skin that could do so much more for society.

“You can’t fix me. I’m unbreakable.”

―Luke Cage

• Listen to the first Podcast about Superhero Science!
• Register here: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/library/about-the-library/bingewatch-academy/