The Physics of the BuffyversePhysics with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer pop-culture chaser In the tradition of the bestselling The Physics of Star Trek, acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ouellette explains fundamental concepts in the physical sciences through examples culled from the hit TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. The weird and wonderful world of the Buffyverse—where the melding of magic and science is an everyday occurrence—provides a fantastical jumping-off point for looking at complex theories of biology, chemistry, and theoretical physics. From surreal vampires, demons, and interdimensional portals to energy conservation, black holes, and string theory, The Physics of the Buffyverse is serious (and palatable) science for the rest of us. |
Contents
Welcome to the Buffyverse | xi |
CREATURE FEATURE Physics Meets Biology in a Monster Mash | 1 |
CONDUCTIVITY UNBECOMING The Shocking Truth About Electromagnetism | 33 |
ROUGH MAGIC Spellbound by the Laws of Thermodynamics | 67 |
THE PHYSICS OF THE FIGHT Mass Momentum and the Martial Arts | 95 |
TIME GOES WONKY Relativistic Tricks of the Temporal Trade | 123 |
IMPROBABLE CAUSE When Quantum Weirdness Reigns Supreme | 153 |
ALTERNATE REALITY BITES A Romp Through the Many Worlds of the Multiverse | 184 |
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Common terms and phrases
accelerates Air date alternate reality amount Anya atoms black hole body brain branes Buffy Buffy's Buffybot Buffyverse cause cells charge closed timelike curve collide Cordelia cosmic create David Fury David Greenwalt demon dimension dimensional Douglas Petrie electrical electromagnetic electrons emit entangled entropy ergy exist extra fabric of space-time force Fred Fred's Gene Ghost-Spike Giles gravity Gwen happens heat hits human implant interact James Contner Jane Espenson Joss Whedon Kendra kinetic energy laser laws magic Marti Noxon mass matter Miss Kitty molecules momentum motion moving mystical energy negative nuclear object photons physicists physics portal possible potential produce Pylea quantum mechanics quark radiation real-world scientists Scoobies signals Slayer space Spike stake strangelet string theory subatomic particles Sunnydale Team Angel teleport temperature thing Tim Minear tiny tion turn vampire vibrate wave function Willow Wolfram & Hart wormhole Written by David Written by Joss Xander