Got what it takes to become a superhero?

For most of us the

answer is a resounding no things that are part of the day-job
for world-savers are beyond the reach of mere mortals. But that
hasnt stopped scientists from trying to recreate super-powers

artificially. And you might be surprised at how successful they

have been.

Both Superman and the X-mens Wolverine can regenerate tissue

instantly they can be hit by a bullet and recover in seconds.
Doctors at a childrens hospital in Boston have pioneered a
similar way of helping terminally ill patients to re-grow healthy
organs. There is every likelihood that the procedure could

eventually be commonly used to grow organs for transplants.

No matter how many steroids you take, you dont stand a chance of
achieving the strength of the Incredible Hulk. John Hopkins University
scientists have created Mighty Mouse a rodent that has been
genetically modified so that a protein which limits muscle-growth is
blocked. They are normal in every respect, except their muscles are
two to three times larger than normal, says molecular biologist Se Jin-

Lee. They look like Schwarzenegger mice. However, there is a distinct

possibility that genetics could help those seeking a Hulk-like physique.
Presumably, itll also help scientists to better understand musclewasting diseases.

Gecko lizards are so good at this that they can hang upside down from

a glass surface by a single toe. The secret lies in the millions of tiny
hairs, called setae, which are on the geckos skin. Now scientists at
Manchester University are developing a material covered with similar
nanoscopic hairs that would enable a person to walk on a ceiling or up a
wall. One square centimeter of the tape holds one million artificial
setae and could support a kilogram of weight. There is every chance
that this system could allow people to walk up walls.

Just as superhero Nightcrawler can teleport, scientists in

Australia have discovered how to teleport matter for real
albeit on the atomic scale for the time being. The process hinges
upon the weird properties of quantum mechanics, and so it is
unlikely that it could be used for macroscopic objects, because

of the vast amounts of information involved. The researchers

have succeeded in transmitting information about quantum
particles across space and then using it to reassemble exact
copies of the original particles.

Sue Storm, The Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four, is capable of
create force fields in order to stop bullets or to stop people from being
hurt. And she can get invisible too!!! Other case is Supermans
hideaway, the Fortress of Solitude, is protected by a force field. The
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory run by the UK Ministry of
Defence has developed a similar force field to protect tanks from
rocket-propelled grenades. Once shielded by the force field there is
very little chance that the tanks can be destroyed.

The US army has developed a device for the New York police, which
acts like Spider-Mans webshooter. The nets are designed to restrain
people without causing serious injury and are shot from a kind of a stun
gun. The victim caught in the net stands no chance of escape as the
nets come in three varieties: a regular net, one that can give an electric
shock and (most fittingly of all) one that becomes sticky on contact
with air. These crime-stopping devices are bound to cause some sticky
problems for New York criminals!

Everyone would love to have Supermans ability to see through

walls. But the odds are against the general use of X-rays as they
are dangerous, and repeated exposure to them isnt good for
your health. The solution could be terahertz imaging.
Therahertz radiation lies between the infrared and microwave
regions of the spectrum so these low energy rays can penetrate

matter just like X-rays but without the harmful effects.

Researchers are developing it for defence and medical imaging.

Superman has the ability to fly without the aid of wings or

rockets. Researchers have looked into the possibility of using
spinning discs to defy gravity. The original research was carried
out by a Russian researcher working in Finland in 1996, but so far
no other researchers have managed to verify his claim. It is

doubtful that we will be able to achieve this in the foreseeable

future.

The Invisible Woman is part of the Fantastic Four. Now a virtual reality
expert in Japan has created a see-through coat, which appears to
make the wearers body disappear. It is done by coating the material

with microscopic reflectors that work like a cinema screen. A tiny

video camera is then attached to the back of the coat. The image from
the back of the coat is projected onto the front of the coat, which

makes observers think that they can see through it.