Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science is Making Us Super

Volume XXX / Issue 4 - September 29 / 2023

Author:

Heather Camlot

Illustrated by:

Victor Wong

Toronto, ON: Owlkids, 2023

56 pp., hardcover, $21.95

ISBN:

9781771474610

Grades:

Grades 4-7

Ages:

Ages 9-12

Review by:

Daphne Hamilton-Nagorsen

Excerpt:

At all the powers Superman possesses, his x-ray vision seems to spark the most debate: scientists have studied whether it would really be possible, while others have wondered about the ethics of being able to see through almost anything. Sure, it’s super useful to be able to scan a body for broken bones or pinpoint the exact location of bad guys in a hostage-taking situation, but could x-ray vision cross a line into invasion of privacy? Hmm…

The power to go unseen has its pros and cons, too. While Nelvana of the Northern Lights uses her invisibility in the name of protecting the people of the North, those who aren’t so righteous may choose to rob banks, spy, or worse, knowing they can’t be identified.

Will science ever give us Superman-like x-ray vision? No. The high doses of radiation needed for the fictional superpower to actually work would likely cause cancer. But the good news is there are other forms of super vision in development, including smart lenses and bionic eyes.

And while we won’t ever have the power of invisibility either, there are scientists experimenting with some pretty amazing ways to help us hide in plain sight. And who hasn’t wanted to make like Viola Parr from The Incredibles and hide from the world every now and then?

Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science is Making Us Super explores the ways science has been used to expand the capabilities of the human body. Author Heather Camelot and illustrator Victor Wong have created an educational and entertaining look at the science of human superpowers.

Each chapter focuses on one superpower and has a timeline of major innovations and inventions in that area, such as the first artificial leg or the first wingsuit. More detailed information about the current technology being used and its limitations and problems follows. Each chapter is full of lively illustrations of the technology covered.

The book includes a brief bibliography, with one to three resources featured per chapter. Although the bibliography is short, it will give interested readers a good starting point to find more information. A glossary is also included with simple and clear definitions. There is no index, but an index is not necessary with the way the chapters are laid out.

Becoming Bionic asks readers to think critically about superpowers and using science and technology to achieve these powers where we can. While helping people to walk and see are great advancements for humans, advancements in technology can come at a great cost and can be used for good or bad ends.

Becoming Bionic uses pop culture to give an accessible and engaging overview of the science of superpowers through history and into the present. Everyone can learn something about the science of their favourite superpower and the attempts to make that power a reality.

Highly Recommended

Reviewer:

Daphne Hamilton-Nagorsen is a graduate of the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia.