@ybanezkim26 for actively reading my Superman Post. Also, another quick shoutout to 
@hawaiisunshine for having the same question as I had with Thor! I might do a Thor special next week to address your question, so keep posted 😎.Note: If you are new to this blog-series of mine called "Superheroes Through a Microscope", click these links to view my preceding posts.
Last episode, I showed you the first version of Superman whose powers were limited and is far from the Superman we now know. We also discussed the possible scientific concepts behind his simple yet powerful abilities. Now we go near our time, where Superman evolved to be the most invincible character in the DC universe. So without further ado, I present to you once more
As discussed previously, Superman didn’t have much power. In fact it took a couple of years before he could even fly. It was during the 1940’s that he finally became a full-fledged flying superhero. However, with this new ability of his, a scientific question also came into play. Can gravity alone be enough to explain this magnificent feat?
If you were paying attention to your physics class before, then I’m sure you've heard of Isaac Newton’s 3rd law of motion which formally states that
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
That being said, Superman would need to have a thrust force that would equal or exceed his drag force and a lift that can counter his weight to remain suspended or moving in air.
However, we see no apparent machinery nor any means of propulsion attached to our hero to push him away from the ground. What kind of force is he actually using to move?
In quantum physics, there are actually 4 fundamental forces in our universe namely Weak Force, Strong Force, Electromagnetic Force and Gravity. The best answer to this scientific mystery of Superman's flight ability is actually based on a theoretical particle that scientists are studying up to this date. Though no evidence have been discovered yet, this particle is said to be a gauge boson or a carrier particle of gravity called Graviton.
Each fundamental force has a carrier particle and a graviton is the one carrying gravity. Essentially this specific particle, travel in waves and transfers gravitational force from its field. Now, for the sake of this argument let us just conservatively assume that Superman does have the ability to influence or create such subatomic particles. If so, then he would basically be flying by riding those waves in his immediate environment with no need for any propulsion or thrust. Thus, the power of flight at any given moment.
Since his debut, Superman’s abilities have been growing to match the expectations of the an equally growing audience. With that said, another additional feature of the modern Superman is his ability to absorb the radiation of our yellow sun. This was actually added by the writers to provide a small touch of explanation to justify the increasing power of Superman since gravity alone isn’t enough anymore. But is it really possible for a biological being to harness power from mere exposure to sunlight? If you look around, most if not all, living organisms have evolved into a being that finds a way to transform or utilize sunlight. We, humans, are no different. How do we biologically absorb sunlight you say? Let's start with why we do so. Its because of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble molecule or nutrient that our body needs to absorb calcium. Without this nutrient, humans will definitely experience softening of the bones.Nowadays, Vvitamin D is everywhere. You can get in cereal, milk, some fortified foods and even in fatty fish. However, the most important source of Vitamin D is ourselves. While plants have photosynthesis, we too have a similar process to create Vitamin D.
Deep in our epidermis/skin, there is a steroid called 7-dehydrocholesterol. When hit by the UVB radiation from the Sun, one of this steroid’s chemical bonds is easily broken down by the Sun’s photons which is then converted to cholecalciferol or Vitamin D3. Once the cholecalciferol is created, the liver and kidneys then transform it to calcitriol. Once created in the kidneys, a protein named vitamin D binding protein grabs it and distributes it to the organs that are responsible in a series of processes that builds/strengthens bones by balancing the calcium and phosphate in our system. It also helps in maintaining the nervous system function.
With that said, it is possible that Superman’s alien biology has given him the organs/systems that translates radiation from the sun to create nutrients that his body absorbs. Creating a cascading effect that leads to him having superhuman abilities and powers. It may also be the reason why he has such tough and nearly indestructible bones.
With everything that Superman has been through and faced, he never fails to amaze us and always grow stronger out of each of those situation. The modern Superman has indeed a lot more up his sleeve such as X-ray Vision, Heat Vision and Freeze Breath. Unfortunately, these abilities are just very fram from reality and are less-science-more-fiction kind of thing but that definitely doesn't take the fun away from Superman. Despite the lapses in in sciences, he still remains to be one of those heroes who fills the empty void in our adult lives by filling it with the childhood memories he has brought us.
GIF and Image Sources:
Sources:
http://www.circuitgrove.com/tutorials/drag
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graviton
http://www.mysearch.org.uk/website1/html/563.Forces.html
https://thehealthphilosopher.com/2015/02/18/are-you-vitamin-d-deficient/
http://moziru.com/explore/Heat%20clipart%20radiation/
