The Biology of Superheroes Podcast

By Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton and Arien Darby

Society & Culture Natural Sciences

What's The Biology of Superheroes Podcast about?

Superheroes and science fiction meet the cutting edge of biological sciences in this podcast. Where does the science meet the fiction? Listen and find out! If you have suggestions for a topic or would like to be a featured guest, please contact biologyofsuperheroes@gmail.com

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Episode 15: Stranger Things...

03.27.2020

In this episode, we tackle the weird and otherworldly ecosystem of The Upside Down. Shane and Arien are joined in The Lab by biologist, PhD student and science communicator, Angela Manci. We chat about dark and barren ecosystems and how ...

The Biology of Superheroes Podcast episodes:

03.27.2020 Episode 15: Stranger Things - The Biology of The Upside Down In this episode, we tackle the weird and otherworldly ecosystem of The Upside Down. Shane and Arien are joined in The Lab by biologist, PhD student and science communicator, Angela Manci. We chat about dark and barren ecosystems and how ...
12.16.2019 Episode 14: The Incredible Hulk (Part 2) - The Psychology of Stress We’re bringing a close to 2019 by wrapping up our two-part series on the Incredible Hulk. We continue our conversation about Bruce Banner by focusing on the psychology of stress and how its shapes our personalities. I sit down with ...
12.02.2019 TBOSP Minisode 2: November 2019 In this minisode we wrap up November 2019 chatting about the latest and greatest in the world of comic books and science, shout out some listener comments AND answer some burning questions straight from you!!!
11.04.2019 Episode 13: The Incredible Hulk (Part 1) - The Biology of Physiological Stress In the first part of this month's episode we explore Bruce Banner and The Incredible Hulk through the lens of physiological stress. We chat with stress physiologist Dr. Michelle Rensel to explore what are bodies go through when we are ...
10.15.2019 TBOSP Minisode 1: October 2019 Shane and Arien catchup on what's new in the worlds of comic books and science, share reviews, and answer comic book queries directly from YOU!
10.01.2019 Episode 12: The Black Panther - Bio-Inspired Engineering and Genetics of Wakanda In the Season 2 premiere we explore Black Panther and the world of Wakanda live at the 2019 International Wildlife Film Festival. Billy Almon and Dr. Sebastian Alvarado join in to chat about bio-inspiration, sustainability and explore the roles of ...
09.24.2019 The Biology of Superheroes Podcast Season 2 Promo WE'RE BACK. Take a listen to get a sneak peak at what's in store for The Biology of Superheroes Podcast Season 2!
05.26.2019 Episode 11: Game of Thrones - The Biology of Dragons NO LAST SEASON SPOILERS! In this episode, we explore the biology of the dragons of Game of Thrones. We interview Dr. Bret Tobalske, Director of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory. We chat about the evolution and biomechanics of flight, ...
04.17.2019 Episode 10: The Immortal Iron Fist - Biology of a Living Weapon In this episode, we explore the biology of Danny Rand, AKA The Immortal Iron Fist! We dig into biomechanics of extreme movement, compensating for extreme forces and evolutionary tradeoffs of extreme performance. We chat with Dr. Sheila Patek of Duke ...
02.03.2019 Episode 9: Evolution and Genetics in the Star Trek Universe In this episode, we take a look at the Star Trek Universe! We explore evolution, genetics, the search for intelligent alien life and interspecies boot-knocking. We chat with Dr. Mohamed Noor of Duke University, an evolutionary geneticist and author of ...
01.20.2019 Minisode: TPWKY Zombie Crossover (Alternate Ending) Because we just can't get enough of The Erins, we had to post this alternate ending to our epic crossover with This Podcast Will Kill You. The Erins nerd out with us about superpowers and send us all back to ...
12.10.2018 Episode 8: Venom - The Biology of Extremophiles and Symbiosis In this episode we take a look at Spiderman's longtime nemesis, Venom. We explore the character's origins, what it would take to survive on an asteroid headed towards earth and the amazing biological phenomena that can result from symbiotic relationships. ...
11.01.2018 Episode 7: The Walking Dead- Biology of the Zombie Apocalypse Happy Halloween! This episode is one part of a very special 2-part crossover event with This Podcast Will Kill You. We chat with Dr. Erin Welsh and Dr. Erin Allmann-Updyke about death, epidemics and behavior manipulating parasites. How do we ...
10.11.2018 Episode 6: Jurassic Park (Part 2) - The Biology of Ancient Communication We're back!!! In this episode we sit down with Dr. Evan Kingsley, a developmental biologist at Harvard Medical School, to chat about dinosaur sounds. What did dinosaurs sound like and how can we learn about animal sounds from millions of ...
05.06.2018 Episode 5: Evolution of Weapons in the Comic book Multiverse This episode comes to you live from the historic Roxy Theatre in Missoula, MT as part of the 41st Annual International Wildlife Film Festival. We were able to chat with Dr. Doug Emlen, professor of biology at University of Montana ...
03.09.2018 Episode 4: Jurassic Park (Part 1) - The Biology of De-extinction In this episode we talk about Jurassic Park and the science of de-extinction. We chat with evolutionary biologist and MacArthur Fellow, Dr. Beth Shapiro. She tells us all about the possibilities, complications and ethical dilemmas of bringing back ancient and ...
02.01.2018 Episode 3: The Flash of Two Worlds - Fate, Chance and Evolution in the Multiverse Earth 1's Barry Allen meets Earth 2's Jay Garrick in a classic showdown of speedsters! How did evolution play out on their respective worlds to get such similar results? We talk with Dr. Jonathan Losos, evolutionary biologist and author of ...
01.03.2018 Episode 2: Spiderman (Part 2)- Engineering The Web Slinger's Webs In this episode we explore Peter Parker as an engineer and try to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific tools he would need to master to become Spiderman. I interview Dr. Jonathan Kluge, Director of Research and Development at ...
01.03.2018 Episode 2: Spiderman (Part 2)- Engineering The Web Slinger’s Webs In this episode we explore Peter Parker as an engineer and try to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific tools he would need to master to become Spiderman. I interview Dr. Jonathan Kluge, Director of Research and Development at ...
12.01.2017 Episode 1: Spiderman (Part 1)- Bioprospecting and the Biology of Silk In this episode we discuss the limits of form and function when it comes to Spiderman's webs. I sit down with Dr. Todd Blackledge, who studies the behavior and biomechanics of web building in spiders. What exactly is spider silk? ...
11.16.2017 Episode 0: The Origins Story Welcome to The Biology of Superheroes Podcast! In this intro we give you a brief taste of who were are and what we're about: comic books, science fiction and forefront of the scientific frontier. I hope you enjoy the preview! ...