The Physics of the Buffyverse

by Jennifer Ouellette

Book Overview

Physics 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143038621
• ISBN13: 9780143038627
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Amusing and at the same time

You actually might learn a few usable theories,concepts and principles while reading this book -Beware!

Physics and fighting

Fun book about a difficult subject. I especially liked the author's explanations of how the martial arts use physics to enhance fighting abilities and the various explanations for alternate universes.

dellightful fun!

Not a "Buffy" fan but had heard about the show many times during it's long run. I came across a review of this book and was instantly intrigued by the concept! I thought it was almost rebellious to combine the previously tedious and boring subject of physics with a television show, especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I find the book captivating and easy to read. I'm not plowing through it cover to cover but reading some every few days and the writer is a hoot AND I think I'm learning something at the same time. A real pleasure. Kindof makes me wish I had had a teacher as interesting when I was in school.

Enjoyable and Educational

The Physics of the Buffyverse, by Jennifer Ouellette is an in-depth look at the science behind the hit shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Ouellette pulls from a wide variety of examples of extraordinary monsters and happenings from the Buffyverse and explains how they might be possible in the real world, and how they'd work. She often compares vampires and other demons' abilities to the nature of common animals and insects in Ouellette's section on biology. I was afraid that this might be a bit over my head, since my favorite subject wasn't physics. But Ouellette does a wonderful job of explaining the science in layman's terms, complete with the occasional illustration to drive her points. I found a lot of the facts behind "what is possible and why" pretty interesting. From how someone the size of Buffy could toss a larger man to theories on time manipulation, Ouellette covers a large range of topics and conjectures. If you're a big fan of Buffy and Angel, and would like learning more about how things work in the Buffyverse, this book is for you.

fun convergence of science and Buffy

Jennifer Ouellette analyzes the Buffy and Angel TV shows through the spectrum of science using several disciplines besides the obvious misleading title Physics to include zoology, and several branches of math (when did a curve become the shortest distance between two points?). Fans of the two related series will enjoy the deep insight into the biology of vampires, demons and other supernatural essences as much as the deep look into robotics. Also adding fun to the tale is the theory behind multidimensional portals such as wormholes and the energy displacement physics of a witch's spell. Obviously targeting fans of the Buffyverse, but within that circle to an even more limited cell of those who enjoy reading the complexities of how string theory applies to the multiverse of vampire slayers. In short this reviewer enjoyed the convergence of science and Buffy, but not as much as my husband who tries to keep current on the latest theories in science and math. Harriet Klausner