By day, he studies new rehabilitation methods for stroke and spinal cord injury patients.
By night, he uses comic book superheroes to explore the outer limits of biological and technological development.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not quite as dramatic a contrast as those of the characters he uses for inspiration, but E. Paul Zehr is living his own version of a double life, nonetheless.
A professor of neuroscience and kinesiology at the University of Victoria, Zehr is carving out a name for himself as an author of what he calls B次元官网网址渟peculative non-fiction.B次元官网网址�
His second book, Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine, was published this year by Johns Hopkins University Press. In it, Zehr examines whether it would be possible to create an armoured suit like the one worn by the titular superhero, and the consequences of creating one.
B次元官网网址淚n our brains, ever since we were developing in utero, this mapping has been occurring where sensory information from the skin of your body is helping to create this map of sensations in your brain that represents your body,B次元官网网址� he explained.
B次元官网网址淚f you have a map thatB次元官网网址檚 full already, and you jam an armoured suit on top of it, where does it go?B次元官网网址�
To try to answer that question, Zehr looked at three main elements of the Iron Man suit: the amplification of strength it provides, its ability to fly and the physical protection it offers.
But beyond discussing the plausibility of such a suit, and the technology that would be necessary to build one, Inventing Iron Man goes deeper, looking at the physical and mental effects it could have on the wearer.
B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e in this suit that amplifies your abilities, it means youB次元官网网址檙e not actually using your body to move your body around,B次元官网网址� Zehr said.
B次元官网网址淵ou wind up having deconditioning, and reduced output, and reduced strength and reduced bone mineralization.B次元官网网址�
And what about the mind?
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e thinking of it from the perspective of, B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址檙e connected to the device, so we can control it and do stuff.B次元官网网址� But the device is also connected to us, and that has some implications.B次元官网网址�
Inventing Iron Man is ZehrB次元官网网址檚 second book. His first, Beyond Batman, looked at whether a person could realistically whip themselves into superhero shape 脿 la Dark Knight.
Zehr said the pop culture icons are a perfect way to explore scientific concepts in an accessible way.
B次元官网网址淲hen you try and talk about science with the general public, I like to choose things that everyoneB次元官网网址檚 already familiar with,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f I say Iron Man to you, you have a mental image, we have the same common image and we can talk about the science.B次元官网网址�
Not only that, writing has helped Zehr in his research at UVic.
B次元官网网址淎s a scientist, you have to reduce down, so you can answer questions yes or no. But we donB次元官网网址檛 often zoom it back out and say B次元官网网址榃hat does that mean? How does it affect these things? What does it relate to this?B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淵ou have to do that to write a book.B次元官网网址�
Whether a real-life Iron Man suit is indeed possible B次元官网网址� Zehr thinks that itB次元官网网址檚 likely that there are some governments already working on some version B次元官网网址� the author hopes the book opens peopleB次元官网网址檚 minds to some new concepts.
B次元官网网址淚 think we ought to be thinking about some of these things before we get to that point (that a suit is made). A little advanced thought would be helpful, I think.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 not quite a superpower, at least in the comic book sense, but in a way, Zehr has found a way to look into the future.
editor@oakbaynews.com
