In another episode of “I can’t believe people do this kind of research”, researchers in Australia concluded that, in the real world, Marvel superheroes are more prone to dementia, life-changing physical injuries, and disability because of their exposure to loud noises, air pollution, and head injuries.
Among the findings:
- The Incredible Hulk’s heart problems, excess weight, and near-constant anger mean he is at risk for a range of chronic diseases.
- Black Widow’s traumatic childhood means she is more likely to become physically and mentally ill later in life.
- Spiderman, who is strong, flexible, and agile, should be less likely to fall when he is old. However, his nightly crime-fighting means he is unlikely to be getting the eight to ten hours sleep experts recommend for teenagers — making him more prone to mental health problems, obesity, and unintentional injuries.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for these superheroes. The study found that they get regular exercise which is good for many aspects of health, and live in places that are socially cohesive and connected, which reduces their risk of dementia.
Superheroes are also positive, optimistic, resilient, and have a sense of purpose, all of which have a scientific link to healthy aging. With the exception of Thor and Iron Man, these characters do not drink heavily or smoke, which helps them live longer as well.
Additionally, both Black Panther and Iron Man are very rich and clever, which reduces their risk of dementia. Black Panther is also vegetarian, which helps keep wrinkles at bay.
The researchers concluded that the speed at which superheroes age is dependent upon their personal characteristics — just as it is for us mere mortals (with the exception of Thor, who has lived for several millennia).
So I guess being a superhero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
It sounds like they end up like the rest of us, just sitting around watching reruns of The King of Queens and reliving their glory days (by the way, Lou Ferrigno, who played the Incredible Hulk, was a regular character on The King of Queens as himself).
*image from Comic Basics
This is what they research? Can’t that grant money be spent on… curing spider monkeys of their monkey-isms or something? 🙄
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it was quite the team:
Sarah T Fox, PhD candidate, Natasha Reid, research fellow, Ida Tornvall, PhD candidate and research technician, Shavini Weerasekera, geriatric medicine registrar, Emily Gordon, research fellow, Ruth E Hubbard, masonic chair of geriatric medicine
I wonder if this will be be someone’s dissertation…
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If those minds were all put to better use, we could have old people living to 500 without any negative effects.
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and think of all the research studies they could do then…
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Then we could research how to turn 409 year old people into mutants to fight crime!!
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I’m sure at that age you’re probably looking for something to do…
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Yes, I would think so! Put on a cape and save the world!
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But what about their super powers? Wouldn’t those trump some of the negatives, or even maybe contribute to them? How need to find a way to quantify the effect of the different super powers on longevity.
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that will be the next research study…
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This cracked me up!! I love the way this made the superheroes age just as the rest of us do! It just shows no matter what we do we are all going to grow old and have our own issues!! Thanks for the fun read!! Lori
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I thought it was funny, and creative, as well. Glad you enjoyed it, Lori!
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Yep… Superheroes… They’re just like us!
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I wish I was ike Spider-Man…
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I’m pretty close to The Hulk sometimes…. Minus the green, manly, bulky frame lol… Really, I’m just super angry all sometimes 🤣
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I think the Hulk is probably somebody we could all relate to just a little bit 🙂
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This is why I am no longer able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
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this study doesn’t apply to the superheroes in the DC universe. they may age completely differently than the rest of us…
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Oh, okay. I’m not a big comics fan, so I don’t know who’s DC and who’s Marvel. What we need is a superhero who can keep all of that stuff straight. I would call him, “Comic Man.”
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I don’t know who is in what group either. I think my oldest son might though. I guess that makes him a superhero – that would make his day!
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By the power of the unicorn, I hereby, officially dub your son, “Comic Man.”
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I will let him know…
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Puts everything into perspective, I am content to not be a Superhero. 🙂 Though Superhero can be described in many ways! When my kids were little I was a superhero to them when I bought them ice cream.. LOL!
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it seems like that superhero skill never fades away…
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True! 🙂
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The “study” seems to be an exercise in teaching regular humans how to live healthy lives by showing that even superheroes could be affected by bad choices. Superheroes are fiction so why not use a fictional study of superhero health to teach us how to live longer and healthier. It got my attention.😄
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I thought it was a pretty clever way to get to the underlying messages about our health…
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My superpower is I’ve been on this blog for two and a half years straight. Let’s see you do that, Incredible Hulk!
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it does take a superpower to put up with this blather for so long. I am not sure what the long term consequences might be…
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Superblogger speed reads and comments on posts using his right hand to scroll through the computer screens while simultaneously posting with his left hand on the cell phone. He acquires early onset blindness, crippling carpal tunnel, and dies from lack of sleep.
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but what a legacy he leaves…
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it would be interesting if they all ended up in some sort of senior community at the same time, how would their card games, golf games, and fun Fridays go?
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I’d like to live at the senior community; I’d feel pretty safe… I’d be sure to let the Hulk win at the card games though…
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And Spider-Man could teach all the high up things
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he would be good at that…
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Reach
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👍
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Inadequate research, shocking to have omitted another dependent variable ……… susceptibility to dying from Covid …… like other forms of research of the unmentionable kind😂😂👍. Good post Jim 👍
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thanks, Dr. B. I think superheroes are immune from covid… 🙂
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That sounds like a conspiracy theory to me!
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but a lot of them do wear masks 🙂
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Yes. But they are not following social distancing rules which our PM is now being pilloried for by the UKs Leftwaffe MSM!
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no matter what someone in political offie these days is going to do, he or she is going to face criticism…
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Sounds like the research was just an excuse to get paid for reading comics! Do they realise these aren’t real people? Or maybe it’s the researchers who aren’t real…
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that makes it all the more clever by the researchers. I wouldn’t mind a job like that 🙂
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I can think of worse jobs, though I’d probably need to be paid to go anywhere near a comic…
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comic as in person or comic as in book?
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That may all be true, but they get free health insurance through their union.
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I wonder if the insurance covers new clothes for the Hulk every time he gets upset…
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I looked up the link and I’m non the wiser what the point/value of that research is. Superhero response to Covid is an interesting point. Some of our politicians may actually be superheroes with special immunity powers. Also I wonder if Batman also has immunity.
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I think it was just a clever way to get people to think about the impact of their lifestyle choices as they age.
Since Batman is not part of the Marvel universe, no conclusions can be drawn on whether the results of this study apply to him.
and it does seem like some politicians think they have some immunity powers…
🙂
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I’m just thinking bats are immune to Covid though the virus was first found in bats.
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good point about the bats, so maybe he is immune…
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I enjoyed Ferrigno’s cameos on King of Queens. Did you know his son acts, too?
I’ll never be a superhero, so I guess I don’t have to worry about the toll it takes on me. But it’s kind of fun to picture them in Avengers Tower or at the Hall of Justice, all in the twilight of their lives, talking about the good old days. (Maybe that’s how the idea for the Watchmen movie started.)
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I did not know that Ferrigno’s son was an actor.
I haven’t seen the Watchmen, but that does seem like a clever plot for a movie about the lives of the aging superheroes…
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So this research must be relatable to a target market of wannabe superheroes. Perhaps 30 to 40 year olds. Definitely not the 60 plus group since many of us have become cynics. (As a side bar, I just asked my husband how to spell cynic and his reply was spinach. I guess Siri is the superhero here.)
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you’re right, I am past the target audience for this research study.
and Siri to the rescue once again… 🙂
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I read your post to my son, Michael, Jim. He says to tell you that Spiderman doesn’t stay out all night and, anyway, he has lots of time to sleep during class and in the afternoons.
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give my thanks to Michael for setting the record straight. sounds like Spiderman has his act together. accept for maybe sleeping in class 🙂
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I always thought having Lou Ferrigno as a neighbor, was a very strange and random storyline.
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it was a bit odd, and I am sure Lou could have afforded to live somewhere a bit nicer…
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Kids need superheroes and as they never really age this research to me was a waste of time, energy and resources.
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but maybe this is a way to move the superheroes into a whole new dimension, and watch them age…
and it may make way for a new batch of superheroes…
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My daughter once said to me when I was dressed up in tight jeans plus the obligatory glittery boob tube ready for a night at the disco that I looked like “Wonder Woman”…Bless her those were the days…sigh…as for all these new Marvels I don’t know one from the other…I wonder how Superman and Wonder Woman have aged?
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I love this!
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thanks, Jennie!
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You’re welcome, Jim!
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I’m glad to hear that being normal is the healthier option!
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being normal is its own superpower!
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