EP 37: Fantastic 4 series: Invisibility

In Episode 37 of Rabbit Hole of Research, hosts Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by writer and cultural critic Nick Ulanowski to kick off their Fantastic Four series with a deep dive into one of the most mysterious superpowers in comics: invisibility. Centering on Sue Storm—the Invisible Woman—they explore the speculative biology, comic book origins, and strange science behind what it would take for a human to vanish from sight.From chameleon chromatophores to light-bending metamaterials, they unravel what makes invisibility work across nature, fiction, and theoretical physics. The conversation touches on early mythological artifacts like the Helm of Hades and the Ring of Gyges, jumps into the metabolic cost of photonic cloaking (spoiler: it’s wild), and even explores infant psychology and the observer effect.Visit Nick Ulanowski at:Substack: https://starvingauthor.substack.comBooks: https://starvingauthorpress.etsy.comIt’s Science for WeirdosWant to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes. We want to Hear From You (leave a comment):What comic, myth, or sci-fi invisibility story stuck with you the most?Could invisibility ever work biologically in a human-sized organism?Which is cooler—full-spectrum cloaking or psychic perceptual stealth?Is Sue Storm underutilized as a science fiction concept?For more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter!Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFVDon’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe