How to access Hexan from “WandaVision” – with Physics!

I’m horrible a fan of both sciences and The Marvel Cinematic Universe is so awesome when these two collide. That is precisely what happened in Section 5 WandaVision.

Here is my basic introduction WandaVision for those of you who haven’t seen it. Wanda is a kind of superhero with magical powers that allows her to do all sorts of cool things. But perhaps one thing that’s not so bad is that it can turn the town of Westview (and all the people there) into a kind of TV show. I know, it sounds weird, but I’m trying to set up physics. To keep most people out of his formidable spectacle, Wanda creates a kind of radiation field in the village called Hex.

One of those trying to figure out what’s going on with Westview is SWORD agent Monica Rambeau. After being kicked out of Hex, Monika re-enters and wants to know Wanda’s motivation. However, there is a problem: Hex he does things to the people. In WandaVision, that radiation might make you think you’re in a 1970s sitcom or it might give you superpowers. (In the real world, radiation disrupts molecular bonds, including those in the cells of our body. That’s bad for humans.)

In Monica’s case, she sensibly represents that she needs some kind of radiation protection to overcome it — and she works out the calculations in a chart. (Here you go see part of his calculations.)

So if you also need to get into Westview, how would you calculate the number of shields you would need? Are these equations legitimate? Let’s see.

What is radiation, anyway?

First, we need to figure out what the hell “radiation” really is. Historically, people found radiation before they understood exactly what was happening. Initially, they were classified into three categories: alpha, beta, gamma (not very creative). Alpha and beta radiation are particles that are emitted, often due to some type of nuclear reaction. Gamma rays are not particles, but a short wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

Gamma rays are a type of electromagnetic wave — like radio waves, visible light, and ultraviolet light. Technically, all electromagnetic waves could be considered “radiation,” but they seem to be very short wavelengths that interact with cells in your body at high energy levels, which makes them more dangerous. These rays not only deposit energy in human tissues, they can damage DNA and cause mutations. (It’s very difficult for gamma rays to turn you into a Hulk.)

All types of radiation are vastly different. The alpha particle has a (relatively) heavy and positive charge, but the beta particle has a lower mass and can have a negative or positive charge. Gamma rays are just oscillating electric and magnetic fields. There is also a fourth type, neutron radiation, which has no electric charge. It should be noted that neutrons were found after the first three types of radiation, so this type did not get the same Greek letter as the others.

How do you calculate radiation shielding?

Now, we need to calculate the number of shields that Monica’s mission needs to pass through the hex field and pass to Westview. How to use a bunch of lead — doesn’t that stop the radiation? At least that’s how you are stop looking at the X-ray of Superman. (Yes, I know Superman is in the DC Universe and not the MCU.)

Lead stops radiation, but shielding is more complicated than stepping on some thick lead walls. There are several important things to consider when calculating the thickness of a particular shield.