Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Anybody know?

The Pre Crisis version and the Birthright version can perceive radio and microwave transmissions with super-hearing.  That would put the known upper limits between about 100 million hertz for radio frequencies to 100 billion hertz for microwaves.

Cool, thanks CK. Is that RF/MW number based on his hearing being EM based though (Like we talked about when discussing the fact that he hears "faster than the speed of sound")?

it would pretty much have to be then wouldn't it . Maybe he has  two types of "hearing". :D

Well yeah, that was pretty much our concensus (well how I interpreted it anyway) :P, because I don't think HF sound can be detected as RF e.g. I don't think it spontaneously becomes radiowaves once its frequency gets high enough, I could be wrong though, it's been known to happen.

Since I'm always learning new things, I've had occasion to rethink this question based on what I've learned about ultrasonics.

If we're talking about sounds in our air, then the highest possible frequency that he could hear -- limited by the air itself -- would be a few megahertz somewhere below 10 megahertz.

Given different media like water, steel, etc. that frequency would change.

As noted on the previous thread, he has been capable of hearing radio frequencies which aren't limited by air's limitations.

So he and Krypto can hear Man-Bat's echolating Skree Skree then?   :wink:

Strange... I don't have super-hearing, but even I just now detected a Skree Skree echo...   :wink:

I suspect the radio waves thing is actually a function of his super-EYESIGHT, rather than his hearing (unless he's hearing some radio receiver that is converting it back to sound.).  Remember, in "Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow" he asked Toyman and Prankster, "Do you know what radio waves look like? Because I DO!"
    He probably said "heard"  to keep from making a big explanation.  
    As far as his hearing is concerns---limits....hmmm.
    There seems to be two "components" of his super-hearing. One is amplification of normal sounds (perhaps his own energy working to amplify the tiny sounds he hears....) and the other is being able to extend the range of his hearing along the spectrum of sounds.  He could certainly hear Jimmy's watch, for instance, but I'm not sure he can hear  all ultra and infra sounds---I think I've heard Superman mention that he keeps that particular part of the ultrasonic spectrum "open". Superman doesn't seem to hear everything around him, at all times---he has to "open up" his hearing to do that. Which is probably well for his sanity....
    Nevertheless, from Louisiana, he heard a woman in Washington DC clear her throat. (DC Comics Presents, Alan Moore-written story with Swamp Thing.) That's---pretty good.
---Al

Superman's super-hearing seems to enable his ears to operate as radio receivers.  Just as his super-voice powers seem to enable his vocal cords to double as a radio transmitter.

Thanks for the reminder, LLozymandias.  I forgot he could generate radio signals with his super-voice.  That's one way he's able to summon Krypto when the pet is in space.

Remember what I said on another thread about his super-ventriloquism being possibly related to his super-mind?  Real ventriloquism is just an illusion, but super-ventriloquism truly is the ability to remotely throw his voice.  Along with his ability to generate radio signals with his voice and communicate on an 'ultra-wavelength' in space with Vartox, that tells us his super-voice is capable of not only generating more than just ordinary sound waves, but that he could probably remotely throw those EM and ultra-wavelength signals anywhere he wants to.

Our cells and even our unliving matter responds weakly to EM signals.  It would make sense that his super-hearing is so amped up that it can detect and translate that slight EM effect on his ears into sound waves (in the same fashion as sound frequency electrical stimulation of tissues and bone are interpreted by the brain as sound -- ref. a Popular Science issue from decades back).

Related patents granted using principle of electrical stimulation to create perception of sound:

Nervous System Excitation Device, US Patent #3,393,279, Gillis Patrick Flanagan, July 16, 1968. A method of transmitting audio information via a radio frequency signal modulated with the audio info through electrodes placed on the subject's skin, causing the sensation of hearing the audio information in the brain.

Hearing System, US Patent #4,877,027, Wayne Brunkan, October 31, 1989. A method for directly inducing sound into the head of a person, using microwaves in the range of 100 MHz to 10,000 MHz, modulated with a waveform of frequency- modulated bursts.

I thought you didn't put much stock in Flanagan.  :D

Oh and some recent news on the effects of RF on cells, though it's completely unrelated to hearing: http://www.wpbfnews.com/news/5377374/detail.html

I don't trust Flanagan, at least as far as his debunked pyramid power support is concerned.  But if the US patent office granted him a patent for this gizmo and it jibes with a whole lot of other credible inventions I've seen elsewhere using the same principle, I believe him on this.  Remember that I said I wouldn't take anything from him without corroborating evidence from outside sources.

Note that I quoted both an old Popular Science article I read and another related patent.  Those certainly qualify as outside supporting evidence.

I'm not taking Flanagan on his word alone.  Those two other sources plus the patent office make this one pretty solid.

OTOH, no US patent has ever seen the light of day re: pyramid power.  I know Czechoslovakia issued a pyramid power patent but -- not to sound too snide -- the Eastern Bloc has been notorious for grandiose claims for their science that cannot be replicated nor substantiated by other countries' scientists.  The US patent office has a demonstrably higher standard and credibility, though even they sometimes patent clunkers.

I think superman's sight and hearing and vocal powers were intended to be the science fiction version of their magic counterparts.  So explaining them in real world physics/mathematics is sometimes tricky or nearly impossible. Still you all have come up with some brilliant explanations which fit the facts. Well done!
As Wonder Woman is the Mythic Heroine, & as Captain Marvel is the Magical Hero, and Plastic Man is the Comedic Hero, & as Batman is the Mystery Hero, so Superman is the Science hero. Superman is the Man of Tomorrow. The Man of the Future. The reason things like superhearing and telescopic vision seem to perceive beyond the speed of sound even at real time or light speed levels is because they are based on being a sci -fi version of Clairaudience and Clairvoyance.  Supeman can hear a high frequency sound from Jimmy's watch. He can hear dog whistles.
And much more. Pretty much I think his eye and ear powers will prove virtually limitless as time goes on.

re radio waves...some versions of Supes have this power, other times he is simply hearing a radio that is turned on somewhere. His power to emit and receive radio waves has been depicted in several comics, but is ignored in others.  He uses a JLA communication/alert  device sometimes doesn't he?

You're right re: the JLA communicator.

It must be noted that Hal/GL also sported said JLA signal device despite his omnipotent power ring which could perform the same function.

I suppose a few reasons could explain the above.  If Superman or Green Lantern were in an emergency situation themselves that meant they needed outside help, it's very possible that their relevant communication powers might be compromised or neutralized altogether.  An independent signal device not dependent on their respective powers would be a wise precaution.

While most of us are capable of mental mathematics, most of us go the lazy route by using a pocket calculator instead.  Maybe Superman sometimes feels the need to take the load off his own powers and let the JLA gadget handle talking to his buddies instead.

An element of not wanting to show the others up may be another aspect: For the dignity and self-respect of the others, Superman may just choose to use the device instead of his own powers.

I was just teasing. ;)

Re: The US patent office, they've been letting in a lot of clunkers lately. I swear they should stick with the "must have a working prototype" rule.

yes, true... but one must take note that Hal's ring doesn't transmit or receive radio signals to him [or at least not as effecaciously] when the 24 hour recharge period is expended.  When the ring is depowered its cosmetic jewelry. Also it's ineffectiveness vs. yellow or other blockers designed to scramble or block the ring's communication aspect that he has encountered time and again.(Including a simple yellow power bubble)
In those cases the JLA signal device is useful. They also allow access to the teleport tubes if i am not mistaken and to the sattelite hq when they had one. Plus the JLA devices where Thanagarian/Kryptonese hybrid technology and supposedly harder for human eavesdroppers to tap into to spy on the League.
I have noted that in the new Millenium Superman his powers are pretty clear. mor e or less, but in the golden and silver age superman, particularly pre crisis/pre monitor age, Superman had all manner of powers , super memory, hypnotism, in the movie Superman 1, hypnotic kiss, element analysis vision, and many more . In the tv series with George Reeve he could phase through walls like the Flash.
I wonder if anybody has ever listed all the powers Superman has exhibitted, not including ones he only got temporarily from Red K or the like.