The Biology of B-Movie Monsters: Where Science Meets Silver Screen Silliness
University of Chicago professor Michael C. LaBarbera dissects classic B-movie monster flicks, revealing the hilarious disconnect between Hollywood's portrayal of size and the realities of biology. He uses examples like *The Incredible Shrinking Man*, *Dr. Cyclops*, and *Fantastic Voyage* to illustrate how changes in size impact surface area, volume, strength, heat loss, and more, highlighting the movies' frequent disregard for physics. LaBarbera further analyzes the skeletal limitations and locomotion challenges of giant creatures in films such as *King Kong*, *The Amazing Colossal Man*, and *Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman*. He also examines the physiological constraints of giant marine creatures and insects in movies like *It Came from Beneath the Sea*, *Mothra*, and *Them!*. Finally, he praises the biological accuracy of Spielberg's *Jurassic Park* and *E.T.*, explaining the latter's endearing appeal.