Captain Kinetic, Superhero of Science

Few people are aware that mild-mannered Dr. Beams is also a Superhero of Science whose Mission is to Dispel Ignorance and Spread the Light of Scientific Truth. When Scientific Ignorance rears its ugly head, Dr. Beams steps into the nearest quantum well and re-emerges as Captain Kinetic, Superhero of Science!! Captain Kinetic is camera-shy despite his superhero status and few photographs of Captain Kinetic exist. One of those rare photographs is shown below. It was taken in 1992 in the classroom of Mrs. Amal Vitale at Purdy Elementary School in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin, where Captain Kinetic and his faithful companion Mademoiselle Momentum (ably played by daughter Deborah Beams) presented a program entitled, “Cartoon Science—Fact or Fiction??” They showed video clips of Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons and then performed simple experiments to show that physical events in the cartoon could not happen in Real Life (e.g., the coyote could not fall faster than the anvil).

Captain Kinetic paid a second visit to Purdy Elementary a year later and was assisted by daughter Allison Beams playing the role of the faithful Mademoiselle Momentum.

Captain Kinetic as he appeared in 1992. Mademoiselle Momentum was off-camera setting up the next experiment when this picture was taken.