MAKING SENSE OF SUPERPOWERS: A GUIDE TO MODERN AMERICAN DYNOLOGY
By Dr. Sarah Chen, Science Communication Fellow at the National Institute for Dynological Research Originally published in Science Today, March 2024
Ever wondered how many Americans can actually fly? Or how rare super strength really is? As a dynologist studying superhuman demographics, these are questions I hear almost daily. The answers, like most things in science, are both simpler and more complex than you might think.
THE NUMBERS GAME: NSRA CATEGORIES VS. RESEARCH CLASSIFICATIONS
Let's start with the official numbers. According to the latest NSRA census data, approximately 240,000 Americans between ages 0-43 possess superhuman abilities - about 0.15% of the eligible population. But how these powers are classified depends on who you ask.
The NSRA uses eight broad categories for licensing purposes, with many individuals registered under multiple categories. Here's the current breakdown:
* Gigant (biological enhancement): 40% (96,000)
* Adjust (variable modification): 30% (72,000)
* Brain (cognitive/sensory): 25% (60,000)
* Employ (adding properties): 22% (52,800)
* Create (manifestation): 18% (43,200)
* Hopper (transportation): 15% (36,000)
* Filch (absorption/stealing): 12% (28,800)
* Destroy (nullification): 5% (12,000)
These percentages total 167% because the average powered individual is registered under 1.67 categories. This makes sense when you consider that many abilities cross categories - a speedster might be registered under both Hopper and Gigant, while someone who can enhance their muscle density would be listed under both Adjust and Gigant.
BEYOND THE BUREAUCRACY: HOW DYNOLOGISTS SEE POWERS
In academic dynology, we tend to look at powers through a more mechanistic lens. Rather than focusing on what powers do, we study how they work. This gives us five main categories (plus a small "other" category for unique cases), each of which decomposes into dozens of smaller subcategories such as "telekinesis" or "increased muscle density":
1. Physical Resilience: Powers that protect against harm
2. Metabolic Adaptation: Powers that alter biological processes
3. Environmental Adaptation: Powers that help survive extreme conditions
4. Sensory/Cognitive Enhancement: Powers that improve perception or thinking
5. Energy/Force Manipulation: Powers that control physical forces
6. Other: Rare or unique manifestations
"BUT WHAT ABOUT SUPER STRENGTH?"
One of the most common questions we get is about specific, well-known powers. Here's a quick reference guide to some frequently asked questions:
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Super Strength: About 7% of powered individuals (roughly 16,800 people) have what we'd classify as "traditional" super strength through enhanced muscles. However, another 28% (67,200) achieve similar effects through more exotic means like kinetic energy manipulation or density control.
Flight: Approximately 4% (9,600) can achieve true flight through conventional means like wings or levitation. Another 15% (36,000) can simulate flight through various combinations of powers like telekinesis, gravity manipulation, or temporary energy conversion.
Healing Factor: About 3% (7,200) possess straightforward regenerative abilities, while 12% (28,800) have various forms of biological adaptation that can achieve similar results.
Enhanced Intelligence: Only 2% (4,800) demonstrate pure cognitive enhancement, but nearly 25% (60,000) show some form of specialized mental or sensory improvement.
THE GAP BETWEEN CATEGORIES
Here's where things get interesting: there's often a significant gap between how the NSRA categorizes a power and how dynologists understand it. Take super strength: while the NSRA might categorize it purely under "Gigant," dynological research shows it could actually manifest through multiple mechanisms:
* Pure biological enhancement (Gigant)
* Density manipulation (Adjust)
* Kinetic energy control (Adjust/Employ)
* Gravitational manipulation (Employ)
* Force field generation (Create)
This is why academic research tends to focus more on underlying mechanisms than surface-level manifestations. A person registered with the NSRA as having super strength might actually be using completely different physical principles than another person with seemingly identical abilities.
LOOKING FORWARD
As our understanding of dynology grows, these classifications continue to evolve. The field is still young - we've only been studying these phenomena for about two decades. New research suggests there may be even more subtle categories and subcategories we haven't fully mapped yet.
For now, though, these numbers give us a solid foundation for understanding the scope and scale of superhuman abilities in modern America. Whether you're looking at it through the lens of NSRA bureaucracy or academic research, one thing is clear: the variety and complexity of these abilities continue to surprise and fascinate us.
Dr. Sarah Chen is a Science Communication Fellow at the National Institute for Dynological Research, specializing in superhuman demographics and classification systems. Her latest book, "Power Principles: Understanding Modern Dynology," is available from University Press.