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So earlier I posted a thread (off topic) on ideas I had for how super power mutations/genetic engineering could happen simply titled Real life super powers. I got some skeptical views on those ideas. This is on the subject but for more of your opinion. Do you personally think powers of the sort of:
X Men
Fantastic Four
Avengers
Justice League
...could occur on Earth with any plausibility, by technology, mutations, genetic engineering or aliens? Time frames:
Near future
10 years
100 years
1,000 years
Million years
Maybe give an opinion with an open mind for them to happen ANY WAY; doesn't have to be some silly "getting struck by lighting and doused with chemicals" way. Genetic engineering has gotten to the point where we can make glow in the dark mice, and of you search real super powers there are type 1 mutants. We are close to having real life Iron Man, Spiderman and Captain America. My post suggested that many powers could be accomplished by the cellular membrane; or adhering things to human bones. Even if humans definitely won't get powers in the near future, maybe with a huge amount of advancement? Could aliens with different biology have great powers? Finally, could alternate univeres (if they exist) actually have superheroes like those in the comics? Could such things happen by science we don't understand yet? With an infinite Universe/infinite number of Universes anything that's possible can happen. By the way, do any of you know what Stan Lee's opinion of the plausibility is? If you think none of that is in any way real, why do you still care? I think any time we read fiction we are secretly imagining it taking place in some distant planet/Universe. How much could be discovered/accomplished/possible in a Universe as vast and mysterious as ours? Your answers to these questions are much appreciated.

Additionally, what do you define as "real"? Do you normally use that term just for now on Earth, or do you claim to speak for the whole Universe? I personally think that technically anything which doesn't directly break the laws of physics is technically possible if only slightly. Like going faster than light (without tricks) is impossible, but moving a planet isn't (can be done with enough energy). Is anything possible? For every impossible in science, there is theoretically another way which it can be accomplished, like could energy from the 4th dimension be faster than light, so it's technically still possible? Sorry, just wanted to add that.

Laws of physics + imagination are a powerful combo. Einstein felt imagination was more important than intellect. The only thing more powerful than that is what the universe overall can conjure up, surprising us, a tiny piece of it, at every turn.

Have you met Oneness?

Indeed. By the way, sorry if I was rambling on the questions there.

Yeah. Furthermore, while you can't necessarily get powers from just being bombarded by radiation, such powers would still by possible if just by advanced genetic engineering. Also, isn't it still wrong to say something like this is entirely impossible given the complexity of the body and what we don't know about it? My post called Real life super powers addresses these concerns.

Ten thousand years from now...one million...one billion...who's to say what's possible, given what we will likely learn about our universe...and others(?).

I would imagine that "human beings" in the far future won't be anything like what we are today, whether via tech, evolution, etc. What we consider "superpowers" will be "standard equipment" for our descendants.

But I doubt very much we will see anything like this in our lifetimes. Maybe some enhanced (not superhuman) functioning.

I had a hypothesis that some powers could be possible with a mutation to the cellular membrane giving it an extra layer of material which could resist harm, store/release/direct energy without the body being drastically changed otherwise. I found the responses on the post I gave not helpful. Do you think that concept is at least a little possible (or reasonably possible)?

Some proteins can be very, very strong, eg, spider silk. I also read a scifi story years back ("Drakon" by S. M. Sterling), where the main character -- a top-tier warrior from the future -- had some sort of carbon-fiber mesh as that "extra layer" under her skin.

Are you pursuing this just out of curiosity, or are you planning something (eg, writing a story)?

I was perusing it as a real possibility for genetic engineering/mutations in the future. After all, it doesn't seem impossible, although I haven't seen an instance of it for sure. However, there is a man in Asia dubbed "super hands" who can stick his hand in super hot oil without being burned. Is it possible he is someone who has this extra layer to his cells for protection? Assuming that's true.

Megatom, why do you care about super powers?

Real science is not about super powers. It is more morally correct to find ways to heal the sick; to make people who can't walk, be able to walk again. Saving children who's lives have been cut short by cancer, or genetic diseases, is far more important then making superman.

You're right in the sense of that being more important; I'm just thinking about what is fun here. As for being serious I agree, but I simply don't like people saying that such and such is impossible without a reason other than "well it's near impossible" or "I'm not exactly sure how yet". Out of all science fiction, that section gets the least support even though it makes as much sense as the planet becoming grey goo after the singularity hits by the end of the century. Also, I don't appreciate people who criticize what I like to talk about; I am in no position to either do what I described or cure serious illnesses as of right now. I'll definitely get "serious" when I can actually experiment and really do something.

Originally posted by Megatom
there is a man in Asia dubbed "super hands" who can stick his hand in super hot oil without being burned. Is it possible he is someone who has this extra layer to his cells for protection? Assuming it's true, this may have more to do with trained attention and willpower: control over (once previously considered) autonomic functions. Eg, Buddhist monks, I believe, have been known to raise their body temperature, through concentration, sufficiently to melt the snow immediately around them. A well-known example is the monk who set himself on fire some decades back...just sat there, no screaming, no writhing in pain, as he burned. Yogis have been known to reduce heart and respiration rates to profoundly low levels.

BTW, a quick google search didn't reveal anything about this "super hands" guy. On the other hand...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Th%C3%ADch_Qu%E1%BA%A3ng_%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c_self-immolation.jpg

I dunno. While this stuff would be cool I do have to be doubtful, after all it hasn't really happened yet, but then again I like to be hopeful, even to the point of being ridiculous.