# What kind of education would Tony Stark have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030 "2015-12-10T02:33:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/1 "2015-12-10T02:33:06Z")
Or put another way, if I were going to build a suit of powered armor, what kind of education would be helpful if cost was no object? EDIT: Could a Mod if possible please change the terrible spelling error in the title? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/2 "2015-12-10T02:54:41Z")
Probably mostly a mix of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. At least, to the extent that it’s possible, and possible to be educated on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/3 "2015-12-10T03:18:47Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Or put another way, if I were going to build a suit of powered armor, what kind of education would be helpful if cost was no object? If cost was no object, you’d be hiring a team of engineers, not designing and building the thing all by yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/4 "2015-12-10T04:04:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If cost was no object, you’d be hiring a team of engineers, not designing and building the thing all by yourself. What, you never met any DYIr? If cost is no object, you hire other people to manage your company, leaving you free to indulge in your hobby of building flying armor…\* Or one of those bosses/customers who know exactly what they want and how they want it, but who can’t do it themselves because they lack the hands-on know-how? For some people, DYI an enormously complex project is a wet dream. He’s mentioned in different media as having degrees in mechanical, electrical or even electromechanical engineering; sometimes the first two. It depends on the writer and on what kind of degrees are available when he’s writing (electromechanical, as an actual specialty, is newer than the other two). Aeronautical engineering could also be a good choice, it includes backgrounds on the other two. - I paint my living room periodically. It’s not that I can’t pay a painter, it’s that I like painting my living room. Next time I get vacation during the good weather I’m removing the popcorn walls, which is the kind of shitty job that makes painters go white. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/5 "2015-12-10T07:04:46Z")
According to [Wikia](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Man_%28Anthony_%22Tony%22_Stark%29), Tony Stark has masters in Physics and Electrical Engineering from MIT. With that kind of education, he would know how to build powered exo-skeleton suits. In fact, we already know how to do basic (non-flying) versions of those today. The difficult part about Iron Man’s tech is that it’s armored well enough to battle the likes of Thor and The Incredible Hulk. Current armor technology is very heavy and bulky (think heavy battle tanks). In the current world, one hard hit would send pieces of his armored suit flying, and pieces of Tony Stark’s body along with it. That’s why armored vehicles tend to roll around the battlefield on treads. A wearable suit that is agile and nimble enough to walk around in, or fly… well, that requires fantasy materials like the Vibranium in the shield that Captain America uses and repulsor tech that has yet to be invented. Taking currently-existing college courses in Materials Science or Physics would be insufficient if you want to invent such things. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/6 "2015-12-10T07:32:14Z")
Perfect **Stranger on a Train** , question. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/7 "2015-12-10T08:43:22Z")
He’d also have to studied Thermodynamic engineering since the biggest problem with any real world power armor is how to get rid of the heat generated by the power source without cooking the occupant. The Caterpillar P5000 Work Loader that Ripley uses to battle the alien queen is a slightly more realistic design for a power suit. At least it has somewhere to put the power source. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/8 "2015-12-10T11:05:54Z")
Don’t forget Computer Science, given that all his suits seem to have very advanced AI. He’d likely also need something along the lines of physiology and/or biology with a focus in biomechanics, so he doesn’t splatter himself into a fine paste because he over-estimated the maximum gee-loading of a human body. He’d also need to develop a better version of the inflatable pants fighter pilots already wear, so he can increase his tolerance for acceleration to the point he’s able to bring parties to people and dogfight and so on. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/9 "2015-12-10T11:36:39Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Don’t forget Computer Science, given that all his suits seem to have very advanced AI. Right, that was my question. Who programmed JARVIS? Or whatever version of AI he has now (my knowledge of the comics is spotty at best). ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/10 "2015-12-10T11:54:20Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > Right, that was my question. Who programmed JARVIS? Or whatever version of AI he has now (my knowledge of the comics is spotty at best). He’d basically have to be a polyglot genius in all fields and be able to disregard the laws of physics, the question is pretty meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/11 "2015-12-10T13:30:30Z")
In addition to being a genius in multiple fields he may also inadvertently tap into the arcane. Marvel universe includes magic, psionics, divine powers, necromancy etc. The results of his work may not be the sole result of normal physical knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/12 "2015-12-10T14:23:29Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > According to [Wikia](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Man_%28Anthony_%22Tony%22_Stark%29), . The difficult part about Iron Man’s tech is that it’s armored well enough to battle the likes of Thor and The Incredible hulk. Thor and the Hulk are his friends! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/13 "2015-12-10T14:25:42Z")
A PhD in elder care and the psychology of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/14 "2015-12-10T14:55:36Z")
He has a degree in Movieplotistry which conveniently allows a single scientist to switch hit for every technical discipline. Same as how lab techs also know how to hack into the NSA, defuse bombs and perform open heart surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/15 "2015-12-10T15:20:58Z")
I think the factual aspects of the OP have been pretty well covered. Since the powered armor in question has features that are impossible in the real world, let’s move this to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/16 "2015-12-10T16:17:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Since the powered armor in question has features that are impossible in the real world Wh…what? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/17 "2015-12-10T16:18:53Z")
Next you’ll be telling us there is no Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/18 "2015-12-10T18:32:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Derleth** : > > He’d likely also need something along the lines of physiology and/or biology with a focus in biomechanics, so he doesn’t splatter himself into a fine paste because he over-estimated the maximum gee-loading of a human body. He’d also need to develop a better version of the inflatable pants fighter pilots already wear, so he can increase his tolerance for acceleration to the point he’s able to bring parties to people and dogfight and so on. I think he actually covers that using repulsor tech. See, high acceleration isn’t actually a problem. The problem is just when you have non-uniform acceleration. If parts of your body (like, say, the surface) are accelerating a lot, while other parts (like the innards that haven’t yet hit the concrete) aren’t, then you’re going to end up with body parts in different places relative to each other, which is bad. But if you can somehow accelerate _all_ of the body, inside and out, to the same degree, there’s no problem. It’s not entirely clear how repulsors work, but it’s at least plausible that they might be able to do this. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/19 "2015-12-10T18:45:18Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Don’t forget Computer Science, given that all his suits seem to have very advanced AI. At MIT CS is part of the Electrical Engineering Department, so already covered. MIT I figured. I had just thought he might have knocked off a PhD in a year or two, but I guess no one calls him Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030/20 "2015-12-10T18:46:30Z")
Stark strikes me as the kind of guy who would drop out of MIT because he found it boring. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-education-would-tony-stark-have/740030.md?page=2)