Scottish astronomer explains how Santa gets around the world in just one night
La N
How Santa gets round the world in just one night
ANISunday, December 27, 2009 17:50 IST Email
London: Ever wondered how Santa Claus manages to take one full circle
of the
world in just one night? Well, a researcher feels that it can only be
possible if Santa has mastered theories of astrophysics.
Professor John Brown, tenth Astronomer Royal for Scotland, believes only
quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, which distorts space time
boundary, can explain Father Christmas delivering gifts to all the good
girls and boys in just one night.
Also, Brown, who leads a research group in theory and modelling of solar and
stellar plasmas, mentioned that worm holes could provide a useful short-cut
as he goes on his rounds.
"Time travel is discussed in scientific circles and it seems that there are
effects in relativity, quantum physics and black hole gravitation theory
which may make it possible," Scotsman quoted him as saying
He added: "The theory of relativity and quantum mechanics both have curious
implications and definitely distort space and time.
"Relativity says that length is relative, so in terms of asking how Santa
covers Earth in a night, the answer may be that if he could travel near the
speed of light he could achieve this, though he would need a huge source of
energy - almost all the energy everyone uses on the planet in a year.
"Another quantum mechanical idea - quantum teleportation - might involve
deconstructing Santa's team and beaming their parts faster than light, to be
reconstructed in the next chimney, and so on.
"Finally, if Santa carried a black hole, that might help. If you could
squash his team small enough, super light speed travel to elsewhere through
a black hole worm hole and reassemble them there, he could teleport our
Christmas presents around very fast.
"The trouble with this idea is that we're quite big things, and to pass us
through a worm hole is not easy. Such a trip is likely to, using the
technical term, 'spaghettify' us."
Referring to Santa's reindeer Rudolph, he concluded: "While I'm still a bit
sceptical, I keep an open mind and wouldn't say 100% 'No' to such time
travel being Rudolph's secret