Posted on

The Quantum Santa Sleigh

Quantum Santa sleigh

Or…
How the Heck Does Santa Deliver All Those Toys Around the World in One Night?

People don’t often consider the math behind Santa Claus’s worldwide Christmas Eve deliveries. Is there some scientific principle that easily explains St. Nick’s round-the-world trip in the legendary, seemingly old-fashioned Santa sleigh? It would be interesting to explore these package distributions mathematically. Let’s start by interviewing old Kris Kringle himself….

Continue reading “The Quantum Santa Sleigh”

Posted on

That Cheerful Christmas Creature, the Giant Reindeer

Giant reindeer with red sled

As December comes ’round again, mailboxes and email inboxes are filled with holiday greetings. These cards may feature images of rabbits hiding beneath snow-covered boughs, puppies snoozing beside a bright hearth, or kittens playing with tinsel on the lower branches of Christmas trees. Christmas and animals go together as perfectly as Christmas and eggnog and big red bows.

Yet here’s a thought experiment: What animal do you first think of when you think of Christmas? Since Santa Claus has practically cornered the market on seasonal holiday decor, the answer for most people would likely be reindeer—Santa’s faithful “steeds.” And what better way to represent these cheerful creatures than with your own life-sized, giant reindeer?

Continue reading “That Cheerful Christmas Creature, the Giant Reindeer”

Posted on

The Aerodynamic Santa Sleigh Takes Flight!

Santa Sleight Merry Christmas

In view of the current worldwide pilot shortage, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 18,000 job openings each year over the decade for pilots. Well, aren’t we fortunate that Santa is a seasoned pilot with his own non-polluting aircraft who need not endure arduous hours of initial training or mandatory recurrent training! Santa has no shortage of elf ramp agents either. And capricious fuel costs will never impact the viability of his carrot-fueled reindeer who propel the Santa sleigh at an astonishing 650 miles per second.

Beat that, Maverick, you Mach-mocking daredevil!

So how exactly does the Santa sleigh achieve this miraculous feat every Christmas? Let us investigate the aerodynamics (read “magic”) of the glowing Santa sleigh.

Continue reading “The Aerodynamic Santa Sleigh Takes Flight!”