Professor Concludes: E=MC2 + Santa = Big Christmas Task - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Professor Concludes: E=MC2 + Santa = Big Christmas Task

Share via

Santa Claus isn’t just saddling up the reindeer for next week’s big ride. He’s gearing up for blastoff, preparing to travel at a stunning 800 miles per second to deliver gifts to 92 million homes.

“No easy task,†Whittier College physics professor Vann Priest concludes.

Earlier this month, the 36-year-old scientist began making calculations about Santa’s harrowing odyssey with an eye not to elves, but to Einstein.

Priest says he began with several hypotheses to explain Santa’s exotic time travel. By traveling east to west, for example, all the time zones work in Santa’s favor, giving him 31 rather than 24 hours.

Advertisement

He managed to come up with the number of households Santa visits by considering the number of people on earth: 8 billion, a quarter of whom are children, 15% who are Christians.

Based on this reasoning, Priest said Santa must make 824 home visits per second, giving him only a thousandth of a second to deliver presents to each household. (This calculation is based on his estimate that there is a half mile between the 92 million homes on his route. He got that number by dividing the area on earth--minus water, and factoring in his knowledge that only half the earth is populated.)

Although Santa’s average speed is 410 miles per second, there are times he must rev up to speeds greater than 800 miles per second if you factor in stop and go time, Priest said. Then there are the Gs to contend with, the flimsy red flannel suit, the matter of the heat of air resistance and the weight of the presents--276,000 tons.

Advertisement

“Worse, the problem of the reindeer,†Priest said. “Reindeer usually pull only 300 pounds. Santa would need 2 million reindeer.

“From a scientific and technological point of view, it would be impossible to get the job done,†he concluded.

But wait. Now that the numbers are in, Priest said there is an explanation for Santa’s miraculous stunt: “It must be the magic of Christmas.â€

Advertisement

Priest is pleased with his theory. He said he hopes it will inspire even more wonder about Santa--and the structure of the universe.

Priest, who doesn’t have children, said the only thing on his wish list is a Kawasaki motorcycle. “I believe in Santa,†he confided.

Advertisement