• Question: How does Santa's sleigh fly?

    Asked by Edan to Áine, Ciarán on 17 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Ciarán O'Brien

      Ciarán O'Brien answered on 17 Nov 2014:


      It’s probably quantum levitation. If you cool a superconductor to well below freezing, it locks itself in place in a magnetic field. This video can help explain what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6AAhTw7RA

      So the sleigh is probably made out of a superconducting material cooled by liquid nitrogen, quantum locked to the Earth’s own magnetic field. Same goes for the shoes on his reindeer.

      I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t it very cruel for Santa to force his reindeer to wear shoes that are so cold it would cause their legs to freeze and snap off like twigs? And you’re quite right. That’s why Santa, being a jolly compassionate sort, replaced his reindeer’s legs with robot legs that don’t feel cold. These new robot legs don’t get tired either, which is why they’re able to drag his sleigh all over the world in one night without stopping! We should be glad Santa is on our side, with that kind of advanced technology he could easily take over the whole world in one night! Instead, he just delivers presents. Hooray!

Comments