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Physics Fuels Santa's Magic

Nanotechnology, space-time distortions enable Christmas miracles

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 15, 2008 4:15 PM CST

(Newser) – New research has shed light on the amazing ability of Santa Claus to deliver presents to children around the world in a single night, Reuters reports. Santa is able to distort the space-time continuum, says a North Carolina State expert: "He understands that you can stretch time, compress space and therefore he can, in a sense, actually have six Santa months to deliver the presents."

Instead of carrying billions of gifts, St. Nick uses nanotechnology “to grow the presents under the tree,” says Larry Silverberg, a professor of aerospace engineering. “He's figured out how to turn what we call irreversible thermo-dynamic properties into reversible ones and so he really starts with soot, candy, other types of natural materials, and grows them in a reverse process to create the presents, wrapping and all.”

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People dressed as Santa Claus participate in the annual Santa Claus parade, Sunday Dec. 14, 2008 in Porto, Portugal. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Runners, dressed as Santa Claus, are seen prior a "Santa Claus Run" in Hamburg, Germany, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Fabian Bimmer)

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In our reference frame it appears as though he does it in the wink of an eye and in fact there have been sightings of Santa, quick sightings, and that's in our reference frame, but in Santa's reference frame he really has six months.
- Larry Silverberg

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Physics Fuels Santa's Magic