Albert Einstein writes out an equation for the density of the Milky Way on the blackboard at the Carnegie Institute, Mt Wilson Observatory headquarters in Pasadena, California, on January 14, 1931. AP Photo
Albert Einstein writes out an equation for the density of the Milky Way on the blackboard at the Carnegie Institute, Mt Wilson Observatory headquarters in Pasadena, California, on January 14, 1931. APShow more

Santa’s flight is relatively easy



Millions of festive deliveries made in a single night? According to Albert Einstein, Santa may use more than reindeers to get around, writes Robert Matthews

For parents of small children, the festive season can be stressful. As if finding presents capable of keeping them quiet for a few minutes wasn’t enough, there is also the challenge of explaining how they are going to arrive.

It is not easy convincing a six-year-old that just one old guy in a red outfit really can get so much to so many youngsters so quickly.

Is it really possible to make the hundreds of millions of deliveries needed in barely a day? And do it unseen?

Left unanswered, such questions can lead to doubts in tiny minds about the very existence of Santa Claus.

Fortunately, help is at hand. It turns out that Santa is exploiting some of the most bizarre phenomena known to science.

Ironically, the sheer speed required of Santa is a big clue to how he does it.

Calculations made public this month by physicist Dr Katy Sheen of the University of Exeter, UK, show that Santa is benefiting from effects that kick in when travelling at close to the speed of light, or about 300,000 kilometres per second.

There’s no doubt Santa must be zooming around at something close to such speeds. Even if he exploits time-zone effects, he has barely 30 hours to cover the estimated 350 million kilometres involved in achieving his global delivery target.

So how does Santa travel so fast?

On the face of it, he’s up against the ultimate speed limit set by Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

This shows that achieving speeds close to that of light rapidly requires ever more energy – and becomes literally infinite at the speed of light itself.

There is, however, a loophole provided by Einstein’s more sophisticated theory of space and time, known as General Relativity.

This allows truly radical ways of travelling at – or even beyond – the speed of light.

Imagine an ant wanting to travel across a tablecloth to reach a sugar lump. The obvious method is for the ant simply to walk there.

But there’s another option, at least in principle: bring the sugar lump closer by crumpling up the tablecloth.

In 1994, theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre at Cardiff University suggested something similar could allow travel faster than the speed of light.

His idea exploited the fact that according to Einstein, it’s possible to warp the very fabric of space and time. Strange types of quantum matter can affect space and time in such a way as to wrinkle space-time and bring distant points closer together – thus making travelling to them much faster.

The technical hitch is that scientists don’t know how to create such bizarre forms of matter, but it can exist in theory. And judging by Santa’s success in meeting his annual deadlines, a good place to start looking for it is somewhere near the North Pole.

Travel at near light-speed resolves other notoriously tricky questions asked by children about Santa – such as why he’s never seen making his deliveries.

According to Einstein, objects moving at near-light speeds appear shrunken as they zoom across our field of view, and pitch-black as they recede.

This shrinking effect, known as relativistic length contraction, also explains why even the portly Santa can flash through small spaces such as chimney-stacks with so little difficulty.

Einstein’s theory can even explain Santa’s cheery demeanour and apparent agelessness. The reason lies in the fact that according to relativity, travelling close to the speed of light affects not only physical sizes but also the flow of time.

Put simply, time flows more slowly the faster one travels.

This bizarre effect is no mere theoretical possibility. Laboratory studies of particles called muons show that when stationary in a lab they have a lifetime of around a millionth of a second.

Zipping through the atmosphere from deep space at speeds close to that of light, however, they survive more than 10 times longer, because their internal “clock” appears to us to be running more slowly.

That same effect becomes substantial at speeds close to the speed of light. According to calculations published by physicists at Purdue University in Indiana, and Fermilab National in Chicago, both US, in 2013, if Santa travels at 99.999999 per cent of the speed of light, he can meet his deadline in what to him seems like less than 10 minutes, leaving himself the rest of the 30 hours to take things easy.

There’s one last question about the Man in Red that science can help resolve: what is he up to for the rest of the year? The most likely answer is that he’s planning for next Christmas – as it involves solving a notorious mathematical problem: finding the fastest route between destinations.

This so-called Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) seems simple enough. For example, to find the fastest route between three cities – A, B and C – you can just check out the six different possibilities: ABC, ACB, BCA and so on.

The scale of the challenge becomes clear as the number of destinations increases.

Double the number of destinations from three to half a dozen, and the number of possible routes zooms from six to 720.

For a dozen cities, you’re looking at finding the single fastest route among almost half a billion.

And Santa is trying to do that for hundreds of millions of households.

Special techniques are needed even to estimate how many permutations that involves, and the answer is vastly greater even than the number of atoms in the visible universe.

Indeed, it’s a number so vast it’s hard even to write down – very roughly 1 followed by over 10 billion zeros, which would cover a strip of paper reaching halfway around the world.

So how does Santa tackle so humungous a calculation?

A lot of people would like to know, as the TSP is a challenge faced daily by everyone from airlines and shipping companies to, well, travelling salesmen. Computer scientists have found some pretty fast algorithms, but nothing capable of what Santa does every year.

There’s only one thing for it. Go along to Santa’s grotto with the children and ask him.

Robert Matthews is visiting ­professor of science at Aston University, Birmingham, England.

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
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  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

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Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

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Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

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The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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Poacher
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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

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Name: Rain Management

Year started: 2017

Based: Bahrain

Employees: 100-120

Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
The biog

Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.

His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.

“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.

"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”

Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.

He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking. 

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Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

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Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

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Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
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Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution