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A review by dan1066
The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey by Roger Highfield
4.0
I have been investigating the science of Christmas for more than a decade. When I first began to take an interest in the subject, I was unprepared for the breadth and depth of the insights that would eventually emerge. Take those flying reindeer, Santa’s red and white color scheme, and his jolly disposition, for example. They are all probably linked to the use of a hallucinogenic toadstool in ancient rituals.
Published in 1998 (and I’m not sure if an updated edition ever hit the stands since), Roger Highfield’s The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey purports to quantify the yuletide season. Based on a series of articles he published in The Daily Telegraph, Highfield merges scientific principals with Christmas traditions, answering such pressing questions as how Santa’s sleigh and delivery service can be scientifically feasible, what astronomical event guided the magi, what biological principals dictate Santa’s girth, and how does seasonal drinking affect the body.
Highfield use of the term “physics” in his title is inaccurate; he should have titled this collection The Science of Christmas since he favors biology and sociology over chemistry and physics. His forays into the realm of physics are few. He strives to be funny and clever, but rephrasing cliches using ten-dollar science terms stales quickly. Highfield also keeps the science rather simple. His attempts to explain quantum theories are fuzzy; I could almost see the high school text at his elbow as he tries to make sense of the material and apply it to some aspect of Christmas. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t always work.
The highlight of the work, for me, was Appendix 3: “Is Faith Good for You?” Highfield, building on some information he used for his chapter on seasonal affective disorder, provides a survey of studies into whether or not “those who respect religious traditions, and presumably those who take Christmas seriously, expect a healthier life.” The findings are hardly conclusive, but they are intriguing:
In several studies involving hundreds of subjects, he has found that people who embrace what could be called “the sinners in the hands of an angry God” model do indeed have poorer mental health outcomes. People who feel hostility toward God, believe they’re being punished for their sins, or perceive a lack of emotional support from their church or synagogue typically suffer more distress, anxiety, and depression. By contrast, people who embrace the “loving God” model see God as a partner who works with them to resolve problems…They enjoy more positive mental health outcomes…
Finally, I decided to reread this work after 22 years because of the final chapter: “Christmas 2020.” Basically, Highfield’s prediction is rooted in William Gibson’s [b:Neuromancer|6088007|Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554437249l/6088007._SY75_.jpg|909457], written more than a decade before him. His Christmas 2020 consists of dirigibles streaming advertisements floating past 200 floor apartment buildings while inside tenants don VR headsets and shop with avatars. One aspect, though, is eerily accurate: “Later came the highlight of the celebrations: a Highfield family virtual reunion.” Granted, Highfield posits Disney’s Imagineers are able to provide a full-sensory virtual environment for the family, but how many families, due to COVID (and a pandemic is not foreseen), met with loved ones via Zoom or Google Meets or Skype? Highfield also notes “experts used to predict that Christmas shopping at virtual stores would be a lonely affair.” For me, at least, online Christmas shopping is hardly a “lonely affair” so much as a “necessary affair” in dealing with the pandemic. All in all, I don't want Highfield’s future Christmas. It seems, ironically, implausible and dated.
This book is interesting, but be aware it’s the literary equivalent of click-bait. It’s a series of vignettes and anecdotes with a light sprinkle of science. For science teachers, it provides some interesting examples from the holiday season to explain basic science principals, but you’re not going to finish this book vastly more scientifically literate than when you started. Rather, you’ll have some amusing anecdotes to share around the punch bowl or on Zoom.
Published in 1998 (and I’m not sure if an updated edition ever hit the stands since), Roger Highfield’s The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey purports to quantify the yuletide season. Based on a series of articles he published in The Daily Telegraph, Highfield merges scientific principals with Christmas traditions, answering such pressing questions as how Santa’s sleigh and delivery service can be scientifically feasible, what astronomical event guided the magi, what biological principals dictate Santa’s girth, and how does seasonal drinking affect the body.
Highfield use of the term “physics” in his title is inaccurate; he should have titled this collection The Science of Christmas since he favors biology and sociology over chemistry and physics. His forays into the realm of physics are few. He strives to be funny and clever, but rephrasing cliches using ten-dollar science terms stales quickly. Highfield also keeps the science rather simple. His attempts to explain quantum theories are fuzzy; I could almost see the high school text at his elbow as he tries to make sense of the material and apply it to some aspect of Christmas. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t always work.
The highlight of the work, for me, was Appendix 3: “Is Faith Good for You?” Highfield, building on some information he used for his chapter on seasonal affective disorder, provides a survey of studies into whether or not “those who respect religious traditions, and presumably those who take Christmas seriously, expect a healthier life.” The findings are hardly conclusive, but they are intriguing:
In several studies involving hundreds of subjects, he has found that people who embrace what could be called “the sinners in the hands of an angry God” model do indeed have poorer mental health outcomes. People who feel hostility toward God, believe they’re being punished for their sins, or perceive a lack of emotional support from their church or synagogue typically suffer more distress, anxiety, and depression. By contrast, people who embrace the “loving God” model see God as a partner who works with them to resolve problems…They enjoy more positive mental health outcomes…
Finally, I decided to reread this work after 22 years because of the final chapter: “Christmas 2020.” Basically, Highfield’s prediction is rooted in William Gibson’s [b:Neuromancer|6088007|Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554437249l/6088007._SY75_.jpg|909457], written more than a decade before him. His Christmas 2020 consists of dirigibles streaming advertisements floating past 200 floor apartment buildings while inside tenants don VR headsets and shop with avatars. One aspect, though, is eerily accurate: “Later came the highlight of the celebrations: a Highfield family virtual reunion.” Granted, Highfield posits Disney’s Imagineers are able to provide a full-sensory virtual environment for the family, but how many families, due to COVID (and a pandemic is not foreseen), met with loved ones via Zoom or Google Meets or Skype? Highfield also notes “experts used to predict that Christmas shopping at virtual stores would be a lonely affair.” For me, at least, online Christmas shopping is hardly a “lonely affair” so much as a “necessary affair” in dealing with the pandemic. All in all, I don't want Highfield’s future Christmas. It seems, ironically, implausible and dated.
This book is interesting, but be aware it’s the literary equivalent of click-bait. It’s a series of vignettes and anecdotes with a light sprinkle of science. For science teachers, it provides some interesting examples from the holiday season to explain basic science principals, but you’re not going to finish this book vastly more scientifically literate than when you started. Rather, you’ll have some amusing anecdotes to share around the punch bowl or on Zoom.