Physics Special Topics

A1 4 Can I Pet That Dog?

Az Poole, Sam Bourne, Emily Stedall, Riley Wass — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper demonstrates a study of the seismological impacts of Entei’s bark power from the world
of Pokémon. We find that an energy of 3.23 × 10²⁰ J is released in a 1 second bark, an output
powerful enough to level cities and cause massive destruction.

P2 8 Only a Sith deals in Magnetohydrodynamics

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate the iconic humming noise produced by the lightsaber from the Star
Wars movie franchise. We apply a magnetohydrodynamic model to investigate the formation of
standing Alfv´en waves within the lightsaber plasma and find that for the fundamental frequency
of these waves to be within the range of human hearing, a lightsaber of magnetic field 1 T would
require a plasma density of 10²⁶ m⁻³

A4 8 Nuclear Camera Disintegration

Tarun Kataria, Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper examines the time it takes for a CMOS image sensor from a typical remote monitoring camera to cease functioning due to the radiative environment within a nuclear reactor. We have found that the total ionisation dose rate would make the device stop working at ≈ 3.3 hours, whilst the effects of displacement damage from neutrons would be ≈ 2.1 hours. The internal environment of a nuclear reactor is lethal to semiconductor electronics, and it shortens the lifetime of digital devices.

A2 5 Equatorial Auroras

Hugh Kinton, Tony Wang, Patrick Loughrey — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Auroral emission is normally restricted to high latitudes, reflecting the boundary between closed and open geomagnetic field lines. Using a simple dipole model of Earth's magnetic field, we compute the total open magnetic flux in a polar cap as a function of its boundary latitude. We then apply a visibility criterion to determine how much open flux would be required for aurora to reach low latitudes or the equator. The model shows that equatorward auroras require 14.5 times more open flux than typical geomagnetic conditions.

P1 1 Could the Sun Survive without Quantum Mechanics?

James Turner, Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

This paper explores the conditions required for proton-proton fusion to occur in the Sun without

the aid of quantum mechanics. It is found that the Sun in its current form could not sustain fusion

without quantum tunnelling, and for it to do so, it would need to be at a minimum temperature

of approximately T = 2.8 × 10⁹K, a temperature only seen in the most violent cosmic events such

as supernovae and neutron star mergers.

P2 5 [W][O][R][D][L][E] vs the World

Peter Clevely, Jack Fuller, Noah Sowter — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we discuss the environmental impact of a large number of people playing the Wordle
minigame every day, assessing if it is a significant factor in global environmental decline. We
calculate that the total daily CO₂emission from global Wordle players is 3.04 kg. Overall, we
conclude that daily actions like playing the Wordle are minimal in the overall discussion about
the environment, and that the biggest factors in environmental decline are not due to the actions
of an average citizen playing a simple puzzle every day.

P1 3 A Mistaken Man-Made Moon

James Turner, Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

There are currently around 15,000 satellites orbiting Earth, along with tens of thousands of other man-made objects; the total mass of these objects is estimated to be around 14,700 tonnes. It is calculated that, even in a worst case scenario of these objects accumulating near or on the surface of the Moon, the total disturbance in the Moon’s orbital period would be 1.42 ×10⁻⁷s. For a 1 second change in the orbital period, a total mass of 1.04 ×10¹⁴kg would be required, 6 million times more mass than is currently orbiting the planet.

P4 5 No Mr Bond: I expect you to Die!

Luke Smith, Ryan Morrison, Mihir Parekh — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We investigate the laser used in the 1964 film Goldfinger, during the scene of James Bond tied to
the table, watching a laser cut through gold. We find that to completely vaporise the gold in this
fashion, it would correspond to a laser power of approximately 27.6 kW, which is possible by the
lasers of the time. We also consider that the actual requirement to vaporise gold in this way is
significantly affected by thermal conduction and the reflectivity of the gold surface.

P5 1 NASLEV

Tristan Boyce, Harry Charman, Ethan Cross, Torey Chu — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We have designed a theoretical mag-lev NASCAR to see how it would compete on several NASCAR
tracks. Our car performed poorly compared to NASCAR records on each track, due to the cen-
tripetal acceleration being the result of the incline of the banked turns on NASCAR tracks. The
cars performance could be drastically improved by including a turning mechanism similar to ones
mag-lev trains have.

A4 4 Lightning McQueen Vs NASCAR: A Physics Comparison

Rithika Sudhir, Kethan Pulgam, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Pixar’s Cars portrays Lightning McQueen as a prominent competitor in the fictitious Piston Cup, an obvious parody of NASCAR racing. This analysis compares McQueen’s car to a real NASCAR stock car, focusing on aerodynamics, banked cornering dynamics, and slipstreaming. McQueen’s cartoon streamlined form likely reduces drag, enhancing his drafting and “slingshot” manoeuvre, but limited downforce would limit his cornering speeds.

P5 5 Investigating the feasibility of Dr. Stone’s sweat-lens

Torey Chu, Ethan Cross, Harry Charman, Tristan Boyce — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we look at a scene in the popular anime Dr. Stone, where a convex lens made of sweat and glass is used to ignite a leather cloth with sunlight. We have assumed that the radius of the lens r = 2.5 cm, the Solar Intesity I_0 = 1366 W/m^-2 and the temperature that the leather ignites at is 300 °C on a sunny day. Our results show that rather than taking 60 seconds to ignite like it did in the show, this process in real life would take 154 seconds. This suggests that the scene in Dr. Stone is inaccurate.

A5 2 Survivability of Andromeda Evolving into a Blazar

Daniel Booth, Alex Friesner, Connor Howitt — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We consider the case that Andromeda evolves into a blazar, an active galaxy with a powerful jet pointing in the direction of the observer. We find that this scenario would pose little threat to life as we know it at the current distance of Andromeda when using lower bounds to calculate the received flux (5.71 x 10^-5 erg s^-1 cm^-2) and fluence (14.8 erg cm^-2) of the jet. In the case of upper bounds, there is also little threat unless a flare were to last approximately ten days.

A4 10 It's Dragging

Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Elevated ambient temperatures can enhance Formula 1 car performance because the reduction in air density outweighs the accompanying increase in viscosity. This study models these effects using Sutherland’s law for viscosity and ideal-gas scaling for density over a 10^◦C to 35^◦C range at sea level, where viscosity rises by ≈ 6.8% and density decreases by ≈ 8.1%. Drag scalings with an 80:20 form-to friction split yield a ≈ 7.6% total drag reduction at fixed speed, implying comparable savings in required power and energy per unit distance.

P1 7 Modelling the Thrust of a Rocket League Car

James Turner, Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

The popular video game Rocket League allows players to use boost to accelerate their cars forward. This paper calculates the thrust required to achieve the in-game acceleration and models it as a propulsion system with varying exhaust velocities. It was found that a thrust of 17.76 kN is required, and real-world propulsion systems exist with comparable thrust and exhaust velocities, indicating that the game’s physics, while simplified, are not entirely unrealistic.

P5 8 How clothing keep us warm

Torey Chu, Ethan Cross, Harry Charman, Tristan Boyce — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate how humans keep warm by wearing clothes in a cold environment, assuming an 18 °C room to maintain a body temperature of 34 °C, where heat is lost to the surroundings via conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. We are taking into account a forearm as a cylinder of radius r=0.04m, and length, L=0.6m, covered by a 1 cm thick wool layer having thermal conductivity k = 0.04W/m^2 K. From the results, the heat loss without clothing is 50.5 W and with clothing is 7.96W, which means the clothing is able to trap 85% of the heat from escaping to the surrounding .

A1 6 Fire In The (Variable) Hole

Samuel Bourne, Az Poole, Emily Stedall, Riley Wass — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper lays a theoretical framework for the application of shape memory alloys (SMA) to rocket nozzle design in order to maintain ideal expansion during ascent. We apply this framework to the Atlas V 401 1st stage, quantifying the non-linear relationship between the nozzle exit area and altitude of the rocket. The results establish a first look estimation into nozzle actuation rates needed, that future research can build from; specifically into material properties of a viable SMA.

P4 7 No Mr Bond: I expect a better suit!

Luke Smith, Ryan Morrison, Mihir Parekh — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We follow up from our previous paper where we found the power of the laser in the 1964 Bond
f
ilm Goldfinger. In the film the laser is shut off just before contacting Bond, here we assume it
touches Bond for 0.5 s. We find the change in temperature of Bond’s clothing for the case of it
being made of cotton fibre and kevlar, for different radii of the laser spot. To assess how a more
focused laser can cause more heating. It is found if the laser is double the focusing we use in our
previous paper, at 2 cm, and Bond is wearing a suit made of kevlar, he might walk away with
severe burns, but otherwise would survive.

P 5 4 The Thermodynamics behind the E-Suites Cooling Problem

Henry Charman, Tristan Boyce, Ethan Cross, Torey Chu — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we examine the effect that powerful gaming computers have on the temperature of
the E-Suite, a room in the David Wilson library at the University of Leicester. We found that,
when left on until the room reaches thermal equilibrium with its surroundings, the computers in
the E-Suite increase the temperature of the room by 6.48 K, whereas computers in a neighbouring
room only increase the temperature by 1.76 K

A2 6 Flash Royale

Tony Wang, Hugh Kinton, Patrick Loughrey — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we find the charge and voltage associated with Clash Royale's `Electro Giant' to cause the breakdown of air and produce an electric shock from 3 metres away, considering both of his conducting spheres. By modelling as point charges, we find a requirement of Q=1.52 x 10^{-3} C for each sphere. Using this, along with the method of images for capacitance, we find a required voltage of V=1.26 x 10^{8} V for each sphere.

A4 1 Relativistic view of Alice in Wonderland

Tarun Kataria, Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

This paper investigates whether the temporal discrepancy Alice experiences in Wonderland (2010 film) relative to the real world could be explained by special or general relativity. Special relativity requires Wonderland to be moving at ≈ 99.99% the speed of light, an implausible cinematic scenario unless she is moving at a state of rest alongside everything around her. General relativity calculations a planet with either a lethal surface gravity (≈ 7×10 ⁹ ms ^-2) or a radius (≈ 9×10 ^-3 m) approaching its Schwarzschild radius (a black hole). Our analysis concludes that the observed time dilation in the film is incompatible with the principles of special or general relativity under realistic conditions.

A1 7 Blinded at the Angel Dispatch Centre

Emily Stedall, Samuel Bourne, Az Poole, Riley Wass — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this study, the show Wizards of Waverly Place is reviewed. The impact of the bright light emitted from the Guardian Angel Dispatch Centre is considered, and it is determined that without eye protection, the photochemical limit is exceeded, likely causing retinal damage to the characters.

A4 3 Wireless Power Transfer Across the Earth-Moon Gap

Rithika Sudhir, Kethan Pulgam, Tarun Kataria — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Wireless power transfer using microwaves has been investigated for space-based solar power and planetary exploration. In this paper, using diffraction-limited beam spread and rectenna efficiency data from literature, we explore the feasibility of transmitting power from the Earth to the Moon. We demonstrate that conversion efficiencies remain the primary bottleneck in rectenna performance and apertures of orders of kilometers are required to provide a significant quantity of power to a lunar rectenna.

P3 7 Water Breathing as Laminar Flow Control in Demon Slayer

Bradley Hunt, Cameron Raitt, Dominik Tyminski — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, “Water Breathing” is a fictional swordsmanship style characterised by fluid, almost effortless high–speed katana strikes, as though the blade moves through water rather than air. We model this aesthetic as a hypothetical active flow–control mechanism that enforces laminar boundary–layer flow over the blade at Re ≈ 10⁶ . Using Blasius theory and drag coefficients, we calculate a 94 % reduction in aerodynamic torque and a 45 % reduction in muscular effort, making the blade feel approximately one-half lighter, whilst preserving strike impulse. In reality, turbulent transition occurs in ∼10 µs under adverse pressure gradients; sustaining laminarity at such Reynolds numbers is impossible without advanced actuators. This model quantifies the biomechanical basis for the “effortless flow” aesthetic in Demon Slayer.

P1 5 Social Thermoregulation in Capybaras

Emily Smith, Ciara Kirkham, James Turner — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In cold conditions capybaras often gather closely with one another, forming tight groups to conserve warmth. In this paper, we model the thermal advantage of capybara huddling using Newtonian cooling. We show analytically that heat loss per animal is proportional to the inverse square root of group size. Subsequently, we determine that the cooling time of capybaras in a huddle increases proportionately to the square root of the group size. This indicates that group behaviour is an energetically efficient thermoregulatory mechanism.

P4 2 Swing or Snap

Luke Smith, Ryan Morrison, Mihir Parekh — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper discusses the maximum tension exerted on a massless rigid string that would allow
Spider-Man to swing without it breaking. We model Spider-Man as a mass on a string and solve
the equation of motion for a pendulum via Euler’s Method to model the tension T throughout
the string as a function of time. We found T_max to be 1969.06N, and then compared various
materials to determine which would work best under each of their breakpoint limits. We found
that a Nylon-based string would not be able to support Spider-Man and we suggest he invest in
Spider Dragline Silk.

P5 7 Sailing around at the speed of sound

Henry Charman, Tristan Boyce, Ethan Cross, Torey Chu — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we attempted to use a simplified fluid dynamics model to determine how fast the video game character Sonic would need to run in order to run on water, like he does in his movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Although our results suggested that the scene is realistic, the velocity required to run on water came out as 2.6 ms−1 - unrealistically slow. This lead us to question our models and conclude that the methods we used were far too simple for something as complex as running on water.

A4 7 Brachistochrone Problem in a Central Force Field

Rithika Sudhir, Kethan Pulgam, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

The brachistochrone problem, which seeks the curve of fastest descent between two points under gravity, is a foundational problem in the calculus of variations. In this paper, we revisit this problem and extend the analysis to a non-uniform gravitational field governed by an inverse-square central force field. A corresponding time functional is constructed for this system and numerically evaluated for four candidate curves. The result identifies the optimal path among these candidates and provides a quantitative assessment of how the optimal trajectory deviates from the cycloid when the accelerating force varies with distance.

A5 4 Trust Me, Bro, Just One More Particle Accelerator...

Daniel Booth, Alex Friesner, Connor Howitt — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We consider the effects of increasingly large particle accelerators, approaching the ridiculous in scale, and how these could lead to pivotal discoveries. We find that accelerators using current magnet technology on a continental scale could be used to find Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), on an Earth-Moon system scale could be used to answer questions surrounding Supersymmetry, and on an interstellar scale could allow us to reach the Grand Unified Theory (GUT). We conclude that improving magnet technology is more important than scale.

P5 3 "Until the Sky Turns Green"

Ethan Cross, Tristan Boyce, Harry Charman, Torey Chu — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In the popular Stone Roses song, Sugar Spun Sweetheart, there is a lyric “Until the sky turns
green, and the grass is several shades of blue”. In this paper we will be examining whether
it would be possible to witness a green sky, firstly, by discussing whether particles exhibiting
Rayleigh scattering can cause a green sky instead of blue, and secondly, what speeds a person
would need to travel to redshift the sky’s natural blue colour to green. We find that there are
no conditions under which Rayleigh scattering can produce a green sky, however if an observer
accelerates to an approximate speed of 0.2c, then they will observe a green sky, due to the Doppler
effect.

P5 9 The Cheese-ibility of Fondue on the Moon

Tristan Boyce, Henry Charman, Ethan Cross, Torey Chu — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper considers the effects of tidal heating on a moon made of cheese, with a brief discussion
of solar heating, in an attempt to find the depth at which the perfect fondue can be found. The
ideal temperature for fondue is 338 K and we calculated this could be found approximately 2 m
away from the core.

P4 3 Snowpiercer: Ice Impact Analysis

Ryan Morrison, Luke Smith, Mihir Parekh — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

n this paper we investigate the Icepiercing ability of the ’Great Ark’ train in Snowpiercer (2013)
by modelling the shear forces required to carve a train size hole through an ice wall, assuming
rigidity dominates in the harsh cold conditions. We determine that the average force applied
by the speeding train through its collision, 2.069 × 10^10N, would meet the threshold of shear
separation of the required volume of ice, 1.05 ×10 ⁸ N, and break through.

A5 6 Superhero Landings: Do Not Try This at Home

Alexandra Friesner, Daniel Booth, Connor Howitt — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Superhero films often show characters dropping several storeys and landing in a one-knee “superhero pose” without injury. We model a 70 kg human-sized hero in free fall from heights of a few to ∼10 m, landing with one leg taking most of the vertical load. Assuming a rigid surface, a stopping distance of 0.30 m and an effective tibial cross-sectional area of 1.5 ×10^-4 m², we estimate decelerations and compressive stresses and compare them to typical bone failure values. Even under optimistic assumptions, “superhero landings” from more than a few metres appear likely to cause serious injury, and multi-storey drops are inconsistent with normal human bone strength.

A5 1 Habitable Zones in the Extreme Environments of Active Galactic Nuclei

Connor Howitt, Dan Booth, Alex Friesner — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

We investigate the plausibility of habitable planets orbiting Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), powered by accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Using a simplified model, we estimate the location of a habitable zone around a low-mass SMBH of 1.6×10^5 M⊙ , where conditions may allow liquid water to exist on a planetary surface. By calculating orbital distances that would result in temperatures conducive to habitability, we demonstrate that under certain optimistic assumptions, planets could maintain life-sustaining conditions in the extreme environment near an AGN.

P2 6 Falling kingdom- A Minecraft Parody of Earth's Gravitational Well

Noah Sowter, Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

The video game Minecraft portrays a world that is very different to our own. We perform an
experiment to determine the local gravitational field strength of the Minecraft world and subsequently determine the Minecraft gravitational constant using an infinite slab approximation. The
gravitational constant is estimated as G = (1.220 ± 0.024) × 10⁻⁵ N m²kg^-2.

P1 4 The Thermodynamics of Undead Motion: Energy Required to Animate a Severed Hand

Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith, James Turner — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this paper, the energy requirements to animate a severed hand (such as Thing in Netflix’s
Wednesday) are estimated by considering the mechanical work per step, 0.343J, the chemical
energy supplied by ATP hydrolysis, 1.37J, and the inefficiencies inherent in biological motion,
with 75% of chemical energy dissipated as heat per step. This study also investigates electrical
energy sources, of magnitude ∼ 10⁷J, that could power a severed hand. A conclusion is made
that, while the energy demands per step are modest compared to biological norms, sustaining this
motion would require a continuous and reliable energy reservoir.

P1 9 Holding Space for Defying Gravity

Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith, James Turner — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper explores the physical possibility of Elphaba Thropp’s flight during the song Defying
Gravity in the musical Wicked. By applying fundamental physics principles, we conclude that
magnetic levitation offers the most realistic explanation within the limits of known physics.

P3 1 Looking for the nuclear needle in the ocean

Cameron Raitt, Dominik Tyminski, Bradley Hunt — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Using the interaction of reverse beta decay antineutrino reaction with protons, we determined the
radii of a range of detectors for nuclear submarines to be used varied by the count rate of detection
of antineutrinos and the range of which we aim to detect them. Range 50km, rate of 1/s there is
detector radius of 4453.68m. Range of 50km, rate of 1/5s detector radius is 2604.54m. Range of
10km and rate of 1/s detector radius is 1523.14m.

P5 2

Ethan Cross, Harry Charman, Tristan Boyce, Torey Chu — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we will examine the hypothetical problem of how late a student could leave their
studying for an entire MPhys degree at the University of Leicester, if they were in possession of
a pen able to write at relativistic speeds. After accounting for time dilation, we find that a pen
moving just fast enough for relativistic effects to be apparent (v = 0.5c), would be observed to
take an estimated 7.31 × 10^-4 s to write notes on the entire degree.

A1 8 How To Build Your Own Aurora

Samuel Bourne, Az Poole, Emily Stedall, Riley Wass — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper presents a framework for a large-scale (100 m3), contained artificial aurora. We derive the energy required to sustain a low-pressure plasma via an external radio frequency field, deriving the required power density of 267 W/m3 for an argon plasma, which results in a feasible input power of 26.7 kW. This is briefly taken further in considering other gases, linking the photon output to the energy cost. Finally, we establish the principles of plasma control through the use of the Lorentz force, showing how this could be used to shape the glow.

A1 3 Tonight We Steal The Moon!

Riley Wass, Sam Bourne, Az Poole, Emily Stedall — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate the physical consequences caused by shrinking the Moon, similar to
the plot of Despicable Me. We used reference radial sizes and energy values to explore the variety
of consequences caused by shrinking the Moon, given some assumptions. This resulted in a variety
of outcomes, such as the Moon becoming a neutron star or black hole, due to its new, ultra-dense
state.

P4 6 Let it slow: The Terminal Velocities of Snowfall

Ryan Morrison, Luke Smith, Mihir Parekh — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we modelled the falling of snow respective to two different structure models of the
snowflakes themselves. We model the terminal velocities of snowflakes of different density in a
solid spherical mass model and compare the values to the terminal velocity of a normalised, D = 1
mm and ρs = 30 kgm3, fractal flake. We determine that the fractal nature of snowflakes plays
a strong role in suppressing the size dependence of terminal velocity, with max values of ≈ 0.64
ms−1 compared to solid model max values of ≈ 1.4 ms−1

P3 4 Not so Flappy: Will it Take Off?

Dominik Tyminski, Bradley Hunt, Cameron Raitt — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper investigates the impact of flaps that are used on aircraft during take off, in particular
for a Boeing 737 − 800. It compares typical take off flap settings, to not using flaps, each setting
producing a lift coefficient of 2.1 and 1.4 respectively. Velocities that generate sufficient lift for
flight to be possible, for each setting, are found to be (v2.1 = 69.4ms−1 and v1.4 = 85.0ms−1
). A
net thrust, that accounts for drag on the aircraft, is found for each respective lift coefficient setting
(F2.1 = 220kN, and F1.4 = 225kN) and consequently respective accelerations (a2.1 = 2.78ms−2
,
and a1.4 = 2.85ms−2
) are calculated. It is found that not using flaps on this aircraft results in a
take off distance 404m longer than when they are used.

P2 7 Take Back the Moon - A Minecraft Parody of Tidal Forces

Peter Clevely, Jack Fuller, Noah Sowter — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate the Minecraft Moon added in a temporary April Fool’s update, and
use the parameters in the game alongside a new Hill radius regime to find a mass of this Moon to
be M_Moon ≈ 10¹² kg. We find a formula describing the tidal interaction between this moon and a
flat semi-infinite plane at the apparent distance in the Minecraft ’snapshot’

P1 8 Blasters, Beskar and the Physics of Heat Transfer

Emily Smith, Ciara Kirkham, James Turner — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper estimates the physical requirements for the fictional material beskar from The Mandalorian to resist a high-energy blaster bolt. Using thermodynamics and heat transfer principles, we model the blaster bolt as a plasma bolt and calculate the resulting temperature rise and heat distribution in a breastplate of armour. We find that if a bolt deposits 342 MJ of energy into a few kilograms of material, the local temperature change would exceed a million kelvin, which is enough to vaporise any known material. To survive, beskar must possess exotic thermal and structural properties beyond current materials science.

P2 9 The Lack of Colour from Outer Space

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate the properties of the Outer Ones from the H.P. Lovecraft short
story The Whisperer from the Darkness, specifically their apparent invisibility in photographs.
We derive a simple optical model considering the dependence of reflectance on the wavelength of
incident light. We find that for photographs taken with a 1930s-style camera, the Outer Ones
must have a refractive index that increases with wavelength, controlled by a dispersion coefficient
of B = −0.59 μm².

A1 1 The First Butterflight

Emily Stedall, Samuel Bourne, Az Poole, Riley Wass — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this study, the viability of human flight with butterfly wings is discussed. It is determined that when considering an adult man with wings of a painted lady butterfly, the surface area of wings needed must be approximately 84.0 m², suggesting a wingspan of 30.4 m.

P3 5 A Nuclear Spark for Mars

Bradley Hunt, Cameron Raitt, Dominik Tyminski — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This speculative analysis explores the hypothetical use of high-yield thermonuclear devices, such as Tsar Bomba equivalents (50 Mt), delivered via a borehole in the thinnest crustal regions (e.g., ∼ 6 − 10 km at Isidis Planitia), to inject energy into the planet’s interior. We refine estimates for progressive rock vaporisation to deepen the shaft and calculate the energy needed to enhance core convection sufficiently for dynamo reactivation. We estimate requirements on the order of ∼ 10²⁹ J, equating to trillions to tens of trillions of such devices - even with optimistic efficiencies - highlighting the profound impracticality.

P2 1 Whether Wonder Woman's Wearables Would Work

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this paper we discuss the most appropriate modern-day material that Wonder Woman’s bracelets
would likely be made out of, according to the apparent characteristics and ability to reflect bullets
demonstrated in the comics. We decide that Carbon Nanotubes are the best material candidate
due their light weight nature and having a high Young’s Modulus allowing it to maintain a low
thickness while still absorbing a bullet’s energy elastically. This would be thin and light enough
to be wearable, but would compromise and not reflect the metallic appearance of the bracelets in
the comics.

P3 6 Carnage a Trois: Did the Pluriel Reach France?

Dominik Tyminski, Bradley Hunt, Cameron Raitt — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper looks into The Grand Tour special episode Carnage a Trois, to see if the trebuchet used by the hosts was sufficient to send the Citroen C3 Pluriel to France. The range of the trebuchet used is found, considering drag and non-drag conditions, to be 429 m − 492 m, meaning the C3 Pluriel did not reach France in the episode. A 6.14×10²³ kg counterweight is found to be sufficient to complete the Dover to Calais distance considering drag, but resulting in a release velocity of 985c, proving the unfeasibility of using such an unaerodynamic projectile to reach France.

P4 1 Moonfall: A Rudimentary Critisism on Orbital Mechanics

Ryan Morrison, Luke Smith, Mihir Parekh — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we investigate the orbital mechanics at play as depicted in the 2021 film `"Moonfall". We model the case of a orbital transfer of the Moon from its standard orbit, to one where it just contacts Earth. The required change in the Moon's orbital velocity is found to be between 767.530ms^-1 and 856.959ms^-1, with the energy required to move the Moon in this way to be of the order of 10²⁸J. Finally we determine the impact time to be a few days, seemingly in contradiction with the films suggested time span of `"a few weeks".

A2 3 Cosmic Cuisine

Tony Wang, Hugh Kinton, Patrick Loughrey — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper explores the time taken for a Turkey to be cooked with Cosmic Background Radiation (CMB), at an epoch corresponding to oven temperatures. We found that this occurred when the universe was 6 x 10^6 years old. Under a constant-power assumption for radiative heat transfer, the time taken for the turkey to reach safe eating temperatures was around 51 minutes and through an integrated model, this was increased to 57 minutes.

P1 6 We Will Rock You (But Not That Much): Estimating the Seismic Energy of a Rock Concert Crowd

Ciara Kirkham, Emily Smith, James Turner — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper estimates the number of people required to generate, through rhythmic stomping, the same amount of energy as a small earthquake. Using Queen’s iconic ’We Will Rock You’ as a model, we approximate the kinetic energy released per stomp and compare it with the seismic energy of a magnitude 3.0 earthquake. We find that 295 million people would need to stomp in unison for the duration of the song to simulate a minor earthquake.

P3 2 Thermal Insulation of Hobbit Holes Comfort in the Shire

Bradley Hunt, Dominik Tyminski, Cameron Raitt — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper analyses the thermal insulation of Bag End using precise scaling from Fonstad’s plan, yielding a total floor (and ceiling area) of 182 m² with 208 m² of lateral external wall area. With earth berm construction (R−value = 12.59 m²K/W) maintaining 293 K during the 263 K winters, steady-state heat loss is ∼ 760 W (4.2 W/m² ). The long hallway contributes significantly to heat loss but burial depth and material selection enable sustainable heating with ∼ 18 kg of wood daily.

A4 9 The Barrels

Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We model Pascal’s barrel through the hydrostatic paradox. A 10 m long, 1 cm wide tube is fixed to a sealed 225 L barrel; adding 0.785 kg of water raises the head to produce 98.1 kPa gauge pressure at the lid. This pressure yields a 25.9 kN upward force on the lid despite the small added mass, illustrating that pressure depends on height and density, not container volume. The paradox is resolved by force balance: the lid exerts an equal 25.9 kN reaction on the fluid, so the barrel base must carry both the total fluid weight of 2.2 kN and this additional downward load. The results align with hydrostatics and validate the model.

A4 6 Frozen’s Ice Generation

Tarun Kataria, Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

From the movie Frozen, we investigate if the radial icicle growth is due to environmental conditions or Elsa’s powers. We calculated the heat transfer coefficient required for the rate of radial growth to be ≈ 9.76 × 106 Wm⁻²K⁻¹. The coefficient based on the environmental conditions is in the range of ≈ 1.11 to 7.5×10⁻² Wm⁻²K⁻¹. Due to a difference of six to eight orders in magnitude, we can conclude that the growth rate is not solely due to the environment.

A5 5 Between Suns: The Empty Space Between Oort Clouds

Alexandra Friesner, Daniel Booth, Connor Howitt — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We estimate whether the Sun’s outer Oort cloud overlaps the nearest stellar system’s (Alpha
Centauri’s) analogous reservoir, i.e., its hypothetical outer Oort cloud. Because Oort clouds are
theoretical and not directly imaged [1], we adopt canonical sizes and a mass-scaling motivated
by tidal/Hill arguments [2]. Using present-day separations D ∼ (2.6− 2.76) × 10⁵ AU [3] and
R_OC ∼ 10⁵ AU [4] for the Sun (with the neighbour’s radius R_OC,⋆ = R_OC,⊙(M_⋆/M_⊙)^1/3 [2]), we
find no overlap. Along the line connecting the systems, the linear gap is ∼ 3.4× 10⁴
− 5.0× 10⁴ AU. This remains true when enforcing the gravitational balance (L1) limit and even under an extreme, enlarged Solar Oort cloud. This provides a clear gravitational boundary for the outer Solar System and a baseline for interpreting long-period comets and interstellar visitors.

P2 4 πυρ

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we investigate the properties known of Greek fire and determine a pressure required
to launch a possible substance 15 m, as it was used in close quarters naval engagements. We find
a pressure difference to be 60 kPa above atmospheric pressure, well within the capabilities of the
technology the Byzantines had access to.

A2 4 Welcome to the World of Tomorrow!

Patrick Loughrey, Hugh Kinton, Tony Wang — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

The following paper imagines a rocket capable of transporting its passengers to the year 3000 in a time span of only 10 years from the perspective of its passengers. Using some generous assumptions, we found that the rocket burning 403,000 tons of fuel at a constant rate of 1.28 kg/s would be capable of traveling to the future.

A5 3 Theoretical Feasibility of a BH-Powered Starship

Connor Howitt, Dan Booth, Alex Friesner — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper investigates a theoretical propulsion concept in which the energy source is present in
space: a miniature black hole. The spacecraft would harness Hawking radiation emitted by the
BH and redirect it opposite to the desired direction of motion, producing thrust without relying
on stored fuel. The underlying physics, potential efficiencies, and key engineering challenges of
such a “BH starship” are explored.

P4 8 Spider-Man or Gecko Man

Mihir Parekh, Luke Smith, Ryan Morrison — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In several cinematic portrayals, the character Spider-Man adheres to moving surfaces at extreme
speeds. This paper estimates the coefficient of friction and adhesive forces required for a human
of mass 75 kg to remain attached to the exterior of an aircraft travelling at 150 ms−1. Using
aerodynamic drag models, published estimates of gecko-inspired adhesive stress, and reasonable
assumptions about body orientation and exposed area, we compute forces generated by biological-
style adhesion and the resulting frictional demands. Results indicate that, depending on adhesive
stress and contact area, the required friction coefficient ranges from 0.10–1.72, with realistic ad-
hesion parameters bringing the requirement within the performance range of high-performance
synthetic adhesives.

P1 2 Ceiling It

Emily Smith, Ciara Kirkham, James Turner — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

This paper investigates whether a Formula 1 car could drive inverted on the ceiling of the Monaco tunnel during a Grand Prix. A minimum speed of 211 kmh^-1 is identified at which aerodynamic downforce balances the car’s weight, providing just enough adhesion to remain upside down. Beyond this threshold, usable tyre grip for steering and braking would increase with speed. However, the maximum speed achievable through the tunnel in a Grand Prix setting is insufficient to generate the lateral acceleration required for practical control, making the scenario impossible.

P4 4 Car Park Cooling

Ryan Morrison, Luke Smith, Mihir Parekh — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper we discuss the viability of paving over sections of the Earth’s vast oceans in an
attempt to increase the planetary albedo and reduce acquired thermal energy from the Sun. We
determine that it would require us to cover ≈ 14% of the Earth’s oceans with paver or concrete
or ≈ 3% with white acrylic painted plastic, a minimum of ≈ 10 Million square kilometres, an area
larger than Australia.

A4 2 F9: The Orbital Fiero Fallacy

Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In the film F9: The Fast Saga, a 1984 Pontiac Fiero modified with a rocket engine is used to reach
Low Earth Orbit. This paper analyses the physical plausibility of this scenario by calculating the
required fuel mass. We found that to reach the necessary orbital velocity of approximately 7800
m/s, the vehicle would require a fuel mass over five times its own weight. This yields a required
mass fraction for the fuel that is unattainable for a vehicle of its design, rendering the stunt a
physical impossibility.

P3 8 Should've put an electric ring on it

Cameron Raitt, Dominik Tyminski, Bradley Hunt — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper investigates the viability of generating a man-made magnetic field using the circular wire current loop around the Earth's equator, to produce an equal magnetic field to Earth would require an amperage of 1.29x10⁹ A to produce, possessing a current density of 4.11x 10⁸ Am^-2 and ohmic heating per unit volume to be 2.71x10⁹ Wm^-3 .

P2 2 Star Trekkin'

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this paper we discuss the properties of the warp travel discussed in the science fiction universe
of Star Trek. We find a relationship for the specific energy required for selected warp speeds both
relativistically and classically, and investigate the viability of using available energy sources to
power the different iterations of the starship NCC-1701 Enterprise. We find that the Sun could
support 16 million Enterprise-Ds each day at a modest warp factor 0.5.

A4 5 Tidal Energy and Thermal Runaway: Fukushima Disaster

Kethan Pulgam, Rithika Sudhir, Tarun Kataria — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper quantifies two energetic components of the 11 March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. First, modelling the incoming tsunami as a shallow-water gravity wave we estimate an energy transport of ∼ 1.9 × 10¹⁰ J m⁻¹ per wave cycle; over a 1 km shoreline segment this totals ≈ 1.9×10¹³ J, about 4.5 kilotons of TNT. Secondly, we estimate the radioactive decay heat generated by one of the reactor cores in the immediate aftermath of its emergency shutdown. We found that even one day after shutdown, the core still produced over 8 MW of thermal energy, highlighting the critical need for continuous cooling and the catastrophic consequences of its failure.

P5 6 The Gnarliest Paper Ever Written

Ethan Cross, Harry Charman, Tristan Boyce, Torey Chu — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

This paper looks to examine the mechanics behind how many stairs a skateboarder can ollie on
a skateboard, this is done by looking at the theoretical maximum velocities that a skateboarder
could achieve before structural failure of their wheels, as well as the maximum ollie height, and
then utilising projectile mechanics to determine a maximum number of stairs that can be cleared.
It was found that theoretically with perfect conditions a skateboarder could clear 79533 steps, with
a more realistic estimate for the upper limit being 1132 stairs.

P2 3 The Mass-Entropy Relation

Jack Fuller, Peter Clevely, Noah Sowter — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this paper, we investigate the local entropy change of The Eucharist, or Holy Communion,
comparing the impacts from the use of leavened and unleavened bread and comparing this to
the number of church-goers. We find that the impact of unleavened bread on the congregation
is greater than the impact of leavened bread, increasing the entropy of the rite significantly with
more attendees. We find the total entropy change for Orthodox Christians to be 2.4 × 10⁹ J/K
per communion, and for Catholics, the entropy change is 1.3 × 10¹⁰ J/K per communion. And the
Eucharist is consistent with the laws of thermodynamics.

A1 9 Unrelenting Force

Riley Wass, Sam Bourne, Az Poole, Emily Stedall — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In this paper, we investigate a fictional shout from the video game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,
focusing on the exit pressure to propel a modelled target 20 metres under projectile motion with
no drag, and how a model considering drag would differ in shape and distance travelled. We found
the exit pressure to be a value of ≈ 45 kPa and under drag the target would travel 18.22 metres.