The feasibility of floating in a bubble

Hello readers! Wicked: For Good came out last week, and since then, I’ve been pondering the physics of Glinda’s bubble. For those of you that haven’t seen the film – don’t worry. I won’t spoil anything in this post that hasn’t already been spoiled in the trailers. The reason that Glinda’s bubble has been bothering … Continue reading The feasibility of floating in a bubble →

Clayton Calculates: The feasibility of a hedgehog running over water

Hello readers! This week’s post is a response to a reader request. Harry (aged 27) has asked me to investigate the feasibility of a hedgehog running over water, if that hedgehog could run very fast. Some of you may have already guessed the inspiration for this enquiry, as it relates to a franchise that is … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: The feasibility of a hedgehog running over water →

Clayton Calculates: Sandworm locomotion

Hello readers! Last week saw the release of Dune: Part Two in cinemas, and all the buzz around giant sandworms got me wondering – how do they move around? I’ll admit, I haven’t actually seen the film yet (partly because I’ve been too busy watching videos of actual earthworms), and so I’m working with what … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Sandworm locomotion →

Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games

Hello readers! This is an old post that I unearthed while tidying up the blog, so I have streamlined the structure and removed the spelling errors in order to share it once again. These calculations come from June 2023, and were originally tied to a post that discussed the properties of lava. At the time, … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games →

Clayton Calculates: Ice Magic

Hello readers! Today we’re taking an analytical dive into the feasibility of ‘ice magic’, which I am defining as the ability to conjure solid ice out of thin air. This frosty power is found in traditional fantasy and in superhero genres, from Elsa in Frozen, to Todoroki in My Hero Academia, to Frozone in The … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Ice Magic →

Clayton Calculates: The Death Mountain lava lake

Hello readers! After the success of my lava calculations last month, I have been inspired to devote an entire blog post to pulling apart the physical inaccuracies of fantasy worlds. It turns out that the water hydrants in Tears of the Kingdom are the least of its lava-based problems (if you missed it, see: Is … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: The Death Mountain lava lake →