Rudolph

Science explains Rudolph's red reindeer nose

Last year, a scientist cracked the mystery of how Santa Claus manages his gift-delivery feats using futuristic technology. This year, dedicated scientists have finally revealed an explanation for how Rudolph, Santa's lead reindeer, got his red nose.

If you recall the legend, Rudolph was a bit of an outcast thanks to his bright and shiny red nose. All of the other reindeer might not laugh and call him names if they knew his nose was really the result of an issue with the microvascular flow in his nasal mucosa.

A collection of Dutch scientists contributed to a paper titled "Microcirculatory investigations of nasal mucosa in reindeer Rangifer tarandus (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae): Rudolph's nose was overheated." … Read more

Tech innovation turned holiday classic

Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT tech-innovation-turned-holiday-classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will light up CBS' air once again.

Rudolph was a pioneer. Not just because of its protagonist's navigational prowess, but because of its "Animagic" method created by producers Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass.

At the time, there was nothing like it. From Rudolph and Frosty to the Abominable Snowman, Rankin/Bass Productions' stop-motion animation has a distinctive look, recognizable for its doll-like characters with spheroid body parts, and powdery snow projected over the action to create the look … Read more

Rudolph no longer a radar-nosed reindeer

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he's equipped with the latest in satellite-based technology to get you your toys on time (and in one piece).

So says the Federal Aviation Administration, which announced this week that its safety inspectors had certified St. Nick's sleigh, Santa One, for its annual chimney-chasing trek around the globe.

"Children around the world will get their gifts on time, regardless of the weather, thanks to NextGen," a new air traffic control technology, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "We're proud to say NextGen … Read more

Launch Santa into the air and grab gifts

Rudolph's Kick n Fly is the iPhone and iPod Touch adaptation--and expansion--of another 2D Flash game from developer Donut Games, a classic catapult game in which you launch a wee Santa into the air to see how many Christmas decorations (candy canes, gingerbread men, snowflakes, etc.) he can grab.

The interface (and gameplay) of this app is pretty limited: you touch and drag to determine Santa's trajectory (timing your release with a fluctuating power meter), and then once your elf is airborne you can tap the screen to get two separate, flatulent "bursts" for more altitude. … Read more

Where you'll want to chase today's show with a dose of penicillin

EPISODE 50

We're giving away a copy of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, one of the most hotly anticipated titles for the Wii. Listen up so you can win! Click here for more pictures and instructions and how you can win an autographed copy of Super Smash Brothers Brawl!

In the meanwhile, the hosts of the 404 talk about: Tina Fey being cute, but not so funny; Sarah Silverman and Amy Winehouse looking exactly alike; Ben Stiller's new movie featuring Robert Downey Jr. in blackface (?Qu??); terrible airplane movies; and the return of 30 Rock with Will Arnett and … Read more