My flight to Boston had a three hour layover in Cincinnati and tired of just sitting in airports during previous layovers, I decided to scout the city. Note that Cincinnati is not the best city to do this, since the airport is a good 20 minutes from the city, but I still decided to take that chance.

Cincinnati was always on my mind since my trip to Kentucky in May ‘07 (I was in conversation with an old couple about our road trip and talk went on to railroads and railroad museums) when I was recommended the Underground railroad museum in Cincinnati. I checked on this later and found out that it really was a museum of a different kind. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes that helped slaves to escape Southern secessionist states , and Cincinnati has an entire museum dedicated to this piece of American history. Fascinating!

I knew I wouldn’t get time to make it to the museum on this trip, but instead I thought it might be nice to take a sojourn around the city. So I hopped onto a TANK (Transport Authority of Northern Kentucky) bus (the main airport is actually in the state of Kentucky) to take me downtown. I took a quick walking tour and caught glimpses of the innovatively designed Scripps center and the Carew Tower, which is a good example of French Art Deco. Fountain Square, which is often regarded as the center of downtown, was small, yet enjoyable. There was an ice skating arena with kids and parents alike enjoying the festive spirit.

A few minutes later, and I was at Government Square to catch the local commuter bus. I thought it would be a new way to see the city, if not the best way. As the bus ambled through the traffic, I caught glimpses of the city - tall buildings giving way to natty houses along Main Street which gave rise to more modest apartments. Dingy by-lanes gave a stark reminder of the days when crime was a big problem in the city. I reached my destination - University of Cincinnati - and knowing I had exactly 20 minutes for the return bus, I quickly roamed around the deserted campus. At some point when I was obsessed with university landscapes, I read this bit about the architectural experiments that had been revitalizing the university area. I took in some of the sights, though admittedly a deserted campus and twilight did not favour university tourism.

As it neared 6PM, I decided it was time to head back to downtown and then to the airport. I knew I wouldn’t get a chance to see the brilliant Cincinnati skyline(here, here and here), but I consoled myself by having a glimpse on the ride back to the airport. In between I even had time to try out Graeter’s, perhaps the best icecream in the world. They use a French Pot process and hand-make the icecream and the quality is evident the moment you dig into your treat. Greater’s is available only in select locations in Ohio and Kentucky, but you can order some to your home from their website. Sweet memories to top of what has been a short, but sweet stopover in Cinncinnati - The Queen City.

As engineers we are always taught to reason our way through problems and investigate theories on why and how something works. That’s one of the most important and interesting facets of engineering for me - getting down to the why’s and how’s. As kids, at some point I believed in that bearded, overweight, old chap who would deliver presents to good kids all over the world. I even remember keeping a red sock for Santa when I was 8.

Times have changed then and theories about Santa’s existence are all but well known - even to some kids of age 10! Kids are really smart nowadays and to my surprise I recently had a little kid tell me in Crabtree mall recently:

There is no Santa Claus. Santa is really your dad.

And of course your mom is the tooth-fairy…I’ve heard that one before. To hear that from a kid of that age is another thing all together. Today many parents in America contemplate telling their kids early on that there is no real Santa, before some smart-alec kid in school points out a few inconsistencies about Santa. Either way, you’re gonna break the kid’s heart and all on the basis of a few rumours.

Santa’s wonder journey on Christmas eve may not be inexplicable after all. If you don’t believe me, read this explanation by Prof. Silverberg at NC State, which clearly explains how Santa uses advanced technology to know what a kid wants and how good he/she has been and then deliver the presents on time. As the professor says:

Children shouldn’t put too much credence in the opinions of those who say it’s not possible to deliver presents all over the world in one night. It is possible, and it’s based on plausible science.

So the next time you tell a kid Santa does not exist, remember that you many not have considered that technology can make impossible things happen!