- Room 111, Reynolds, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584967
- mike.mcculloch@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Dr Mike McCulloch
Lecturer in Geomatics
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Astrophysics
- Ocean physics
- General physics
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
Lecturer in geomatics (the maths of positioning in space), physicist and author of Physics from the Edge and Falling Up.
I have a BSc in Physics from the University of York, and a PhD in Physical Oceanography (ocean physics) from the University of Liverpool. I have suggested (and published in 26+ journal papers) a new cosmological model for inertia (called Quantised Inertia, QI) which predicts galaxy rotation without dark matter. QI offers a new way to extract thrust from the quantum vacuum for vehicles or spacecraft. I have been DARPA-funded to test this in the lab for four years. This has applications for eg: satellite station-keeping, cheaper launch. QI also predicts ways to harvest energy from the quantum vacuum. Information about quantised inertia:
Sep 2020. Article on QI-thrust in Popular Mechanics.
Nov 2018 Article on QI on Motherboard
Aug 2018. My talk at ANPA, Rowlands Castle
Mar 2018. TEDx talk on QI
Jan 2018. Article in Science Trends
Jun 2017. Video introduction to QI
Dec 2016. Radio interview. John Batchelor Show
Jun 2016. Radio interview on The Space Show
Jan 2013. Article in New Scientist
My blog is: Physics from the Edge. I'm on twitter as @memcculloch and I have written a book about Quantised Inertia / MiHsC, called Physics from the Edge.
Qualifications
1988-1991. BSc in Physics at the University of York, UK.
1992-1995. PhD in Physical Oceanography (ocean physics) at the University of Liverpool, UK.
1995-1998. Post-doctoral work at the Universities of Liverpool & Strathclyde, UK.
1998-2008. Ocean Model Scientist at the Met Office in Bracknell, then in Exeter, UK.
2008-now. Lecturer in Geomatics (the maths of positioning in space) at the University of Plymouth.
Professional membership
Member of the British Interplanetary Society.
Member of the Lifeboat Foundation.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I have bought myself out of teaching with the DARPA funding. No classes.
Research
Research
Research interests
My work proposes that the phenomenon called inertia is caused by relativistic horizons making the quantum vacuum non-uniform in space and this model, called quantised inertia, gets rid of dark matter and offers a new way to engineer thrust for any type of vehicle or spacecraft (horizon engineering). The prediction is that we can use electrical conductors or nano-engineered materials to make ‘synthetic horizons’, damping the quantum vacuum, in a similar way to the Casimir effect, and produce thrust without propellant. This has applications for satellite station-keeping, fuel-less propulsion and easier/cheaper space launches.
Research groups
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsMcCulloch, M.E., 2018. Can cold fusion be explained by quantised inertia? Progress in Physics, Vol. 14, 2,
63-65. Free Pdf
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2017. Modified inertial mass from information loss. Mod. Phys. Lett. A., 1750148. Journal paper.
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Galaxy rotations from quantised inertia and visible matter only. Astrophys. & Space Sci., 362,149. Free journal pdf. or preprint
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. A toy cosmology using a Hubble-scale Casimir effect. Galaxies, Vol. 2(1), 81-88. Abstract (free pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. Gravity from the uncertainty principle. ApSS. 349, 957-959. Abstract (click 'look inside' to see the pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2013. Inertia from an asymmetric Casimir effect. EPL, 101, 59001 (free pdf). arXiv: 1302.2775
McCulloch, M.E., 20??. Does inertia fail at light speed? Submitted to JBIS on the 10th April 2012..
McCulloch, M.E., 2012. Testing quantised inertia on galactic scales. Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol. 342, No. 2, 575-578. Journal. Preprint
Font et al., 2012. SMOS first data analysis for sea surface salinity determination. Int. J. Rem. Sensing (iFirst).
McCulloch, M.E., P. Spurgeon, A. Chuprin, 2012. Have mid-latitude ocean rain-lenses been seen by the SMOS satellite?. Ocean Modelling, Vols. 43-44, p108-111. Journal paper (free)
McCulloch, M.E., 20??. Quantised inertia and faster than light travel. Submitted to 100YSS/JBIS, Sept' 2011.
McCulloch, M.E., 2011. Can the Podkletnov effect be explained by quantised inertia? Physics procedia, 20, 134-139. Journal, Preprint
McCulloch, M.E., 2011. The Tajmar effect from quantised inertia. EPL, 95, 39002. Abstract (EPL) (free access to the pdf). Preprint (Selected by the journal to be in its 'Best of 2011 collection').
Spurgeon, P. et al., 2010. Ocean salinity retrieval approaches for the SMOS satellite. ESA Living Planet Symposium, Bergen, Norway, 2010. Proceedings, SP-686. pdf file
McCulloch, M.E., 2010. Minimum accelerations from quantised inertia. EPL, 90, 29001 (4pp). Journal pdf (not free). Preprint: http://arxiv.org/abs/1004.3303
Font J. et al., 2010. Overview of SMOS level 2 ocean salinity processing and first results. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 2010. IGARSS, p3146-3149.
McCulloch, M.E., 2010. Can the Tajmar effect be explained using a modification of inertia? EPL, 89, 19001 (4pp). Journal pdf (not free). Preprint. Selected by the journal for its "Best of 2010 collection".
McCulloch, M.E., 2008. Modelling the flyby anomalies using a modification of inertia. Mon. Not. Royal. Astro. Soc., Letters, 389 (1), L57-60. Journal pdf (free). Preprint: arXiv:/astro-ph/0806.4159
McCulloch, M.E., 2008. Can the flyby anomalies be explained by a modification of inertia? J. British Interplanetary Soc., Vol. 61, 373-378. Journal pdf (not free). Preprint: arXiv:/astro-ph/0712.3022
McCulloch, M.E., J.T.Heming, J.D.Stark, 2008. Hurricane deflection by sea surface temperature anomalies. 28th Conference on Hurricanes & Tropical Meteorology, Orlando, Florida, US. Abstract PDF: https://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/137582.pdf
McCulloch, M.E., 2007. Modelling the Pioneer anomaly as modified inertia. Mon. Not. Roy. Astro. Soc., 376, 338-342. Journal pdf (free). Preprint: http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0612599/
Stark, J.D., C.J.Donlon, M.J.Martin and M.E.McCulloch, 2007. OSTIA: an operational, high resolution, real time, global sea surface temperature analysis system. Oceans '07 IEEE Aberdeen, conference proceedings. Vol 1-3, 331-334.
McCulloch, M.E., 2006. The effect of ocean currents on surface storm waves. Met Office, NCOF Technical Note, Number 4.
McCulloch, M.E., J.O.S.Alves & M.J.Bell, 2004. Modelling shallow mixed layers in the northeast Atlantic. J. Marine Systems, Vol. 52(1-4), pp 107-119. journal paper (free)
Leach, H., S.J. Bowerman, M.E. McCulloch, 2002. Upper ocean eddy transports of heat, potential vorticity and volume in the Northeastern North Atlantic. J. Phys. Oceanogr, 32 (10), 2926-2937.
McCulloch, M.E., 1998. Air-sea heat fluxes derived from sub-surface data in the Northeast Atlantic. Physics & Chemistry of the Earth, 23, No.5/6, 527-530.
McCulloch, M.E. and H. Leach, 1998. Air-sea fluxes inferred from an upper ocean heat budget northeast of the Azores. Q. J. Royal Met. Soc., 125, No.551, Part A, 2465.
Leach,H and R.T.Pollard et al., 1998. RRS Discovery Cruise 223 Report, 28 September - 19 November 1996. Southampton Oceanography Centre.
McCulloch, M.E., 1997. Inferring heat content changes from single hydrographic sections. Ocean Modelling, 113, 1-4.
McCulloch, M.E. and H. Leach, 1997. Seasonal heat and freshwater budgets of the upper ocean in the Northeast Atlantic. Q.J. Royal Met. Soc., 123, 767-784.
Leach, H, M.E. McCulloch, J. Bauer et al., 1995. Compendium of SEA ROVER long sections. Report, Liverpool University.
McCulloch, M.E., 1995. Seasonal heat and freshwater fluxes in the Northeast Atlantic. PhD thesis , Liverpool University.
McCulloch, M.E., 1993. Bubbles in accelerated reference frames, or: General relativity and cider do mix. POLemic (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Newsletter, Winter 1993).
Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
2012. Invited to talk to the Physics Dept at St Andrews University on "Can inertia be modified electromagnetically?"
2011. Invited to talk at the NASA/DARPA 100 Year Starship Symposium in Orlando, US on "Quantised inertia and FTL".
2009 & 2010. Invited to talk at the International Flyby Anomaly Collaboration, at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland.
Links
My blog "Physics from the Edge": http://physicsfromtheedge.blogspot.com/
I have written several short stories that are available on the H2G2 website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U246476
My older webpage with the University of Exeter's Astrophysics Group:
http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/people/mem/