Visiting specialist at the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, physicist and author of, and other books. 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 and offers a new way to extract energy & thrust from the quantum vacuum. I was DARPA-funded to test this in the lab for four years & four labs have seen thrust so far. Information about quantised inertia:
Nov 2023. Article on the .
Sep 2020. Article on .
Nov 2018 Article on
Aug 2018.
Mar 2018.
Jun 2017.
Dec 2016. Radio interview.
Jun 2016. Radio interview on
Jan 2013. Article in
My blog is: . I'm on twitter as @memcculloch
Sep 2020. Article on .
Nov 2018 Article on
Aug 2018.
Mar 2018.
Jun 2017.
Dec 2016. Radio interview.
Jun 2016. Radio interview on
Jan 2013. Article in
My blog is: . I'm on twitter as @memcculloch
Qualifications
1988-1991. BSc in Physics at the University of York, UK.
1992-1995. PhD in Physical Oceanography 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.
2008-2023. Lecturer in Geomatics at the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ.
1992-1995. PhD in Physical Oceanography 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.
2008-2023. Lecturer in Geomatics at the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ.
2023-now. Visiting specialist at UoP, physicist and author.
Professional membership
Member of the .
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Teaching
Teaching interests
I have bought myself out of teaching with the DARPA funding. No classes.
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
Journals
McCulloch, M.E., 2024. Testing quantised inertia on Proxima Centauri, MNRAS, 532, 1, L67-69.
McCulloch, M.E., 2024. Quantised Accelerations: from anomalies to new physics. Polaris Books.
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2021. The EPR paradox and the uncertainty principle. MPL-B, Vol. 35, 4, 2150072. Preprint:
McCulloch, M.E., 2020. Quantised inertia and galaxy rotation from information theory. Advances in Astrophysics, 5, 4, 91-94. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2020. Can nano-materials push off the vacuum? Progress in Physics, 16, 73-74. .
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2020. Deriving quantised inertia using horizon widths in the uncertainty principle. Adv. St. Theor. Phys., 14, 1, 1-8.
McCulloch, M.E. and J.H. Lucio, 2019. Testing Newton/GR, MoND and quantised inertia on wide binaries. Astrophys. Sc. Sci., 364, 121:
McCulloch, M.E., 2019. Superluminal travel from quantised inertia. J. Space Exploration. 8, 2.
McCulloch, M.E., 2019. Can we hide gravitational sources behind Rindler horizons? Progress in Physics, 15, 2, 72-74.
McCulloch, M.E., 2018. Propellant-less propulsion from quantised inertia. Journal of Space Exploration, 7, 3:
McCulloch, M.E., 2018. Can cold fusion be explained by quantised inertia? Progress in Physics, Vol. 14, 2,
63-65.
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2017. Modified inertial mass from information loss. Mod. Phys. Lett. A., 1750148. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Galaxy rotations from quantised inertia and visible matter only. Astrophys. & Space Sci., 362,149. . or
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Testing quantised inertia on emdrives with dielectrics. EPL, 118, 34003. Open Access Journal . Research Gate
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Low acceleration dwarf galaxies as tests of quantised inertia. Astrophys. Space Sci., 362, 57. Free link:
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. The proton radius anomaly from the sheltering of Unruh radiation. Progress in Physics, 13, 2.
McCulloch, M.E., 2016. Quantised inertia from relativity & the uncertainty principle, EPL, 115, 69001. & .
Gine, J. and M.E. McCulloch, 2016. Inertia from Unruh temperatures. Modern Physics Letters A, 31, 1650107.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Testing quantised inertia on the emdrive, EPL, 111, 60005.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Energy from swastika-shaped rotors. Progress in Physics, 11, 2, 139-140.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Can the emdrive be explained by quantised inertia? Progress in Physics, 11, 1, 78-80. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. Physics from the Edge: a new cosmological model for inertia. World Scientific.
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. A toy cosmology using a Hubble-scale Casimir effect. Galaxies, Vol. 2(1), 81-88. (free pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. Gravity from the uncertainty principle. ApSS. 349, 957-959. (click 'look inside' to see the pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2013. Inertia from an asymmetric Casimir effect. (free pdf). arXiv:
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. .
Font et al., 2012. SMOS first data analysis for sea surface salinity determination. Int. J. Rem. Sensing ().
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. 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. ,
McCulloch, M.E., 2011. The Tajmar effect from quantised inertia. EPL, 95, 39002. (free access to the pdf). (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.
McCulloch, M.E., 2010. Minimum accelerations from quantised inertia. EPL, 90, 29001 (4pp).(not free). Preprint:
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). (not free). . 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. (free). Preprint:
McCulloch, M.E., 2008. Can the flyby anomalies be explained by a modification of inertia? J. British Interplanetary Soc., Vol. 61, 373-378. (not free). Preprint:
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. PDF:
McCulloch, M.E., 2007. Modelling the Pioneer anomaly as modified inertia. Mon. Not. Roy. Astro. Soc., 376, 338-342. (free). Preprint:
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.
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).
McCulloch, M.E., 2020. Quantised inertia and galaxy rotation from information theory. Advances in Astrophysics, 5, 4, 91-94. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2020. Can nano-materials push off the vacuum? Progress in Physics, 16, 73-74. .
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2020. Deriving quantised inertia using horizon widths in the uncertainty principle. Adv. St. Theor. Phys., 14, 1, 1-8.
McCulloch, M.E. and J.H. Lucio, 2019. Testing Newton/GR, MoND and quantised inertia on wide binaries. Astrophys. Sc. Sci., 364, 121:
McCulloch, M.E., 2019. Superluminal travel from quantised inertia. J. Space Exploration. 8, 2.
McCulloch, M.E., 2019. Can we hide gravitational sources behind Rindler horizons? Progress in Physics, 15, 2, 72-74.
McCulloch, M.E., 2018. Propellant-less propulsion from quantised inertia. Journal of Space Exploration, 7, 3:
McCulloch, M.E., 2018. Can cold fusion be explained by quantised inertia? Progress in Physics, Vol. 14, 2,
63-65.
McCulloch, M.E. and J. Gine, 2017. Modified inertial mass from information loss. Mod. Phys. Lett. A., 1750148. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Galaxy rotations from quantised inertia and visible matter only. Astrophys. & Space Sci., 362,149. . or
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Testing quantised inertia on emdrives with dielectrics. EPL, 118, 34003. Open Access Journal . Research Gate
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. Low acceleration dwarf galaxies as tests of quantised inertia. Astrophys. Space Sci., 362, 57. Free link:
McCulloch, M.E., 2017. The proton radius anomaly from the sheltering of Unruh radiation. Progress in Physics, 13, 2.
McCulloch, M.E., 2016. Quantised inertia from relativity & the uncertainty principle, EPL, 115, 69001. & .
Gine, J. and M.E. McCulloch, 2016. Inertia from Unruh temperatures. Modern Physics Letters A, 31, 1650107.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Testing quantised inertia on the emdrive, EPL, 111, 60005.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Energy from swastika-shaped rotors. Progress in Physics, 11, 2, 139-140.
McCulloch, M.E., 2015. Can the emdrive be explained by quantised inertia? Progress in Physics, 11, 1, 78-80. .
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. Physics from the Edge: a new cosmological model for inertia. World Scientific.
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. A toy cosmology using a Hubble-scale Casimir effect. Galaxies, Vol. 2(1), 81-88. (free pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2014. Gravity from the uncertainty principle. ApSS. 349, 957-959. (click 'look inside' to see the pdf).
McCulloch, M.E., 2013. Inertia from an asymmetric Casimir effect. (free pdf). arXiv:
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. .
Font et al., 2012. SMOS first data analysis for sea surface salinity determination. Int. J. Rem. Sensing ().
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. 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. ,
McCulloch, M.E., 2011. The Tajmar effect from quantised inertia. EPL, 95, 39002. (free access to the pdf). (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.
McCulloch, M.E., 2010. Minimum accelerations from quantised inertia. EPL, 90, 29001 (4pp).(not free). Preprint:
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). (not free). . 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. (free). Preprint:
McCulloch, M.E., 2008. Can the flyby anomalies be explained by a modification of inertia? J. British Interplanetary Soc., Vol. 61, 373-378. (not free). Preprint:
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. PDF:
McCulloch, M.E., 2007. Modelling the Pioneer anomaly as modified inertia. Mon. Not. Roy. Astro. Soc., 376, 338-342. (free). Preprint:
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.
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
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.
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":
I have written several short stories that are available on the H2G2 website:
My older webpage with the University of Exeter's Astrophysics Group:
I have written several short stories that are available on the H2G2 website:
My older webpage with the University of Exeter's Astrophysics Group: