The Science of Tolkiens Middleearth

J. R .R. Tolkien's Middle-earth holds many similarities to the real world, and now Natural Sciences students at Leicester have investigated the science of Tolkien’s captivating realm in a series of papers published in the peer-reviewed student journal, the Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics, as part of the Science Topics module.

In a feature entitled 'The Science of Middle-earth', five student papers exploring different facets of Tolkien's legendarium are examined, from how many calories the different races of Middle-earth would need to consume in a day to possible explanations for how creatures in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit can grow so large.

The written works of J. R .R. Tolkien set in his fictional Middle-earth have been entertaining fans since the publication of the popular children’s book The Hobbit in 1937.

Decades later, the release of the critically-acclaimed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy – based on Tolkien’s later eponymous novels and directed by Sir Peter Jackson - starting with the Fellowship of the Ring in 2001 and concluding with The Return of the King in 2003 helped a new generation experience the richness of Tolkien’s lore.