(CNN) Ever wonder how Rudolph could genetically develop a glowing red nose? Or how Ebenezer Scrooge could really travel into the future?

Neither did we. But researchers at Johns Hopkins University have unraveled these scientific mysteries, just in time for your holiday gatherings.

The idea to solve these storybook enigmas was the brainchild of Jill Rosen, senior media representative for Johns Hopkins. After all, the university is known for "research that tends to be pretty serious," she said. "But with the holidays coming, there was a chance to have a little fun with science."

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph's nose beams in the 1964 classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Once ridiculed by all the other reindeer, Rudolph's fluorescent schnoz saved the day by guiding Santa's sleigh through dense fog. So how did he get that snuffer?

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