While fans of A Song of Ice and Fire are still waiting for The Winds of Winter, George R.R. Martin has been busy with a surprising new project: co-authoring a physics paper. Published in the American Journal of Physics, the paper dives into the science behind the fictional Wild Card virus, a key element of the Wild Cards series Martin co-edits.

The Wild Cards universe, born from a 1980s role-playing game, imagines an alternate history where an alien virus released in 1946 rewrites human DNA. The virus, which kills 90% of those infected, mutates the survivors. Nine percent become "Jokers" with bizarre deformities, while 1% gain superpowers as "Aces." Some Aces even end up with abilities so useless they’re dubbed "Deuces."

The paper, co-written with physicist Ian Tregillis, tackles the virus’s 90:9:1 rule, exploring how such a system could work mathematically. Tregillis, a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, saw the virus as a fun way to teach physics concepts. “I couldn’t help but wonder if a simple model could tidy up the canon,” he said. The result? A formula that describes the virus’s behavior using a mix of probability and dynamic systems.

The paper also introduces "cryptos"—individuals with hidden mutations, like the ability to communicate with narwhals or invisible physical changes. These ideas, while playful, serve as a creative way to explore complex physics principles. Tregillis suggests the paper could be a great fit for advanced physics seminars, encouraging students to think outside the box.

So, while Martin’s fans might still be waiting for dragons and direwolves, they can now enjoy a dose of science fiction-meets-real-world physics. Who knew a virus could be this much fun?