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The author of Skulls in the Stars is an associate professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
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Category Archives: Physics
The Kaye effect after dark!
I’ve talked in some detail before about the Kaye effect, in which a shear-thinning fluid such as shampoo or liquid soap can be made to “bounce.” Well, I did one final experiment with the Kaye effect, in order to show … Continue reading
Posted in Physics
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Physics demonstrations: Chladni patterns
A good demonstration of a physical phenomenon should be both insightful and exciting. Sometimes, a demonstration succeeds at both so well that it is practically awe-inspiring. Such is the case, for me, with the demonstration of Chladni patterns, exotic and … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Physics demos
3 Comments
Physics demonstrations: cloaking device?
I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about the optics of invisibility, both hypothetical and actual. Though a number of forms of invisibility have been considered in both science and fiction for over a hundred years, the … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics, Physics demos
5 Comments
Another video of the Kaye effect
I finally managed to get some video editing software to work, and I have put together a more polished video of the Kaye effect, including some slow-motion shots of the streams! (If the embed doesn’t work right now, try the … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Physics demos
6 Comments
Physics demonstrations: A short discussion of the Kaye effect
I’ve been gearing up for the second year of the UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo, which will be happening on campus on Sunday, April 21st. I’ve been preparing a number of weird and unusual demos for the expo, and … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Physics demos
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Physics demonstrations: invisibility on the cheap!
I spend a lot of time talking about invisibility on this blog, and it really has become a fascinating and vibrant area of optics, with lots of remarkable results. However, most of those results are theoretical, and the experimental results … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics, Physics demos
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How to become invisible by “hiding under the carpet”
Since the first theoretical cloaking papers in 2006, the topic of optical invisibility has just gotten stranger and stranger. There have been proposals of optical wormholes, perfect optical illusions, space-time cloaks, and more. Perhaps even more surprising, however, is the … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
4 Comments
Optical wormholes: punching virtual tunnels in space via metamaterials!
Though the introduction of optical invisibility cloaks in 2006 caused a huge sensation around the world in both the media and the general public, arguably even more significant to the optical science community is the technique used to design cloaks. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Illusion optics: the physics of making things look like other things!
The idea of optical cloaking, or more generally the concept of invisibility, has gone from science fiction trope to serious topic of physics research to subfield of optical science in its own right in a remarkably short period of time. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Invention of the “perfect” invisibility cloak?
In 2006, a number of researchers made international headlines with the announcement that they had laid the theoretical foundations for the construction of an “invisibility cloak,” a device that has been a staple of horror, fantasy and science fiction for … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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