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The author of Skulls in the Stars is a 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. -
Monthly Archives: June 2009
The Linkin’ Log: June 21, 2009
Today seemed like a good day to point out a few interesting tidbits I’ve happened across on the ‘tubes. In no particular order, Tom at Swans on Tea linked to a very cool video demonstrating a genuine magnetic levitation train … Continue reading
Posted in General science
6 Comments
Invisibility physics: Hiding and seeking, all at once!
When the first papers on the idea of a “cloaking” device came out in 2006, lots of people were immediately worried that the CIA would soon be peering right over their shoulder from the shelter of invisibility cloaks. Many scientists, … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
2 Comments
Newton and the Counterfeiter available!
I must have been daydreaming for a few days, because I failed to notice until now that Thomas Levenson’s book Newton and the Counterfeiter has been released! This history of science book describes in detail a little-known chapter in the … Continue reading
Posted in General science
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The Giant’s Shoulders #12 is up!
The twelfth edition of The Giant’s Shoulders is up at Thoughts from gut bacteria! Thanks to ecoli for assembling it, and on such short notice! Ecoli is also offering a $20 gift certificate for the most popular entry, so don’t … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Bertram Mitford’s The King’s Assegai
Those who have been reading this blog for a while know that I’ve become a really big fan of Bertram Mitford (1855-1914). His novels, written in the late 1800s, are on the surface adventure novels which draw on his experiences … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Fantasy fiction
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The anniversary of McCarthy’s downfall
Via Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, I was reminded that today, June 9, is the anniversary of the day that red-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy was given his comeuppance on national television by soft-spoken lawyer Joseph Welch. In 1954, a series … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
13 Comments
Here’s some Lord Dunsany to perform…
I’m currently in Oklahoma visiting a collaborator, so my time is rather short. While I’m away, I’ve been reading through Lovecraft’s Supernatural Horror in Literature, and came across descriptions of some of the short plays of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957). They’re … Continue reading
Herbert S. Gorman’s The Place Called Dagon
As I’ve noted previously, H.P. Lovecraft had a voluminous library of weird fiction, and basically defined himself as the foremost expert on such tales in his time with his essay Supernatural Horror in Literature. Hippocampus Press, in collaboration with Lovecraft … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
5 Comments
Barkla shows that x-rays have polarization (1905)
It is one of the quirks of scientific progress that many great experiments are forgotten as the things they demonstrate become common knowledge in the scientific community. A good example of this is the 1890 experiment of Otto Wiener, which … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
14 Comments
10 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #12!
Just a friendly reminder/request, as always: there’s 10 days left until the 12th edition of The Giant’s Shoulders! I seem to be unable to reach the originally scheduled host of the carnival for this month, so ecoli over at Thoughts … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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