-
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: February 2012
Weird science facts, February 22 — February 28
Getting close to a complete & continuous two years of Twitter #weirdscifacts! I don’t think I have the ambition to go for three, so enjoy them while they last! Now that I’m getting close, however, I’m happy to throw in … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
2 Comments
One of my papers is top-ten cited in JOSA A!!??
Just a short note: on Twitter, Professor Andrew Dawes (thanks Andrew!) drew my attention to a recent email that the Optical Society of America sent out, listing the top ten most cited articles in the Journal of the Optical Society of America A … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
6 Comments
Pauli, “armchair physicists”, and “not even wrong”
Ah, controversy! Physics is of course not immune from it, and sometimes the participants in an argument can let anger get the better of them. An example of this began last week, when the following video clip appeared, featuring Professor … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Physics
59 Comments
Weird science facts, February 15 — February 21
Another week of Twitter #weirdscifacts! This is the final month; in mid-March I’ll have done two continuous years of weird science!!! 704. Feb 15: Bee lice: the parasite that feeds by making bees throw up. Scroll down the linked article … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
Leave a comment
“Moon? What Moon? Never seen it.” (c. 1804)
I risk dipping too often into the well of the life of François Arago, but this evening during my lecture I had to share an anecdote from his autobiography, and thought it was worth sharing here as well! At the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
1 Comment
Augustin-Jean Fresnel’s early years
I posted this on Google+ earlier, but it seemed worthwhile to expand it into a blog post. Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788-1827) is, in my opinion, one of the underappreciated giants in optical physics. Though Thomas Young’s double slit experiment was the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
Leave a comment
The Giant’s Shoulders #44 — The Grand Bazaar Edition — is now up!
The 44th edition of The Giant’s Shoulders, the history of science blog carnival, is up over at The Renaissance Mathematicus! In it, you can read about: The tale of the first woman to go around the world — in the … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
Leave a comment
What a scientist looks like! (Also on Scientific American)
One of the neat things that has evolved out of the recently-concluded Science Online 2012 is the new site “This is What a Scientist Looks Like“. Founded by the excellent Allie Wilkinson, the site solicits photos and descriptions of scientists … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Personal
Leave a comment
Weird science facts, February 8 — February 14
This week was an eventful one! I was at Disney World with my wife, so one of our facts is about roller coaster history. In honor of the memory of Whitney Houston, I posted a musical fact. For Valentine’s Day, … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
Leave a comment
Weird science facts, February 1 — February 7
ATTACK OF THE ANOTHER WEEK OF TWITTER #WEIRDSCIFACTS!!! 690. Feb 01: Atolla wyvillei, the deep-sea jelly that use bioluminescence to “scream” for help when attacked! Bioluminescence is used in many different ways in the ocean, but the most unusual is … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
2 Comments
Skulls in the Stars 