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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. -
Search Results for: faraday
Michael Faraday meets “The Ghost”
My most recent blog post, concerning the history of the Pepper-Dircks Ghost, was extremely long but didn’t even include all the fascinating aspects of its history. For instance: the ghost was such an incredibly effective illusion that it even drew … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
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Michael Faraday and the waterspouts (1814)
This week, one of the most fascinating/frightening videos to be posted online was of a waterspout that ran aground on a Brazilian beach, hurling debris and terrifying vacationers. Weaker than the similar-looking tornadoes that appear over land, most waterspouts have speeds … Continue reading
Posted in History of science
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Jane Marcet educates Michael Faraday
This post is in honor of Ada Lovelace Day, a celebration of the contributions of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Even when women weren’t officially recognized as scientists or allowed to pursue a formal education or career in science, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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Physics demonstrations: Faraday disk
I’m prepping a new course to teach this semester: undergraduate Electromagnetism II! I’m trying to put together some nice simple demos to illustrate principles in the class, and I’ll blog some of those that work and are interesting. When Michael … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Physics demos
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A Michael Faraday primer for COSMOS!
I’ve really been enjoying the new version of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” though this Sunday’s coming episode has me more excited than any other! Titled “The Electric Boy,” the episode will focus on Michael Faraday (1791-1867), one of the most … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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1813: Faraday learns about the politics of science
Those of us in science like to envision our profession as a noble (“Nobel”?) calling, above the petty squabbles that taint other endeavors. The reality, of course, is that science is susceptible to politics just like any other field. One … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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A Michael Faraday Christmas: “Forces of Matter”!
This post was written somewhat in conjunction with Jennifer Ouellette, who is posting at the same time at Cocktail Party Physics about Michael Faraday’s other classic Christmas lecture, The Chemical History of a Candle. Check it out, too! Ah, Christmas! … Continue reading
Posted in History of science
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Alan Hirshfeld's The Electric Life of Michael Faraday
In my blogging on the history of science, I tend to focus on the details of classic experiments — the how, why, and what of scientific history — and don’t dwell as much on “who” actually does the work. The … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, [PhysicalScience]
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Shocking: Michael Faraday does biology! (1839)
(This is my entry to the first “special edition” of The Giant’s Shoulders, dubbed “The Leviathan’s Shoulders”, with an emphasis on oceans and ocean life. The post is actually about a river creature, but, hey, it’s still aquatic!) I’ve spent … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Maxwell on Faraday
I’m working on a few longer posts at the moment, but in the meantime I thought I’d share a nice little passage I came across while looking through James Clerk Maxwell‘s A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism (1873). Maxwell, of … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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