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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. -
Author Archives: skullsinthestars
ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Antikythera, sports fan anthropology, bad oil theories, and false memories
Planets and Anomalies in the Antikythera Mechanism. The Antikythera Mechanism is one of the fascinating relics of the ancient world — a 2000 year old clockwork “computer” that could be used to track the Sun, Moon, and calendar. In a … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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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
24 Comments
5 days until The Leviathan’s Shoulders!
Here’s one last reminder: There’s 5 days left to submit entries for the 23rd installment of The Giant’s Shoulders, a special edition dubbed “The Leviathan’s Shoulders”! It will be hosted by Kevin Zelnio over at Deep Sea News, and will … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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A trip to Savannah, Georgia
Last weekend, the wife and I celebrated our first-year wedding anniversary by taking a 3-day trip to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is one of those rare American cities that has maintained a significant portion of its historic neighborhood, and this neighborhood … Continue reading
Posted in Cemetery, Travel
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: bilingual animals, horse-hunting hyenas, the nature of dark matter and toiletology
Bilingualism as a preadaptation for language. Can animals other than humans be “bilingual”? This fascinating question is addressed in research described by Sean at The Adventures of Auck. The horse-hunting hyenas of Srbsko Chlum-Komin Cave. We can learn a lot … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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The Shadowy Thing, by H.B. Drake
I’ve been having a lot of good luck with my fiction reading lately, and have a backlog of really good (and weird) fiction to blog about. One that actually gave me a pleasant surprise is The Shadowy Thing (1928), by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Singular Optics: Light chasing its own tail
(Title stolen shamelessly from my postdoctoral advisor, who I assume will forgive me.) As I’ve noted numerous times in previous posts, one of the fundamental properties that characterizes wave behavior (i.e. that makes a wave a wave) is wave interference. … Continue reading
Posted in Optics
29 Comments
12 days until The Leviathan’s Shoulders #23!
There’s 12 days left to submit entries for the 23rd installment of The Giant’s Shoulders, a special edition dubbed “The Leviathan’s Shoulders”! It will be hosted by Kevin Zelnio over at Deep Sea News, and will be a special “oceans … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Digital distractions, echos from a black hole, and peer-to-peer storage
Dealing With “Digital Distractions” in the Classroom. I’ve certainly wondered what the best approach is to students who are using laptops in the classroom! Krystal at Anthropology in Practice asks whether a blanket ban on them is the right approach. … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: fair chimps, cataclysmic variables, and marine sharpshooters
Chimpanzees Prefer Fair Play To Reaping An Unjust Reward. We’re often told that “life isn’t fair”, but certain of our primate relatives feel otherwise: Eric Michael Johnson in The Primate Diaries describes research that demonstrates that chimpanzees have a good … Continue reading
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Skulls in the Stars 