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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: Leopards v. primates, “theories”, dark secrets of stars, and corals and climate change
Have the hunting habits of leopards shaped primate evolution? Brian at Laelaps looks at fascinating research which investigates how the hunting of primates by leopards may altered the evolutionary path of said primates. (Also check out his post on Australopithecus … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Some happenings
I’m in the midst of a few new science blogging posts, though all of them involve me doing a lot of research and learning about things I don’t know as well as I thought I did! In the meantime, I … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
19 Comments
Robert E. Howard’s El Borak
Finally, I’ve gotten to read some new Robert E. Howard! Well, not new — Robert E. Howard committed suicide in 1936 — but new to me, anyway! For those who are unfamiliar, Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) was a Texas author … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Robert E. Howard
5 Comments
Wave interference: where does the energy go?
Last week was a relatively lousy one for me, but it was made up in part by getting a good question from a student on waves and interference after class. It’s really nice to get a question that indicates a … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
33 Comments
10 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #22!
This is your monthly reminder that there’s 10 days left until the deadline for The Giant’s Shoulders #22! It will be hosted by The Lay Scientist. Entries can be submitted through blogcarnival.com or directly to the host blog, as usual! … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
5 Comments
ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Ocean conveyors, UV paleontology, science and “truth”, and scientific misconduct
Ocean Conveyor running AMOC. Life on our planet owes a lot to the global ocean currents, but there is concern that global warming may shut this current down. Is there any indication this is happening yet? Alistair at Deep Type … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Michelson and Margarite
My recent posts on Ada Lovelace Day (here and here) not only drove home the point that there were even more historically important women scientists and mathematicians than I had optimistically imagined, but that the smartest male scientists of their … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
3 Comments
ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: molding stem cells, lightning, dogs at play, and a heritage of honey
Shaping a stem cell’s future. Most of us are familiar with the idea of stem cells (and the political controversies associated with them): cells which can be chemically manipulated into different types of functionality. Rob Mitchum at ScienceLife describes research … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Some more women in science, and their appreciators
I thought, before this past week, that I appreciated quite well the important but often unacknowledged role that women have played in the history of science and mathematics. It turns out that I’ve hardly scratched the surface of their contributions, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
23 Comments
Graham Masterton’s Blind Panic
About a month ago, I picked up the most recent novel by horror author Graham Masterton, Blind Panic (2010): Buying this novel was a no-brainer for me, because the back cover description completely intrigued me: It began without warning. Across … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Skulls in the Stars 