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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
Tensor? Tensor? I’ve been getting tenser all week!
Whew! For those not following my Twitter account, let me declare that I finished the last major section of my textbook today! Now I’m going to do a bit of touching up of various sections that I worked on recently, … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: giving climate scientists their due, “revolting” statistics, and a crystal controversy
Dammit, Jim, I’m a neurobiologist, not a climatologist! It isn’t his field (as he freely admits), but Björn Brembs at bjoern.brembs.blog does an excellent job clearly explaining why we should give climate scientists some credit, even if we don’t understand … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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The Giant’s Shoulders #20
Welcome to the February 1(7)th, 2010 edition of The Giant’s Shoulders! I seem to have had some shorted connections with the scheduled host, so I’ve ended up taking on the hosting myself this month. BOOK REVIEW: Emma Townshend’s Darwin’s Dogs. … Continue reading
Posted in General science, History of science
5 Comments
A little delay…
We seem to be having a little delay in the posting of The Giant’s Shoulders #20. I’m trying to figure out what’s up, and hopefully it’ll be published within the next day. In the meantime, this seems to be a … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
4 Comments
What is science? Answers to a high school student
In my official capacity as a professor, I recently was contacted by a local high school student who asked some questions for a research paper on science. I asked for permission to repost the questions and the answers I gave … Continue reading
Posted in General science
7 Comments
Some thoughts on the recent tenure-related shooting
In the wake of the tragedy in Alabama, there has as expected been a lot of discussion on the internet about the nature of the shooting and its implications. In some sense, my impression is that the case has become … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Science news
9 Comments
ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: slime mold traffic planners, synthetic marijuana, and evolution vs. morality
Nature-inspired network design: recent studies in slime mold and leaf veins. You could learn a lot from a slime mold! Hannah W. in Culturing Science explains how researchers are seeking inspiration from slime mold and leaves in developing new techniques … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Captain America has a tradition of social commentary
If you haven’t seen it yet, the most recent issue of the Marvel Comics series Captain America has drawn the ire of teabaggers because of its negative portrayal of them. Via Yahoo news, Since 1941, Captain America has been one … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Entertainment, Politics
3 Comments
Vrije Universiteit goes for Open Access publishing!
This is interesting news! Via BoraZ on Twitter, I find that the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, has pledged to have 90% of its published articles available on Open Access: Within ten years, VU University Amsterdam wants to make 90% of its … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
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Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts, by W.H. Pugmire
One of H.P. Lovecraft’s enduring legacies as a writer is the creation of a cosmology that could and would be imitated by his followers. Many great authors of horror fiction got their start writing Lovecraft pastiches, such as Brian Lumley … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Skulls in the Stars 