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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: mega-rings, nano-anglerfish, and resilient algae
New mega ring around Saturn discovered using Spitzer. The big news in astronomy this week is the discovery of a BIG, hidden ring around Saturn! Dave at Exploding Galaxies and other Catastrophysics gives us the details. Nano Anglerfish Snag Orphan … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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“Liveblogging” What’s Hot in Optics at Frontiers in Optics 2009
Each year, Frontiers in Optics has a session entitled “What’s hot in optics”. I thought I’d “liveblog” it (type it up on my computer and post it later) like I did last year; hopefully the comments make sense, considering I … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Science news
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Off to Frontiers in Optics 2009!
Today my life is complete chaos as I try and get things together for the OSA Annual Meeting, aka Frontiers in Optics 2009. Wouldn’t you know it, today is the day that suddenly a dozen extra meetings and phone calls … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Science news
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The Linkin’ Log, video edition: October 8, 2009
Over the past couple of weeks, a few videos caught my eye, for various reasons. I thought that it was a good time for a collection of links: Via Steven Benen at Political Animal, a video has been found which … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, Politics
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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is trying to drive me insane
What a difference a letter can make! The Nobel Prize in Physics this year went to Charles K. Kao for developments in fiber optics and to Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for the development of CCD cameras. Fiber … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, General science
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Lord Rayleigh’s comments on invisibility (1884)
Found it! I pointed out in my previous invisibility post that R.W. Wood attributes an early discussion of invisibility to Lord Rayleigh in his Encyclopædia Britannica article on optics; however, I couldn’t find the quote after browsing Rayleigh’s articles and … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Invisibility
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Themes for “The Giant’s Shoulders?”
The other day I was mulling over one of my recent ‘history of science’ posts, on an early physics crank whose work dates back to 1891. About the same time, I was thinking about other ‘challenges’ I could pose for … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Ten days until The Giant’s Shoulders #16!
There’s 10 days left until the deadline for The Giant’s Shoulders #16! It will be held at Quiche Moraine, and entries can be submitted through blogcarnival.com or directly to the host blog, as usual!
Posted in General science, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: water on the moon, telescopes in history, seeing through other people’s eyes, and space travel
This was a very good week for my section of ResearchBlogging, and I had a hard time picking selections! In the news this month: discovery of water on the moon. Here, Megan at Rigel describes the recent, and independently confirmed, … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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The first paper on invisibility? (1902)
When discussing the history of invisibility physics, I typically cite Ehrenfest’s 1910 paper on radiationless motions as the first publication dedicated to the subject. Ehrenfest’s paper, which attempts to explain how electrons could oscillate in a classical atom without radiating, … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Skulls in the Stars 