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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
Why I left experimental particle physics – a meandering story
Some time ago, I promised that I would tell the story of my transition from experimental particle physics to theoretical optics. With a lot of busy stuff going on at work and my research blogging efforts mired in some rather … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Personal, Physics
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Roger Ebert on ‘death panels’ and the power of a phrase
If you don’t read Roger Ebert’s blog, you probably should. In recent years (and probably before that, but before blogs) he’s been writing some of the most thoughtful posts I’ve seen on a range of topics, from politics to science … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, Politics
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The Giant’s Shoulders #14 is up!
The fourteenth edition of The Giant’s Shoulders is up at The Dispersal of Darwin! It’s a little tardy, but it’s got a lot of entries, and they’re all great! Many thanks to Michael for putting it together and hosting … Continue reading
Posted in General science, History of science
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Knuckle-walking, nanostars, and novel fuel cells
(Cross-posted at ResearchBlogging.org News.) Bipedalism: From the ground up or trees down? Chimpanzees and gorillas both walk on their knuckles, but do so in subtle but significantly different ways. Brian at Laelaps discusses recent research on this subject, and its … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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The New York Times on celiac disease
Via my postdoc advisor (who has been suggesting enough good stuff lately that I should probably just turn the blog over to him), The New York Times has posted a very nice article on living with celiac disease, “The Expense … Continue reading
Posted in Health
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Johnston McCulley’s The Bat Strikes Again and Again!
Name this scene: Yet he was one man working alone against the crooks and the corrupt politicians who went hand in glove with the evil forces of the underworld. For that reason he must become a figure of sinister import … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Mystery/thriller
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Catching “The Wave”: still relevant
Watching crowds of lunatic extremists attempting to shut down any reasonable debate about healthcare by shouting down politicians at town halls and even bringing firearms to protests is reminiscent of the scare tactics that brownshirts used to secure power in … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Entertainment, Politics
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Invisibility physics: “Reflectionless” objects make an appearance
(This is a continuation of my “history of invisibility physics” series of posts. The earlier posts are: Part I, Part II, Part III.) Up through the late 1940s, it seems that the only type of invisibility that authors were considering … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility
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ResearchBlogging Editor’s selections: False primates, hot jupiters, comet controversies and clever corvids
(Cross-posted at ResearchBlogging.org News.) Suminia getmanov: A false primate: Over the past few months, you have probably heard a lot about “Ida”, a magnificently-preserved fossil of a 47-million year old primate. You may not have heard about the fossils of … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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