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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
“Interference between different photons never occurs:” Not! (1963)
Note: This post is my contribution to the third edition of The Giant’s Shoulders, a carnival of blog posts on classic science papers. One of the most famous statements concerning quantum mechanics, as it relates to the light particles known … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
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4 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #3!
This is a reminder that there’s 4 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #3, to be held at Entertaining Research. Entries can be submitted, as always, through blogcarnival.com.
Posted in General science, Science news
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LHC fires up!
From various sources in the science blogotopia, we learn that the LHC has been started for the first time! For those unfamiliar, the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is designed to be the world’s largest particle accelerator, which will probe the … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
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Busy with my book…
If anyone’s noticed a slowdown in my blog output recently, the reasons are twofold: 1. The beginning of the academic semester, and 2. I’m finally trying to make progress on my textbook. I will probably continue to post at a … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
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Richard Marsh’s “Philip Bennion’s Death”
As promised, here’s the first discussion of some classic Richard Marsh, in celebration of the release of Valancourt’s edition of The Beetle. I start with a brief discussion of another Valancourt edition, Richard Marsh’s Philip Bennion’s Death (1897).
Posted in Mystery/thriller
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Peanuts animator, and voice of Snoopy, Bill Melendez, dies at 91
Sadly, the producer/animator who brought us such classics as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” has passed away at 91, of natural causes. He was also the very familiar voice of Snoopy in many of these specials, … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment
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Optics basics: Coherence
In previous optics basics posts, the interference of waves has played a major role. When two or more monochromatic (single-color) waves are combined, they form a pattern of light and dark regions, in which the combined light fields have constructively … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Optics basics
71 Comments
15 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #3!
Labor Day is a day for the working citizen of the U.S. to relax… but not science bloggers! This is a reminder that there’s 15 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #3, to be held at Entertaining Research. Entries can be … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Roald Dahl, sex spy?
This is entertaining. Roald Dahl, famous author of children’s stories such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and nasty little shockers such as Man From the South, was apparently a spy for the British government during World War II. His … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Horror
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Valancourt’s definitive edition of Marsh’s “The Beetle” released!
I just received in the mail the other day my copy of Valancourt Books’ edition of Richard Marsh’s The Beetle: A Mystery. The Valancourt edition is the definitive edition for the collector, with an introduction by Richard Marsh scholar Minna … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Skulls in the Stars 