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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
Feeling history in your bones: Brühl’s Terrace
Via OhGizmo!, we find that an exhibit exists (or did exist) on Brühl’s Terrace in Dresden, Germany, which allows one to experience the simulated sounds of the devastating 1945 bombing of the city simply by resting oneself against a railing … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
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H. Rider Haggard’s She
Before Indiana Jones, there was Allan Quatermain, elephant hunter and adventurer/explorer of Africa. Quatermain was the creation of H. Ridger Haggard (1856-1925), and was featured in the novels King Solomon’s Mines and Allan Quatermain. Haggard’s work was informed by his … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Fantasy fiction
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Freezing images in an atomic vapor!
I thought I’d step out of my comfort zone and specific field of expertise for once and do a post on some interesting quantum optics. In a June issue of Physical Review Letters, an Israeli research group experimentally demonstrated the … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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No surprise: Girls just as good at math as boys
The title says it all: via CNN, we learn that a comprehensive study published today in Science (for those with access, the article can be read here) shows that girls perform just as well as boys in mathematics. This study … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
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Graham Masterton’s The 5th Witch
I finally got a chance to read one of Graham Masterton’s most recent novels, The 5th Witch, and I thought I’d share some thoughts about it! (In fact, there’s an even more recent novel, House of Bones, which I’m going … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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It’s just a flesh wound! My knight-liness is confirmed…
Via The Greenbelt, I learned about and took another one of those silly but oddly compelling internet quizzes: this one asks, “Which Chess Piece are You?” In my case, I scored as The King’s Knight, which makes me sound like … Continue reading
Posted in Silliness
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Updates to blogroll!
No doubt feeling chastised by reading Greg Laden’s post on blogrolling, I’ve added a few extra links to mine: Optical Futures, Podblack Cat, and Laelaps. I’m sure more will appear in the future, and I’ll have to figure out how … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
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Camera-free Radiohead video! (updated)
(Update: I fixed the discussion on LIDAR speed detection, thanks to edweird’s observations in the comments.) This is pretty neat. Via Crooks & Liars, we have Radiohead’s new music video (embedded below the fold), for House of Cards, which uses … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, Optics
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Avatar: The Last Airbender concludes!
Wow. I just finished watching the 2-hour series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender. After a three-year run, the animated series ended on Saturday night. Simply amazing. This is definitely, in my opinion, one of the best television series I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment
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Skydiver takes out marching band
Ouch. On Thursday, a parachutist went off course during a jump at Fort Riley, Kansas, and crashed feet first into the 1st Infantry Division’s marching band. Three band members were significantly injured during the landing; video of the crash can … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Sports
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