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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
A little busy…
I haven’t had much time to write a detailed optics post lately. I’m trying to get a couple of papers prepared for publication, and that’s been hindered by coursework and the travel I’ve been doing. Beyond that, I haven’t seen … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
10 Comments
Stop the Uwe Boll madness!
I hadn’t seen this before, but it cracks me up: a petition to stop Uwe Boll from making any more horrible movies. If you don’t know who he is, look him up on the IMDB: To: Dr. Uwe Boll We, … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment
2 Comments
LOLCats can has accuracy?
The girlfriend sent me the link to the following I Can Haz Cheezeburger, which I post without further comment:
Posted in Animals, General science
3 Comments
Creationists and cranks: Ignore, Engage, or Insult?
Via Pharyngula, I see that Scientific American has posted a number of reviews of the creationist propaganda film Expelled, and as one would suspect, none of them are good. One statement by John Rennie on the matter caught my eye, … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Science news
2 Comments
Why I hate the media, part 10,000
CNN’s current headline, as I write this: “President Bush takes part in commemorative tree planting.” This is listed as a “Live, developing story.”
Posted in ... the Hell?, Politics
4 Comments
Richard Marsh’s The Beetle: A Mystery
As I’ve mentioned previously, Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural is publishing an excellent collection of long out of print Victorian-era novels and short stories. I just finished reading one of them, a neglected novel of suspense and the supernatural, Richard Marsh’s … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
7 Comments
Making anamorphic images, part 1: Piecewise images
In my recent post on the camera obscura, I discussed the optical illusion produced by so-called anamorphic images, i.e. images which only appear normal from a particular point of view. One can readily understand such images from the point of … Continue reading
Posted in Optics
8 Comments
Ramsey Campbell’s thoughts on horror (updated)
I haven’t stopped by Ramsey Campbell’s official website for a while, but it was updated since I last saw it with an introduction that talks about why he writes horror and why it is a worthy literary pursuit. It’s a … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
4 Comments
Incredibly stupid policy comment of the week
So I’m standing in line at the security checkpoint at the airport, and not even a long line at that (10 minutes?). Suddenly a gruff older man starts complaining to his wife next to me. He says, “If they had … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Politics
2 Comments
More travel ahead…
Just a quick note: I’ll be heading off to give another talk tomorrow, so my posting may be light for a few days again. I’ve got some cute stuff I’ve been working on, though, so if I have time, I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
2 Comments
Skulls in the Stars 