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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 radioactive test of special relativity (1960)
Einstein’s special theory of relativity still is met with disbelief by a lot of non-physicists, and it is probably one of the most active areas of physics science denial out there. Write about relativity, and it is quite likely that … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Relativity
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Phantom of the Seven Stars, by Ray Cummings
I’ve been trying to post something every day to the blog for as long as I can, and it has been quite an exhilarating ride! I’m nearing the end of that run, and what better way to celebrate it, and … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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1975: Neutrons go right round, baby, right round
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
Some time ago, I wrote about a fascinating 1975 experiment in which the relationship between quantum mechanics and gravity was tested. The experiment was made possible by the new — at the time — technique…
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What the heck is the “speed of light?” Part 2
In Part 1 of What the heck is the “speed of light?”, we noted how light in matter can move much slower than the vacuum speed of light c, or even appear to move much faster than c, under the … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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What the heck is the “speed of light?” Part 1
Most of us have heard a statement similar to the one that follows: “The speed of light is constant.” That particular phrasing of the statement comes from none other than the American Museum of Natural History’s Einstein exhibit, so I … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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Michael Faraday, grand unified theorist? (1851)
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
At long last, I get to blog about the paper that first piqued my interest about the research of Michael Faraday! If you haven’t been following my Faraday posts, let me give a…
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Night of the Big Heat, by John Lymington
I don’t know exactly what first drew my attention to Night of the Big Heat (1959), by John Lymington. I suspect I was browsing through some Wikipedia posts about alien invasion movies, and caught sight of the 1967 film adaptation … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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The Dark Host, by Archie Roy
Let’s take a look at one of the most obscure books I’ve ever read! So, I’ve written about the work of Archie Roy before, in particular his novel Devil in the Darkness (1978), a remarkably good haunted house story. In … Continue reading
Posted in Mystery/thriller
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