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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
The Fantastic Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics Photo Fundraiser
As you may have heard, I’ve been working on a book on the history and physics of cats landing on their feet, titled “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics.” The book will be published in early 2019, hopefully, and I’m really … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Physics
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The Auctioneer, by Joan Samson
I recently started thinking about the structure of horror stories in a new way: relating them to the behavior of natural disasters. Some stories are unpredictable, with sudden bursts of terror, like lightning strikes or tornadoes. Others build up a … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Nicola Griffith’s Ammonite (1992)
I’ve been quite interested in reading more science fiction in recent months, to make up for my lack of knowledge about the field. It so turns out that The Orion Publishing Group has released an extensive series called “SF Masterworks” … Continue reading
Posted in Science fiction
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Taylor sees the (feeble) light (1909)
Most people, even non-scientists, are aware these days of the notion that light acts sometimes like a wave, sometimes like a particle, depending on the circumstances. This wave-particle duality is a fundamental aspect of nature, applying to all elementary particles, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
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The Hole of the Pit, by Adrian Ross
Been working ridiculously hard lately, which is the explanation for my long absence from posting. Sorry about that! Hope to get back into the swing of things with this horror novel post. The most fun books to read are often … Continue reading
Dr. SkySkull in Greece: The National Archaeological Museum
The last in my series of blog posts about my recent trips to Finland and Greece. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 can be read at the links. My flight out of Athens on my day of … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, Travel
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Dr. SkySkull in Greece: Walking around Athens
In my last travel post, I talked about my first evening in Athens, in which I walked around with a new friend and explored the Acropolis and a number of other ancient sites. The next day I had all to … Continue reading
Dr. SkySkull in Greece: The Acropolis
In my last travel post, I described a little bit of the island of Spetses in Greece, where my second optics workshop took place. As the workshop schedule didn’t include any crucial talks on the last day I was originally … Continue reading
The Searching Dead and Born to the Dark, by Ramsey Campbell
Though Ramsey Campbell is my favorite horror author, I somehow manage to always be “late to the party” when it comes to his newest releases. In the most recent case, however, it was entirely my fault: I ordered a signed, … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Dr. SkySkull in Greece: The cats of Spetses
In my last post, I summarized quickly the first week of my recent two week work trip, which took place in Joensuu, Finland. The second week took place in Greece, and there was so much history and beauty packed into … Continue reading
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