-
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
Michael Faraday meets “The Ghost”
My most recent blog post, concerning the history of the Pepper-Dircks Ghost, was extremely long but didn’t even include all the fascinating aspects of its history. For instance: the ghost was such an incredibly effective illusion that it even drew … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
1 Comment
Dircks and Pepper: A Tale of Two Ghosts
It is often told that in the 1860s, John Henry Pepper used science and technology to invent a ghost. Or did he? This is the surprisingly tricky question that we will try to answer in this lengthy post. It is a … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
1 Comment
The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories
I’ve been following Valancourt Books almost since they started publishing books back in 2005 (and of course I’ve written a number of book intros for them). It has been really exciting to see them expand from their origins in reprinting … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
Leave a comment
Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
It is a truly daunting task to try and write a blog post about an utterly unique and undisputed classic of literature like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (1951). On the other hand, it is almost impossible to not write about such … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Science fiction
12 Comments
Dinosaur feathers and other oddly-discovered science
Several days ago, a truly awe-inspiring and beautiful scientific achievement was announced to the public: the discovery of the first piece of amber ever found to actually contain the preserved tissue from the tail of a dinosaur, including bones, flesh … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, General science, History of science
2 Comments
Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 18
Getting soooo close to having done a full year of Twitter weirdscifacts! Read below to learn the amazing ability that this seemingly ordinary European robin possesses.
Posted in General science, Science news, Weirdscifacts
Leave a comment
The Doomed City, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The first indication that something is seriously wrong in the city is the arrival of the baboons. They appear without warning at the garbage dump by the hundreds, rapidly fanning out through the rest of the city and wreaking havoc … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
1 Comment
Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 17
Time for another round of #weirdscifacts from Twitter! I’m closing in quickly on a full year of facts, and I don’t think I’ll continue this past a year, so enjoy them while you can! Read below to find out what … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Weirdscifacts
2 Comments
H.P. Lovecraft and the phantom planet
Science and science fiction go hand in hand, so to speak… but science and horror fiction? There are, in fact, more connections than one might think. A lot of modern science can be quite scary at first glance, and knowledgeable … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Lovecraft
3 Comments
The tweet heard around the world: FAQ
Four days ago, a good friend of mine posted what I felt was an insightful comment on Facebook about the aftermath of the election that I thought was worth sharing. They gave me permission to share it on twitter, under … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Personal, Politics
Comments Off on The tweet heard around the world: FAQ
Skulls in the Stars 