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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
Ted Cruz attempts to be human
A quiet week on the blog, as I’m traveling. In the meantime, I’ve been thinking again how Ted Cruz has such an unnatural demeanor that he is either the Zodiac Killer or an alien infiltrator, seeking to destroy our planet … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Silliness
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Riccardo Stephens’ The Mummy
An ancient Egyptian mummy. An ominous and deadly curse. A growing collection of fatalities in the mummy’s presence. It is a familiar, and intriguing, plot for horror novels. But one of the earliest of such novels has gone unread for … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 5
Here’s another roundup of Twitter #weirdscifacts from the past couple of weeks! Click below to read the list and learn what the heck this thing is.
Posted in General science, Weirdscifacts
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1975: Neutrons go right round, baby, right round
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 of neutron interferometry, in which the wave … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Metro 2033, by Dmitry Glukhovsky
It’s a pretty rare occurrence when a videogame inspires and moves me enough to read a book, but it happened recently. The videogame — actually, videogames — are Metro 2033 (2010), and its sequel, Metro: Last Light (2013). Both were … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 4
Time for another summary of Twitter #weirdscifacts! Click below the fold to see how similar Steve Buscemi’s character in “Con Air” is to a particular species of caterpillar.
Posted in General science, Weirdscifacts
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Optics and infinity at American Scientist!
I’ve been kind of quiet here lately, partly due to my job and partly due to writing blog posts and essays for other venues. Happily, one of these blog posts is now available to read over at American Scientist, on … Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics, Optics, Personal
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Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 3
Here’s the latest summary of Twitter #weirdscifacts! Click through below the photo of Hedy Lamarr to learn about her contributions to science and technology, among many other surprising science and nature related facts.
Posted in General science, Weirdscifacts
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Coming soon! Science Blogging: The Essential Guide
Have you ever wanted to start a blog to write about science, but don’t know how to get started, or how to build an audience for your blog, or just how to survive the rough-and-tumble nastiness that the internet can often … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Personal
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Dead Reckonings #18 is available!
For those who are interested in reading thoughtful analyses of the latest tales of horror in literature and cinema, issue 18 of Dead Reckonings is now out! The newest edition includes reviews and commentary by some of the best authors and scholars … Continue reading
Skulls in the Stars 