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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 Resurrection Men: when people would kill to get into cemeteries
Government has always played, and hopefully will continue to play, a necessary role in scientific and medical research. Many important discoveries have been made through the use of government funding and in government labs, and many of those would never … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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The Giant’s Shoulders #55: Curiosities, Utility and Authority, is out!
The 55th edition of the history of science blog carnival The Giant’s Shoulders is up at The Sloane Letters Blog! In this carnival, you can read about: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the sea monster, 19th century advice on making … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Richard Sala’s The Hidden
I recently reviewed Richard Sala’s creepy horror graphic novel Delphine on this blog, a modern and dark retelling of the classic story of Snow White from the eyes of the Prince coming to save her. I enjoyed Delphine a lot, … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Optical wormholes: punching virtual tunnels in space via metamaterials!
Though the introduction of optical invisibility cloaks in 2006 caused a huge sensation around the world in both the media and the general public, arguably even more significant to the optical science community is the technique used to design cloaks. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Richard Sala’s Delphine
I’ve recently had my eyes opened to the possibilities of horror in graphic novels, thanks to a Halloween post on io9 about “short and spooky webcomics.” One standout in that list is the incredible “His face all red” by Emily … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Illusion optics: the physics of making things look like other things!
The idea of optical cloaking, or more generally the concept of invisibility, has gone from science fiction trope to serious topic of physics research to subfield of optical science in its own right in a remarkably short period of time. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Barry Pain’s “The Undying Thing and Others”
The famed H.P. Lovecraft was not only a masterful author of horror fiction, he was also a connoisseur of it. He eagerly snapped up volumes, new and old, seeking the best work of the genre, both famous and obscure. His … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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The Giant’s Shoulders #54, a sleigh-load of history, is out!
The 54th edition of the history of science blog carnival, The Giant’s Shoulders, is out at the blog Contagions! In this carnival, you can read about: the forgotten Victorian romance between science and religion at Christmas time, interesting discussions of … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Duel in the clouds — the world’s first air combat in 1870?
While I was researching my post on Tissandier’s ill-fated 1875 high-altitude balloon ride, I happened to come across a very curious image, pictured below. Apparently the 1870 Franco-Prussian War not only resulted in the first airmail: it also spawned the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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Light “tying itself in knots,” at Aeon Magazine
Those who are familiar with my blog know that one of my fields of specialty is so-called “singular optics,” the study of the behavior of light in regions where the light intensity is zero and the phase is singular. I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Science news
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Skulls in the Stars 