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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(nother) visit to the Duke Lemur Center!
One of the best-kept secrets that shouldn’t be a secret at all in North Carolina is the wonderful Duke Lemur Center, situated in Durham, NC. A research facility for the adorable but sadly endangered prosimians, it has the largest collection … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, General science
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Artologica at ScienceOnline (and online)!
Update: Michele will be showing off her work tonight, Friday the first of February, in the Marriott hotel lobby between 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm! This week I’m attending ScienceOnline 2013, the yearly online science communication conference in Raleigh, NC. … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, General science
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The Thing From the Lake, by Eleanor Ingram (1921)
I am continually astonished at the number of truly wonderful books that have been neglected and then forgotten as the years go by. Sometimes the books are simply ahead of their time, sometimes the authors die, leaving no one to … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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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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Skulls in the Stars 