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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 Giant’s Shoulders #52 — “Loads more heroes edition” — is out!
I’ve been silent on the blog for the week because I was attending the Frontiers in Optics meeting of the Optical Society of America in Rochester, NY this week. Hopefully I’ll have more to say about that soon, but… In … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Introducing the “Science Chamber of Horrors”!
Those who have been following this blog for a while know that I spent two full years posting a daily “weird science fact” on Twitter, which have all been compiled into posts here. I still carry on the weird science … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Horror
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Best Science Writing Online 2012 is out!
I thought I’d put up a short post letting people know that the 2012 edition of the “Best Science Writing Online” has been published — and I’m in it! You can see my name in the right-most red column on … Continue reading
Posted in Science news
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Bram Stoker’s The Lair of the White Worm
Bram Stoker’s name is inextricably and deservedly associated with horror fiction, thanks to his famous novel Dracula. Of course, he wrote other novels and short stories, many of which are mostly (and undeservedly) forgotten today. With this in mind, I … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Making magnets speak: the Barkhausen effect
Occasionally I come across a demonstration of physics that is so simple to implement yet illustrates a phenomenon so profound that it almost takes my breath away. I learned of one such demonstration recently, which requires only a handful of … Continue reading
Posted in Physics
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Weird Fiction Monday: A Vignette
It’s time for Weird Fiction Monday, when I post stories that I’ve written — both new and old — for the entertainment (hopefully) of my readers! As always, I note that I haven’t done extensive editing of the tales here, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction
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“Hairy balls” in optics?
The title of this post certainly got your attention, didn’t it? Don’t worry — the topic of the post is not quite as bad as it sounds! The “hairy ball” theorem is in fact a mathematical theorem that states, in … Continue reading
Posted in Optics
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Bram Stoker’s “The Jewel of Seven Stars”
Late at night, barrister Malcolm Ross is awakened from a pleasant dream by a pounding on his door. A policeman is waiting for him there, with an urgent summons from Margaret Trelawny, a young woman whom Ross had recently met … Continue reading
The Giant’s Shoulders #51 is out! Tales of Patriotic Science-Nerds, Vortex Cannons and Nuking the Goat
The 51st edition of The Giant’s Shoulders is up at the History of Geology blog! As its title suggests, within the carnival you can read about: Patriotic science nerd Thomas Jefferson, who defended America’s biological honor with a moose, A very old … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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How many uses for a nuclear weapon can YOU think of?
Ah, nuclear weapons! Having grown up while the Cold War was still going strong, I can almost think about nuclear bombs with a sentimental eye — though the threat of nuclear terrorism is still a possibility, we’re much further away … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Physics
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Skulls in the Stars 