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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
Personal book page for “Mathematical Methods”
Now that the semester is over and I have some time, I finally got around to writing a short book page for my Mathematical Methods for Optical Physics and Engineering textbook! This page will serve as a place to post … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
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An American in Spain, part 7: the Plaza de España, Seville
Part 7 of a photo travelogue of my (not quite so) recent trip to Spain with my wife and her family! (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6) Our first full day in Seville was quite a busy one! … Continue reading
The secret molecular life of soap bubbles (1913)
Nature can be extremely devious in the way it hides its secrets. Sometimes the most remarkable and profound insights are staring us right in the face every day in the most mundane phenomena. For instance, we have all seen the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
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Physics demonstrations: Magdeburg hemispheres
Sometimes one can demonstrate very profound and remarkable physics with very simple, even mundane, tools. Last week I received the tools to perform one such demonstration by mail: This pair of iron hemispheres, with handles attached and a valve on … Continue reading
Posted in Physics demos
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An American in Spain, part 6: Real Alcázar of Seville
Part 6 of a photo travelogue of my recent trip to Spain with my wife and her family! (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) On our first full day in Seville, we spent the morning visiting the Seville Cathedral, … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
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Coherence, plasmons, and me!
I don’t often talk about my own research on this blog… heck, I don’t think I’ve ever talked about my own research here, come to think of it! I thought it would be a nice change of pace to describe … Continue reading
Posted in Optics
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“Arago’s inadvertent test of relativity” in Optics & Photonics News!
This is just a short post to announce that my third popular science article written for a magazine appeared online today! “Arago’s inadvertent test of relativity” has appeared in the May issue of Optics & Photonics News, the news magazine … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Personal
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T.C. McCarthy’s “Exogene”
Most of us are familiar with the Greek myth of Pandora and her eponymous box. In a standard telling, Pandora is given the box by Zeus but is explicitly told never to open it. Pandora’s curiosity gets the better of … Continue reading
Posted in Science fiction
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Physics demonstrations: the Pythagoras cup
The past few weeks I’ve been preparing a lot of entertaining demonstrations of physics principles for a Science and Technology Expo to be held at UNC Charlotte on April 29th. I thought I’d start writing short posts highlighting the various … Continue reading
Posted in Physics demos
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The Giant’s Shoulders #46 is out!
Delayed a week due to technical issues, the long-awaited 46th edition of The Giant’s Shoulders history of science blog carnival is up at Providentia! It’s a doozy, featuring things such as: How Jewish leaders reacted to Darwin’s theory of evolution, An … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Skulls in the Stars 