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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
H.G. Wells’ The World Set Free (1914)
Mention the name “H.G. Wells” to anyone, and they’ll almost certainly be able to name a few of his books. Most of us know The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The … Continue reading
Posted in Science fiction
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Weird science facts, June 1 — June 7
Once again, the Twitter #weirdscifacts for the previous week! 445. June 01: “17th c. Archimedes”, Étienne-Gaspard Robert, suggested using mirrors to burn ships in 1796 war of France vs. Britain! I’ve written before about the Archimedes “death ray”, and numerous … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
4 Comments
A David Brooks meme update!
A couple of weeks ago, I described my participation in a very silly internet meme about conservative pundit David Brooks. In short: Joshua Green, senior editor at The Atlantic, saw the following picture of excited telephoning Brooks and thought it was worth … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Personal
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13 days until the deadline for The Giant’s Shoulders #36!
This is the regular monthly reminder that there’s only 13 days left until the deadline for the 36th edition of The Giant’s Shoulders, the history of science blog carnival! If you’ve got a history of science post you’ve been thinking … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Weird science facts, May 25 — May 31
Here are the Twitter #weirdscifacts for the past week! 438. May 25: Halomonas titanicae, a new species of bacteria found in 2010 to be eating the Titanic! This is doubly odd, in that the bacteria eats iron oxide and also … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
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Mpemba’s baffling discovery: can hot water freeze before cold? (1969)
“My name is Erasto B Mpemba, and I am going to tell you about my discovery, which was due to misusing a refrigerator.” With those words, Tanzanian student Erasto Mpemba entered scientific history, and also sparked a scientific mystery and … Continue reading
Posted in Physics
164 Comments
Water has properties that are positively electrifying!
Most people certainly understand how important water is for our survival, but we often overlook how weird it can be. I can compile a short, though not exhaustive, list off the top of my head: Water is less dense in … Continue reading
Posted in Physics
49 Comments
Weird science facts, May 18 — May 24
Here are the Twitter #weirdscifacts for the past week! 431. May 18: Paris syndrome: some visitors to Paris experience hallucinations, feelings of persecution, etc. The city, which has such an influence on people’s imaginations around the world, apparently can overwhelm … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
2 Comments
Foster kitten update!
I thought I would do an update on the status of the momma cat and her five kittens that we’ve been fostering! We’re now at the seventh week of age, and the kittens are really tiny versions of cats at … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
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Weird science facts, May 11 — May 17
Still going strong on the #weirdscifacts! Here are the past week’s selections that appeared on Twitter. 424. May 11: The bombardier beetle: sprays boiling acid at any predators that attack it! 425. May 12: Anophthalmus hitleri — a blind cave … Continue reading
Posted in Weirdscifacts
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Skulls in the Stars 