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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. -
Category Archives: Animals
Sabrina at rest!
I finally managed to get a picture of our cat Sabrina’s cute little habit! Sometimes, when she sleeps, she ends up sticking her tongue out: That is all for now; continue with your regularly scheduled day…
Posted in Animals
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The oldest LOLcat?
While researching another science post, I came across the following image: The image is from The Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine, vol. 1 (1898-1899), at the end of the introduction to the magazine by Alfred C. Harmsworth. This seems to be … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Animals, Silliness
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Slender loris at the Duke Lemur Center
ScienceOnline 2010 had a variety of “lab tours” to attend on Friday afternoon. With all the options available, I chose to return to the Duke Lemur Center that I visited last year! I wanted to show my wife the lemurs, … Continue reading
Posted in Animals
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Another kitty anchors herself in our home!
Book writing is coming along, and I actually can see light at the end of the tunnel. The biggest section left to write is on tensor analysis, and the biggest difficulty is determining how much to include in my book … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
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Another kitty in da house!
And this time it’s a real kitten, only six months old. We’re fostering her for a while until we can find her a good home. Her name is Sophie, and she’s a very sweet kitty. Here’s a picture of her … Continue reading
Posted in Animals
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It’s confirmed; my cats are trying to kill me
I never believed it when people told me that their cats are trying to kill them. Well, I never believed it until last night. The wife and I were watching television, and I got up to make some popcorn. While … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Silliness
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Oldest preserved spider web found in amber
This is one of those stories that just fills one with awe about the ancientness of life on earth. Via The Great Orange Satan, I found this article in Wired about an amazing discovery: The world’s oldest known spider web … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Science news
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The Purrfect kitty mats!
The other day, we received a nice package in the mail: catnip-laced mats for our cats! My cousin Judi makes and sells these and sent four of them to us as a wedding gift. They’ve been a big hit around … Continue reading
Posted in Animals
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Animals keep getting smarter…
I’m totally fascinated by stories and research on animal intelligence. The closer researchers look at animal behavior, the more they’re surprised by unexpected cognitive abilities. A wonderful case in point: researchers have recently shown that rooks (a relative of crows) … Continue reading
Posted in Animals
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Another short note — and goldfinches!
Just a quick note again — I’m still quite swamped with work, even after getting my proposal done. Now I’m working feverishly on my book, as I want to have a first draft completed by the end of August. I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
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