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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: History of science
1975: The year that quantum mechanics met gravity (from the archives)
Another post from the archives while I work on new stuff!
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Dircks and Pepper: A Tale of Two Ghosts
Sharing another classic history of science post from the archives! This one is about the rather heated history of the illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost.
Posted in History of science
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Ruby Payne-Scott and the mystery of sunspots
Another reblog from my large history of science archive, just for fun!
Posted in History of science, Physics
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The most beautiful wrong equation in history (1841)
One of the topics of the history of science that has continued to fascinate me is the discovery of the principle of conservation of energy. As I discussed in my three-part series “Booms, Blood, and Beer” (part 1, part 2, … Continue reading
Between Two Rivers, by Moudhy Al-Rashid
Book 26 for my 2025 goal of 30 books for the year! As is now default for me, my link to the book is through my bookshop dot org affiliate account. I have long had a huge fascination with the ancient Near East, fostered … Continue reading
Posted in History, History of science
Tagged book review, books, History, mesopotamia
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What is a Carnot engine?
I’ve recently been trying to “relearn” thermodynamics, a subject that I haven’t really looked at, or had to look at, for years. I put “relearn” in quotes because I never really learned it well in the first place! One of … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
Tagged energy, philosophy, Physics, science, technology
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Maxwell invents a demon, people get angry (1879)
Some time ago, I was browsing 150 year old popular science magazines as one does and I found an amusing editorial from 1879 in The Popular Science Monthly titled “Explanations that do not explain.” The unsigned editorial discussed a recent … Continue reading
Einstein’s Tutor, by Lee Phillips
Book 20 for my 2025 goal of 30 books for the year! As is now default for me, my link to the book is through my bookshop dot org affiliate account. I’ve been gearing up lately to plan my next popular science book … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Mathematics, Physics, Women in science
Tagged Mathematics, philosophy, Physics, science
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Nicol invents a polarizing prism (1828)
I’ve talked a lot about polarization recently, including the story of how the best polarizing material was discovered on accident and how modern polarizers made from that material really changed science and technology in a major way. Along the way, … Continue reading
Polaroid: the game-changing optical technology (1938)!
Some technology is so pervasive and mundane in modern society that it is hard to comprehend what a seismic shift its introduction caused in civilization. Examples I can think of are refrigerators and air conditioning, but in science an example … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
Tagged astronomy, nature, photography, Physics, science
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