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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
The Anniversary of the Laser at Cambridge University Press – Part 1!
On May 16, 1960, Theodore Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories was the first person to create the now ubiquitous and important source of light that we know as the LASER – Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This year … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
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The first news report of the laser (1960)
So this year is the 60 year anniversary of the invention of the laser, which was finally accomplished by Theodore Maiman on May 16, 1960 (mark your calendar!). I recently wrote a blog post about the physics and history of … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Optics
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Forgotten Milestones in the History of Optics: video!
Okay, here’s one more classic video from my regular seminar series: Forgotten Milestones in the History of Optics! This was one of the earliest semi-popular seminars I put together. More videos and posts to come!
Posted in History of science, Optics
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Ruby Payne-Scott and the mystery of sunspots
This post is in belated honor of International Women’s Day 2020, March 8th, and highlights an important woman physicist who I was unaware of until recently! I think almost everybody is familiar with the phenomenon of sunspots: relatively dark patches … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Women in science
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A few more Falling Felines bits of news!
If you’re still not tired of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics news, yesterday was a good day for new posts, which I thought I’d compile here, along with some earlier stuff I forgot to share! The Curiosity Daily Podcast interviewed … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Personal
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A decade of history of science!
I’ve picked up a significant number of new followers on the blog lately, and this combined with the wrap-up of the decade seems like a good time to share some of my favorite history of science posts of the past … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Personal, Physics
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A chat with H.G. Wells (1897)!
Now that Falling Felines is out, I’m doing research for my next popular science book, which I will talk more about soon! In the meantime, I will share interesting tidbits that I come across in my explorations, such as this … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Science fiction
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Edweard Muybridge’s grand achievement (1873)
So, now that my book Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics is available for purchase, I’ve been answering questions for editors working on the translated editions that will appear. These questions led me back to doing a little historical research, and … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science
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What a Scientific Englishman thinks of Scientific Americans (1874)
Things are a little crazy here in the United States right now, so as a pick-me-up of sorts, I thought I would share this charming article that appeared in the January 30, 1874 issue of Scientific American: “What a Scientific … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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Effects of explosions on the ear (1887)
Here’s another blog post inspired, in part, by my work on my upcoming book on Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics! When we discuss our ideal impressions of science, we often imagine repeatedly doing laboratory experiments in which every variable is … Continue reading
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