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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
From the archives: Barkla shows that x-rays have polarization (1905)
Thought I’d share an old post from the physics archives, talking about a very important yet largely forgotten milestone in physics: the demonstration that X-rays are in fact another type of electromagnetic wave!
Posted in History of science, Physics
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The Tenebroscope: showing that light is invisible (1863)
At first glance, the title of this post probably appears quite paradoxical. After all, the very definition of an object being visible is seeing light coming off of the object! At second glance, you might think the title is referring … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
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What is quantum entanglement? Part 7: What does it all mean?
This is part 7 in a lengthy series of posts attempting to explain the idea of quantum entanglement to a non-physics audience. Part 1 can be read here, Part 2 can be read here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, and Part … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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A “remarkable lightning stroke,” 1879
One of the fun things about reading early science journals and magazines is finding anecdotes about unusual phenomena that are sent in by readers and published. While I was writing my previous blog post about Tyndall and Mayer, I came … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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The story of the electron (1901)
When we are taught the history of physics, it is quite common for major discoveries to be introduced in an abbreviated form that loses much of the very interesting context. We are told “Scientist X discovered Y in year XXXX,” … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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1901: Kaufmann measures relativity and doesn’t know it
The special theory of relativity has been extensively tested ever since Albert Einstein formulated it in 1905, and is essential in understanding numerous fields of physics, from astrophysics to nuclear physics to particle physics. Recently, I’ve been exploring some of … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Relativity
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A radioactive test of special relativity (1960)
Einstein’s special theory of relativity still is met with disbelief by a lot of non-physicists, and it is probably one of the most active areas of physics science denial out there. Write about relativity, and it is quite likely that … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Relativity
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Quantum jumps: The Franck-Hertz experiment (1914)
The early years of quantum physics, from Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 through the introduction of the Schrödinger equation in 1926, was a remarkable time for science and filled with novel ideas, speculations, and experiments. In the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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“Invisibility” has a cover and a release date!
Of course, my publisher never tells me these things, but the cover for my next popular science book, on the history and physics of invisibility, has been made public and the book has a release date! It was a challenge … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Invisibility, Personal
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The oldest falling cat explanation
So when writing my book Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, on the history and science of how cats land on my feet, I attempted to track down the oldest explanation in print that attempted to explain why cats seem to … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science
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