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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
10 years of Skulls in the Stars
I’ve been traveling a bit again lately and been rather busy with work, so I haven’t had much time to blog. I wanted to acknowledge, however, a rather significant milestone of this site: today officially marks the ten year anniversary … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Personal
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Dr. SkySkull in Rome: Colosseo and Palatino
Part 3 of a series of photo essays on my recent trip to Rome. Part 1 can be read here, and Part 2 can be read here. We got up early on day 3 in Rome to head to the Colosseum. … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Personal, Travel
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Dr. SkySkull in Amsterdam: Optics in the Rijksmuseum
The lower level of the Rijksmuseum, an area relatively few time-strapped visitors manage to visit, is reserved for more practical forms of art: musical instruments, ceramics, ship figureheads, weapons, and the like. I explored this whole area on my recent … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, History of science, Optics, Travel
2 Comments
What is quantum entanglement? Part 3: Entanglement, at last
This is part 3 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, and Part 2 can be read here. Here, in part 3, we will at … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
15 Comments
Coming in 2018: Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics!
I’ve only been hinting at this revelation so far, but I am finally ready to let the cat out of the bag — almost literally! I have signed a contract with Yale University Press to write my first popular science book, … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Personal, Physics
5 Comments
What is quantum entanglement? Part 2: Randomness and measurement
This is part 2 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. So, by the mid 1920s, physicists had made significant progress in developing the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
9 Comments
What is Quantum Entanglement? Part 1: Waves and particles
If you follow science, or science fiction, to any degree, great or small, you’ve probably heard the term “quantum entanglement” before. You may also have heard it referred to as “spooky action at a distance,” and understand that it somehow … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
20 Comments
Pepper’s last optical illusion: metempsychosis
A month ago, I shared the lengthy, odd and sometimes dramatic history of the illusion commonly known as “Pepper’s ghost,” which I believe is more properly called the “Pepper-Dircks ghost.” In researching this post, I uncovered a wealth of fascinating … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
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19th century optics FAILs
My recent post on the Pepper-Dircks ghost didn’t include even close to all of the interesting tidbits it could have! There are so many things to learn from the story of the ghost, including some lessons about optics. For example: … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Optics
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Michael Faraday meets “The Ghost”
My most recent blog post, concerning the history of the Pepper-Dircks Ghost, was extremely long but didn’t even include all the fascinating aspects of its history. For instance: the ghost was such an incredibly effective illusion that it even drew … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
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