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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: Women in science
Eliza Young owns some scientists (1816)
This is a belated post for the International Day of Women & Girls in Science, which was on February 11. In this post, I honor those women who never had a chance to get into science due to societal and … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Women in science
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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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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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Hilda Hänchen and the Goos-Hänchen effect
Today, the United Nations declared February 11 to be the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science,” starting a new effort to get more women into science and keep them there. In honor of this new day, I thought … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Women in science
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Marguerite O’Loghlin Crowe steps from the shadows
Update: Additional images provided by Alice Zent at the end of the post! Some five years ago, I shared an intriguing anecdote from the biography of Albert A. Michelson, in which Michelson — who had a reputation of being incredibly … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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A one-act play about a study in hiring practices in STEM
Scene: A table at Starbucks Cast: Man #1, a wealthy benefactor Man #2, an enlightened guy Man #1: Let me ask you a hypothetical question: given the choice, would you rather have world peace or a billion dollars? Man #2: Oh, … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, General science, Women in science
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One more anecdote about Kathleen Lonsdale
My last post hardly scratched the surface of Kathleen Lonsdale’s amazing life & career. Before moving on to other topics, I can’t help but share one more cool story about her from her biographical memoir, which incidentally is free to read … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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Kathleen Lonsdale: Master of Crystallography
In recent years, there has been a wonderful explosion of interest in the often-neglected historical women of science, and more information is available than ever before about the lives and achievements of these women. Nevertheless, there are still some truly … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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Jane Marcet educates Michael Faraday
This post is in honor of Ada Lovelace Day, a celebration of the contributions of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Even when women weren’t officially recognized as scientists or allowed to pursue a formal education or career in science, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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Mireya Mayor’s “Pink Boots and a Machete”
In my studies of historical figures, I’ve reserved a special spot in my heart for those people whose lived their lives, for lack of a better word, “awesomely”. My criterion for such “awesome” people is to imagine them arriving … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Women in science
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Skulls in the Stars 