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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. -
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Category Archives: Optics
The Anniversary of the Laser at Cambridge University Press – Part 2!
As promised, here’s the link to part 2 of my two-part series of posts at Cambridge University Press on the 60th anniversary of the laser! This post features a discussion of the basic ideas of how a laser works, like … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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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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How Not To Be Seen: the video!
Continuing my series of uploaded videos, tonight I recorded a version of my How Not To Be Seen: The history and science of invisibility seminar, which I’ve given and revised for probably close to ten years now! I’ve shared links … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics
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Vortices in beams of light and vortex coronagraphy video!
I while ago, I shared slides from a talk I gave at the Charlotte Amateur Astronomy Club on “Vortices in beams of light and vortex coronagraphy.” Now that I, like everyone else, am more or less homebound, I thought I … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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Visualizing the geometric phase of light!
Another post inspired by my book on Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics! I talk about geometric phases in the book in the context of falling cats, but here I focus on the polarization of light. I regularly argue that most … Continue reading
Vortices in beams of light and vortex coronagraphy
This past Friday, I was invited to give a talk at the monthly meeting of the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club, a lovely organization that has been around since 1954. As a theoretical physicist, I am not that well-versed on astronomy … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Personal, Physics
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Taylor sees the (feeble) light (1909)
Most people, even non-scientists, are aware these days of the notion that light acts sometimes like a wave, sometimes like a particle, depending on the circumstances. This wave-particle duality is a fundamental aspect of nature, applying to all elementary particles, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Physics
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RIP Emil Wolf, 1922-2018
On Saturday morning, my PhD advisor and friend Professor Emil Wolf passed away at the age of 95. He was a singularly gifted scientist as well as an extraordinarily kind and wise person. It is fair to say that I … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Personal
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