-
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: Personal
“Visions of invisibility in fiction” in Optics & Photonics News!
I’m very excited — this morning my first popular science article written for a magazine appeared online! “Visions of invisibility in fiction” appears in the July/August issue of Optics & Photonics News, the news magazine of the Optical Society of … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics, Personal
8 Comments
DIEHL research grant services blog!
Just a short note today — I’ve been meaning to draw people’s attention to a recent blog started by my friend and colleague Damon Diehl, who has started a business providing grant-writing assistance. As a researcher in optical science for … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Optics, Personal
2 Comments
A David Brooks meme update!
A couple of weeks ago, I described my participation in a very silly internet meme about conservative pundit David Brooks. In short: Joshua Green, senior editor at The Atlantic, saw the following picture of excited telephoning Brooks and thought it was worth … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Personal
Leave a comment
Foster kitten update!
I thought I would do an update on the status of the momma cat and her five kittens that we’ve been fostering! We’re now at the seventh week of age, and the kittens are really tiny versions of cats at … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
7 Comments
Foster kittens in the house!
While I’m working on my next physics/optics blog post (I keep taking on challenging topics that require lots of research), I thought I’d share some pictures of our newest houseguests: momma kitty Snuggles and her five newborn baby kittens! Here … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
8 Comments
Invisibility talk in the Critical Wit podcast!
For those who aren’t tired yet of hearing me talk about science, you can now hear me in the second installment of the Critical Wit Podcast, hosted by Chris Lindsay! I pontificate on the topic of invisibility cloaks and the … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Personal
1 Comment
My interview on Dr. Kiki’s Science Hour (guest-hosted by ScienceComedian)!
Last night I did an interview on The Twit Netcast Network, on Dr. Kiki’s Science Hour, about a variety of science topics! Brian Malow, aka the Science Comedian, guest-hosted the episode and was the one to invite me on. Here … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Personal
3 Comments
Cats, cats, cats!
I’m struggling to get a new optics post going for the blog; I’ve got a number of possibilities I’m exploring, but it will likely take a few days to get it going. In the meantime, I realized I haven’t done … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal
17 Comments
A short promotional post: Math Methods is available on Amazon!
At the risk of turning this blog into a series of shameless self-promotions (perhaps it is already too late), I should note that my textbook is now available on amazon.com! I wasn’t paying close attention, because Amazon originally showed it … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Personal
6 Comments
My interview on Peer Review Radio!
Those who follow me on Twitter have already heard this, but for those who haven’t: I was interviewed by Adrian Ebsary for an episode of Peer Review Radio that was broadcast on Tuesday! The episode is titled, “Go sing it … Continue reading
Posted in General science, History of science, Personal
8 Comments
Skulls in the Stars 