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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: Physics
Personally Speaking… about Falling Felines!
Hi all, I’ve been rather busy with work lately and haven’t had much time to blog. I’ve got a lot to write about, and no time to do it! In the meantime, however, I gave a talk at my university … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Personal, Physics
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Some photos of the conjunction!
You may have heard that yesterday there was a rare planetary conjunction, in which Jupiter and Saturn appear very close together in the sky! Well, the planets will still be close for several days, and I thought I would go … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, Physics
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Presentation on “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics!”
Okay, so I did a video presentation at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences tonight on “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics!” Due to COVID restrictions, it’s the closest thing to a book event I’ll be doing for a while, so … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Personal, Physics
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Presentation tonight on “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics!”
Hi all! For those who might be interested in watching, I’ll be doing a live presentation about the history of falling cats and science, based on my Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics book, as a Science Cafe for the North … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal, Physics
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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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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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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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Book signing at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville on March 18th!
I am happy to announce that my next book signing for Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics will take place on March 18th at 6 pm at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville! Please consider coming out to hear me read from the … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, 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
