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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: Physics
What is an “optical skyrmion?”
Preparing to write the final section for the second edition of my Singular Optics textbook that happens to be on, you guessed it, optical skyrmions! I thought I would try writing a non-technical explanation first to straighten out all the … Continue reading
Cork balls, Edwardian magazines, and optical physics
Okay, let’s look at a really cute physics demonstration that I found in a really unusual place and which has unexpected connections to optical physics! The demonstration in question is set up as follows: attach a string to a 1 … Continue reading
Coulomb’s remarkable experiment in electricity (1785)
Though people have studied and been fascinated by electricity and magnetism, including such luminaries as Benjamin Franklin, we can really trace the beginning of modern electromagnetic theory to one specific experiment in 1785, in which the French physicist Charles-Augustin de … Continue reading
Talking falling feline physics in the NYT!
It so happens that the falling felines research that came out recently, and that I blogged about last week, has been getting a lot of news attention! A journalist at the New York Times contacted me for comments about the … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal, Physics
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New falling cat paper just dropped!
So I’m now known as the falling cat physics guy, thanks to writing a popular science book on the history of scientists studying how cats land on their feet (“cat turning”) that you may or may not have heard of! … Continue reading
Our new paper on invisibility physics!
So I’ve written a lot about the physics of invisibility on this blog and have even written a popular science book on the subject, but many people may not know that I also still occasionally do some research on invisibility … Continue reading
1975: The year that quantum mechanics met gravity (from the archives)
Another post from the archives while I work on new stuff!
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Ruby Payne-Scott and the mystery of sunspots
Another reblog from my large history of science archive, just for fun!
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Optics, rain and car headlights!
Thought I’d start reblogging some of my old physics posts that I enjoy, so here’s one from 2022 on why you always think your headlights are off when it’s raining at night!
Posted in Physics
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The most beautiful wrong equation in history (1841)
One of the topics of the history of science that has continued to fascinate me is the discovery of the principle of conservation of energy. As I discussed in my three-part series “Booms, Blood, and Beer” (part 1, part 2, … Continue reading
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