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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
Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics in Five Languages!
Some exciting news to share: it turns out that my upcoming book on Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics will be translated into five languages so far! In case you missed the lovely cover image before, here it is again, for … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal, Physics
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History of the Conservation of Energy: Booms, Blood, and Beer (Part 3)
The final long-awaited conclusion of a trilogy of posts describing the history of the discovery of conservation of energy, inspired by my research on “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics.” Part 1 can be read here, and part 2 can be … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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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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Crookes and the puzzle of his radiometer
This blog post is based on some early experimental writing that was done for my Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics book that was cut from the final draft! As you will see, it was much too long and too much … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Physics demos
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Available for pre-order: Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics!
Big news from about my upcoming book, Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics: we have a release date — October 22nd — and a cover!!! Furthermore, and perhaps most important, the book is now available for pre-order! You can order it … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal, Physics
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Last night’s “Super Blood Moon”: a photo essay
So last night was anopportunity for folks on the East Coast of the United States to see a relatively rare event: a lunar eclipse! Hyped as a “Super Blood Moon” (we’ll get to that in a moment), it took place … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, Physics
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History of the Conservation of Energy: Booms, Blood, and Beer (Part 2)
Part 2 of a trilogy of posts describing the history of the discovery of conservation of energy, inspired by my research on “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics.” Part 1 can be read here. In 1798, Count Rumford presented the first … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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History of the Conservation of Energy: Booms, Blood, and Beer (Part 1)
Another post inspired by my research into my Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics book! Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but merely converted from one form to another. Such is a typical statement of the law of conservation of energy, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Pendulums, spheres, and the spinning Earth
The first of what will hopefully be a small series of posts inspired by research on my Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics book, which will be sent to the publisher this week! Made some small updates for clarity to the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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The Fantastic Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics Photo Fundraiser
As you may have heard, I’ve been working on a book on the history and physics of cats landing on their feet, titled “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics.” The book will be published in early 2019, hopefully, and I’m really … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History of science, Physics
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