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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 scientists in 1903 wanted for Christmas!
For most scientists, the arrival of new equipment can feel a lot like getting toys on Christmas day. There’s the excitement of opening the package, the giddy thrill of discovery of what the equipment can do, followed by an almost … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Re (not the sun god) hypothesizes a solar atom (1903)
It is fair to say that the decade surrounding the start of the 20th century was an amazingly perplexing time to be a physicist. Mounting experimental evidence strongly suggested that something was amiss with classical physics, especially in the understanding … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
10 Comments
Benjamin Franklin shocks the world! (1752)
Back in 1752, Benjamin Franklin performed an epic — and incredibly dangerous — experiment. In order to show that lightning is a form of electricity, he flew a kite in a thunderstorm with a key attached. The key drew off … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
18 Comments
Whittaker breaks the irony meter (1910/1953)
I’m currently working my way through E.T. Whittaker‘s monumental A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity (1910), among other things. Whittaker’s book is a very comprehensive study of electricity and aether that stretches back from the seventeenth century … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Physics
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R.W. Wood’s lecture demonstrations (1897-1905)
With all the concerted efforts into popularizing science that goes on these days, it is quite easy to forget that some of the best scientists throughout history put a lot of effort into making their knowledge accessible both to students … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
1 Comment
Alan Hirshfeld's The Electric Life of Michael Faraday
In my blogging on the history of science, I tend to focus on the details of classic experiments — the how, why, and what of scientific history — and don’t dwell as much on “who” actually does the work. The … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, [PhysicalScience]
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Tolman goes silly for similitude! (1914)
This post is for the special “fools, failures and frauds” edition of The Giant’s Shoulders. The early 20th century was clearly an exciting time to be a physicist. In 1905, Einstein published his special theory of relativity, radically revising human … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Physics, [PhysicalScience]
10 Comments
Right-wing refutations of relativity really, really wrong!
Back when I first started my blog, I spent a lot more time dealing with crazy people who are convinced that Einstein’s theories of relativity are wrong (see here, here and here). More recently, I haven’t spent a lot of … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Relativity
53 Comments
Cerenkov sees the light (1937)
This particular post serves a double purpose: highlighting an important event in the history of physics and highlighting an important moment of my personal interest in said history! The event in question is the publication of a letter in the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
27 Comments
Freaks & geeks: optical freak waves in the laboratory
One of the most fruitful and intriguing avenues for developing novel scientific research is through cross-pollination with other fields of study. This is one of the reasons I’m proud of my excessively liberal arts-focused education, as well as one of … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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Skulls in the Stars 