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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
“Invisibility” on the Colin McEnroe Show!
I get to share another interview that I did about invisibility today, this time live on the Colin McEnroe Show on WNPR in Connecticut! It was a great conversation! It started with me talking about the science of invisibility, and … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Personal
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Prisoner of the Vampires of Mars, by Gustave Le Rouge
Sometimes you just have to read a book because of its title. This was certainly the case when I decided I wanted to read Prisoner of the Vampires of Mars (1908-1909), by Gustave Le Rouge! Like, the title has everything! … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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Me on the “6 Degrees of Cats” podcast!
Hey folks! I’ve appeared on yet another podcast! Fortunately, for those who are tired of me talking about invisibility, this one is about cats, and related to my previous book on Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics. I’m part of an … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Personal, Physics
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Perseus Had a Helmet, by Richard Sale
Fate has led me to another invisibility story while looking for something completely different! This gives me one more opportunity to remind people that my book on invisibility is available while I blog about this story. One of the very … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Mystery/thriller
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Quantum jumps: The Franck-Hertz experiment (1914)
The early years of quantum physics, from Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 through the introduction of the Schrödinger equation in 1926, was a remarkable time for science and filled with novel ideas, speculations, and experiments. In the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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Nonradiating orbital motions!
You know what I haven’t talked about much lately? My own research! Well, today is a great day for it, because a paper I wrote with my student Ray Abney just came out in Physical Review A, titled “Nonradiating orbital … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics, Personal
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The Handyman, by Lester Barclay
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
Let’s tackle another invisibility story! This one is a little different, in that it is a story about an imaginary invisible friend! “The Handyman,” by Lester Barclay, appeared in the October 1950 issue…
Posted in Invisibility
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The Vanishing American, by Charles Beaumont
I found another invisibility story! This allows me to keep talking about invisibility for at least one more day, with a reminder that my book on the history and science of invisibility is now available. This next invisibility story is … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction
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Priestess of the Moon, by Ray Cummings
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
More invisibility? Okay, sure, why not. I may be cursed to blog about invisibility in fiction for the rest of my life. While preparing a post about McGivern’s “The Visible Invisible Man,” I…
Posted in Invisibility
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Discussing Invisibility on Ologies!
All of you might be tired of hearing about my book at this point, but here’s another bit of fun news related to it: I joined Alie Ward on her great podcast Ologies to talk about “Invisible Photology,” aka invisibility! … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Personal
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