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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
Phantom of the Seven Stars, by Ray Cummings
I’ve been trying to post something every day to the blog for as long as I can, and it has been quite an exhilarating ride! I’m nearing the end of that run, and what better way to celebrate it, and … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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What the heck is the “speed of light?” Part 2
In Part 1 of What the heck is the “speed of light?”, we noted how light in matter can move much slower than the vacuum speed of light c, or even appear to move much faster than c, under the … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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What the heck is the “speed of light?” Part 1
Most of us have heard a statement similar to the one that follows: “The speed of light is constant.” That particular phrasing of the statement comes from none other than the American Museum of Natural History’s Einstein exhibit, so I … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics
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Some book news!
First of all, I got news that The New York Times may be running the review of my book on Invisibility in the Sunday, June 4th issue! Previously, the review appeared online way back in mid-April. This hasn’t been officially … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Personal
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“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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Skulls in the Stars 