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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: Science news
ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Thermodynamic CEOs, tidal landslides, alien fossils, and anime
Thermodynamics shows US chief executives are paid nearly 130 times too much. From Jacob Aron at Just a Theory, we learn of the use of entropy calculations to demonstrate that U.S. CEOs are paid far more than they should be. … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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Oldest preserved spider web found in amber
This is one of those stories that just fills one with awe about the ancientness of life on earth. Via The Great Orange Satan, I found this article in Wired about an amazing discovery: The world’s oldest known spider web … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Science news
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John Grant’s Bogus Science
About two years ago, I had the pleasure of happening across and reading John Grant’s book Corrupted Science. Corrupted Science deals with the systematic weakening, ignoring, and suppression of scientific reality for political purposes; examples include the disastrous Lysenkoism of … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, General science, Science news
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12 days until The Giant’s Shoulders #17!
There’s 12 days left until the deadline for The Giant’s Shoulders #17! It will be held at The Primate Diaries, and entries can be submitted through blogcarnival.com or directly to the host blog, as usual!
Posted in General science, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: Replicating historical sites, dating the universe, zombies, vampires and werewolves, oh my!
Replication. teofilo at Gambler’s House talks about an interesting proposal for preserving delicate historical sites: build exact replicas of them! Replicas of smaller artifacts could also be used to resolve disputes of ownership amongst various countries. Universe lets age clue … Continue reading
Posted in General science, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: autumn leaves, relativistic rockets, galaxy-size telescopes, and human origins
Fall Colors and Autumn Leaves. Before you go out to view the fall foliage this year, take a look at this post by David Bradley at SciScoop Science Forum! Researchers are seeking an explanation as to why leaves in the … Continue reading
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ScienceOnline 2010!
As Bora has noted, registration for ScienceOnline 2010 is now open — and I’ll be there! I was worried for a bit, because interest in the conference is high, and there are limited spots available, but I managed to get … Continue reading
Posted in Personal, Science news
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ResearchBlogging editor’s selections: placebos, climate change, and charge-shift bonds
This week’s posts all got me thinking about familiar ideas in a whole new light: Deconstructing the placebo. The placebo effect is so well-known that it is almost taken for granted at times. However, it is known that placebos have … Continue reading
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Frontiers in Optics: T,W,Th
One of the things that happens to me as the years go by is that I spend less time at meetings listening to talks and more time talking to friends and colleagues and planning new research collaborations. From discussions with … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Science news
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The Giant’s Shoulders #16 is up!
The sixteenth edition of The Giant’s Shoulders is up at Quiche Moraine! A hearty thanks to Greg for assembling it! The deadline for the next edition is November 15th, and it will be held at The Primate Diaries. Entries can … Continue reading
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