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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: … the Hell?
A very silly David Brooks meme…
The other day, a photograph appeared on the internet(s) of conservative pundit David Brooks striking a ridiculously enthusiastic pose. The picture in question: Joshua Green, senior editor at The Atlantic, thought this picture was meme-worthy, and solicited creative uses of Brooks’ … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Silliness
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The Saga of the Scientific Swindler! (1884-1891)
When reading of the achievements of a giant of scientific thought such as Einstein, Feynman or Darwin, it is far too easy to envision the person, and scientists in general, as some sort of being above the worries of daily … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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“Why is water considered ghost-proof?” (1884)
Did the title of this post catch your attention? It caught mine immediately when I came across the identically titled “letter to the editor” in an 1884 issue of Science. As regular readers know, I occasionally like to browse the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
13 Comments
With Open Lab, today was a book trifecta!
I will quickly wear out my welcome with all my self-patting-on-the-back, but I can’t help point out that today was in essence a book trifecta for me! I already mentioned receiving the first copy of my book in my previous … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Personal
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On scientists, cheerleaders, and rockstars
There’s been a lot of talk on scienceblogs over the past few weeks about the usefulness of a pair of science outreach programs: namely, “science cheerleaders” and “rockstars of science”. The original “science cheerleader is Darlene Cavalier, who was inspired … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, General science
24 Comments
Scicurious reports on an overdramatic rattlesnake bite! (1747)
While researching my Franklin posts, I happened upon a very entertaining paper from 1747, in which a man describes in excessively melodramatic detail the effects of a rattlesnake bite upon himself. In the spirit of interblog cooperation, I passed the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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Benjamin Franklin’s electrical feast! (1748)
While researching my recent post on Benjamin Franklin’s electrical kite I read through much of Franklin’s scientific correspondence, and found quite a few gems! Though there is much of substance yet to be discussed in Franklin’s scientific experiments, I can’t … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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The Kathleen Folden memorial blog post
There’s been a bit of commotion going on in the town of Loveland, Colorado lately: an art exhibition at the Loveland Museum/Gallery included a controversial art piece titled, “The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals,” by artist and Stanford Professor Enrique … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Religion
22 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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Physical Review Letters gives a WARNING!!! (1958)
Though scientific knowledge has increased by leaps and bounds throughout the course of human history, human nature itself hasn’t changed very much! Looking through the old scientific journals, one can find arguments and conflicts that are still in some form … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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