Eric Schulman
Encyclopedia
Eric Schulman is an American
astronomer
and science
humorist. Schulman received his bachelor's degree
from UCLA and his PhD
from the University of Michigan
. He is the author
of A Briefer History of Time
: From the Big Bang to the Big Mac (1999) and has been a member of the editorial board
of the Annals of Improbable Research
since 1998. He sometimes uses the pen name
E. Robert Schulman when writing science humor
articles. Schulman was the first "Armchair Astrophysics" columnist for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
's Mercury
Magazine (he was succeeded by Christopher Wanjek
in 2001).
Schulman is married to Caroline Virginia Cox (an astronomer in her own right) and they are the parents of one daughter, Emily. Both Caroline and Emily have been featured in Schulman's writings; for example, Schulman writes a detailed scientific paper on how to write a science fair
project, which is a humorous and exaggerated rewrite of Emily's own writeup of her project. In another case, the three are featured in Schulman's writeup of Emily (11 months at the time) attempting to stack rings on a ring tower.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
humorist. Schulman received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from UCLA and his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He is the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of A Briefer History of Time
A Briefer History of Time (Schulman book)
A Briefer History of Time is a science humor book by the American astronomer Eric Schulman. In this book, Schulman presents humorous summaries of what he claims are the fifty-three most important events since the beginning of time....
: From the Big Bang to the Big Mac (1999) and has been a member of the editorial board
Editorial board
The editorial board is a group of people, usually at a publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take.- Board makeup :...
of the Annals of Improbable Research
Annals of Improbable Research
The Annals of Improbable Research is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to scientific humor, in the form of a satirical take on the standard academic journal...
since 1998. He sometimes uses the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
E. Robert Schulman when writing science humor
Parody science
Parody science, sometimes called spoof science, is the act of mocking science in a satirical way. Science can be parodied for a purpose, ranging from social commentary and making political points, to humor for its own sake....
articles. Schulman was the first "Armchair Astrophysics" columnist for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
's Mercury
Mercury (magazine)
Mercury is a science magazine that features articles and columns about astronomy for a general audience. It is the bi-monthly magazine of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and was first published in 1972....
Magazine (he was succeeded by Christopher Wanjek
Christopher Wanjek
Christopher Wanjek is a health and science journalist and author based in the United States. He received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Temple University and his master's degree from the Harvard School of Public Health....
in 2001).
Schulman is married to Caroline Virginia Cox (an astronomer in her own right) and they are the parents of one daughter, Emily. Both Caroline and Emily have been featured in Schulman's writings; for example, Schulman writes a detailed scientific paper on how to write a science fair
Science fair
A science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in grade schools and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities...
project, which is a humorous and exaggerated rewrite of Emily's own writeup of her project. In another case, the three are featured in Schulman's writeup of Emily (11 months at the time) attempting to stack rings on a ring tower.