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Tesla and Electric Cars in Scandinavia

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More and more I see electric cars around the United States, mostly the obvious ones like the Tesla Model S and an occasional plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt, plus the obvious non-plug-in hybrids like Toyota Prius. But this pales to the number of electric cars that I saw in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. One reason – access to charging stations.

Tesla car

Elon Musk has been working hard to install charging stations throughout the major driving corridors of the US. The government has not been all that helpful in that regard; in fact, because of oil and auto manufacturer lobbying (and Congress’s inability to function), our government inaction still works against the widespread distribution of electric cars. Europe has taken the opposite approach.

Electric cars in Oslo

In Copenhagen, there were a couple of charging stations right next to the famed city hall. In Stockholm, charging stations were also present, while in Oslo they have put a huge focus on electric vehicles. The photo above shows charging stations lined up and down both sides of the street. Interestingly, this particular spot was up against the old stone fortress walls made so famous in Jo Nesbo books. It shows that the old and new are compatible.

Norway EV Sales

While it was nice to see so many Tesla Model S cars, the predominant electric vehicle (EV) was actually the Nissan Leaf. According to Clean Technica, the Leaf has grabbed a huge lead in market share in Norway. The graphic above shows that Leaf sales made up 55% of the total EV sales in January 2014, almost four times the next electric car (Volkswagen’s e-Up!) and almost five times the Tesla Model S. Fully electric vehicles (EVs) dwarfed the number of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in Norway (and in Denmark, where 100% of EVs were full plug-ins). Oddly enough, PHEVs were ahead of full EVs in Sweden, in part because of the popularity of Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV and the lack of availability of the Tesla Model S.

Besides the greater environmental awareness of Scandinavians compared to Americans, drivers in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway already have access to the type of electrical sockets needed for EVs. These countries also offer much better financial incentives to help drivers move away from fossil fuel based engines to more sustainable engine technology.  They have also done a better job at facilitating charging stations, most of which are free to the public.

As you’ll see in that last link, charging stations for EVs and PHEVs are starting to appear in more and more places in the US as well, which should mean faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in the near future. Eventually, all our vehicles may be EVs. That would go a long way to reducing our dependence on oil-based energy and our contributions to man-made climate change.

I’ll have more science traveling updates from Scandinavia, as well as from the Everglades, Yosemite, Argentina, and the other places I’ve visited since I embarked on this new career. Stay tuned (and feel free to wander around previous posts by clicking on “Travel” in the category list below).

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

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Scandinavian Surprises

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The trip to Scandinavia was, in a word, awesome (a word I rarely use, I assure you). In 10 days we visited Copenhagen, Stockholm, Olso, Bergen, and points in between. I previewed the route in a previous post and I’m working my way through the first 2800 photographs for future posts, so stay tuned for details.

Each city has its own well-known attractions (e.g., Little Mermaid, Royal Palaces, The Scream, etc.) but we ran into a few surprises as well.

spiral tower

For example, in Copenhagen there was the changing of the guard we accidentally stumbled upon, not to mention the replica of Michaelangelo’s David tucked into an out-of-the-way canal-side walkway, and the big band concert and fireworks at Tivoli. There was also the cool spiral tower above, which I’ll have more on later. Oh, and then there is the Copenhagen Marathon, which blocked our route while about 10,000 runners passed in front of us.

Kungstradgarden subway station

In Stockholm there was the unfortunate surprise that we had scheduled our whole day Monday around the mistaken belief that the museums and other attractions would be open, only to find out that most are closed on Mondays. [Tip: Check the tour books before you plan your schedule.] But that was offset by the more pleasant surprises, like the really cool artwork unique to each subway station (and the station agent at Kungstradgarden that let us go down to the platform gratis to take photos like the one above).

Air and Water Gauges

In Oslo I was pleasantly surprised to find the Ra, the papyrus reed raft Thor Heyerdahl traveled in, which was tucked into the lower level of the Kon Tiki Museum. Of course, the Kon Tiki balsa wood raft he used on his first epic voyage was there too. Meanwhile, the scientist in me liked the above stone slabs on the street that gave visual gauges of air and water quality; more on that in the future too.

In Bergen, nothing can beat the impromptu “makeover/fashion show” that emptied off the train onto the platform (complete with loud dance music, TV coverage, and a catwalk).

And then there was the free beer on the Lufthansa flight from Oslo to Frankfurt. I may have a new favorite air carrier (hint to United Airlines). 🙂

Tesla car

Given the success of my Tesla book, there was one more surprise that seemed appropriate – the prevalence of Tesla Model S and other electric cars and charging stations in all three countries.

There is tons more to talk about, which I’ll do in follow up posts complete with photos and videos as soon as I can sort through them.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Science Traveling in Scandinavia – The Route

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By the time you read this I will be science traveling in Scandinavia. The trip will take us into three countries – Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Somehow I missed these countries during my three years living and working in Brussels, Belgium, so I’m back to fill in the gaps.

Copenhagen

After a quick plane change in Amsterdam, our first stop is Copenhagen, Denmark, home of the iconic harborside houses above. Long besieged by Vikings (at least historically), and despite having huge oil and gas reserves in the North Sea, Denmark is actually leading the way with renewable energy from wind turbines.

Little Mermaid Copenhagen

A few days of exploring Copenhagen and environs and then it’s time to hop a speed train through the Swedish countryside up to Stockholm, Sweden, where we will be obligated to hike up to the Little Mermaid statue. [Note added on 6/2/15: Yes, the Mermaid is still in Copenhagen, not Stockholm. Somehow I got the landmarks jumbled when I wrote this and scheduled it for future posting and I didn’t have access to fix it from the road. Thanks, Betsy, for catching the error.] Like Denmark, Sweden’s history has had a huge historical Viking influence.

Norwegian Fjord

Another train from Stockholm takes us to Oslo, which is the beginning and the end of our Norwegian experience. We’ll spend a couple of days checking out the environs that induced “The Scream,” Edvard Munch’s iconic painting – which are actually four paintings – and we should be able to see at least three of them. We’ll also see, you guessed it, more Viking influence. From Oslo we take a winding train/train/boat/bus/train across the Norwegian interior and through the fjords before reaching the city of Bergen on the western coast. A day later we’re back on the train to Oslo to catch the flight home (via Frankfurt, Germany).

During all of this I’ll have my laptop so that I can be writing up the experiences during the long flights and train rides. As is my usual pattern, I’ll be looking for sciencey stuff along the way (how did those fjords come to be, anyway?). Internet access will be sporadic but I’ll plan to post photos here and on Facebook whenever I get a chance.

Watch this space for more on Scandinavia.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

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Scandal in Scandinavia

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Next stop on the Science Traveler tour is Scandinavia with its Mermaids, Vikings, and Erotica Museums. Okay, apparently the last one is now closed so I guess we’ll have to find something else to see in Copenhagen.

Scandinavia map

And Copenhagen is indeed the first stop. Some of the details remain to be arranged, but the plan is to fly into Copenhagen and out of Oslo, with stops in Stockholm and Bergen and day trips as we can squeeze them in. The trip is still a couple of months off so plenty of time to twiddle with the particulars. One thing for certain, we’ll be traveling within the three countries by train with a Scandinavia pass, good for all trains between the major and minor cities.

Little Mermaid Copenhagen

“Copenhagen – the little mermaid statue – 2013” by Avda-berlin – Own work

 

Copenhagen (Denmark), of course, is known for its waterfront and the Little Mermaid statue based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale. From what I’ve heard, the Little Mermaid is about as impressive as the Manneken-Pis in Brussels, which is to say, not. Luckily there are other features of Copenhagen like the Stroget pedestrian street, the “alternative lifestyle” area of Christiania, the Amalienborg Palace, Tivoli, and museums.

Stockholm

Stockholm panorama

 

 

After a day side trip to Roskilde, home of Viking ships, the plan is to train to Stockholm (Sweden) and the first of two possible aquariums for the trip. Here there are more museums, the Drottningholm Palace, Gamla Stan (the old town), canals, and various other local attractions on the fourteen islands that make up the city. So what do you think – should we book a tour of the ABBA museum or not?

Oslo Opera House

Oslo Opera House

Oslo (Norway) is the next stop, again by taking the train from Stockholm across Sweden to the Norwegian capital. Oslo gives us the usual royal palace and Viking ship museum, but also the fabulous artwork in the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the ancient Akershus Fortress. There is even a Kon Tiki Museum so I can check out the famous raft by Thor Heyerdahl I read about during my marine biology days. For the writer in me I’ll check out the haunts of Norwegian crime author Jo Nesbo.

Norwegian Fjord

The highlight of highlights on the trip is likely to be Norway in a Nutshell, which is the cute tour name for a convoluted excursion from Oslo to Bergen and back. Starting out by train, we stop halfway and change to the Flam railway that climbs into the mountains of central Norway before dropping us off at the end of the massive Sognefjord, where a ferry scoots through the narrow waterways. Eventually we board a bus to climb the steep roadway back to catch the train again, then on to Bergen on the western coast. A night in the small town and an aquarium before heading back to Oslo for the flights back home.

More still to be done before the trip, plus a few shorter jaunts before then (and another one soon after), so tons of planning to do in the next few weeks. Oh, and somewhere in there I need to write the Edison book I’ve been contracted to write.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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The Skull of Hammershus on Bornholm

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Den Forhadte Borg. The Hated Castle. Hammershus is Scandinavia’s largest medieval fortress, situated on the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. And if that isn’t ominous enough, they have an eight foot skull embedded in the floor. The skull of Hammershus.

Skull of Hammershus

Hammershus dates back to early in the 13th Century. Initially a residence of the Archbishop of Lund (then part of Denmark), the fortress for the next 500 years served as a stronghold of the island’s various rulers. Repeated wars and rotating residents led to the castle being rebuilt and expanded on several occasions. Partially demolished late in the 18th Century, Hammershus now lays in ruins but remains an important historical site.

I visited only three months after the opening of a new visitor center that provides a panoramic view of the fortress. And that’s where the skull comes in. A human skull was found on the site during an archaeological excavation in the 1940s. Using new 3D scanners, a 2.5-meter replica of that skull was created. Ten tons of robot milled Styrofoam molds formed the base of the sculpture, with acrylic gypsum laminated to its surface. Final surface details were sculpted by hand and the surface was hand-painted to resemble the original as close as possible.

The effect is spectacular. Turning the corner into the visitor center we were all suddenly taken aback by this huge skull lying in front of us. But don’t get too cozy here; head for the viewing platform to the walls and towers of the Hammershus ruins. Plan for extra time and hike up the trail and around the fortress up close. Gaze over the cliffs to the brilliant waters of the Baltic Sea.

After Hammershus we headed for the town of Allinge and a lunch of traditional smoked herring and beer, then to Osterlars for the biggest round church in Denmark. I’ll have more on these other sites on Bornholm later. For now, I’m still thinking about the Skull of Hammershus.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Roskilde…The Other Copenhagen

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Roskilde, DenmarkI’ve been to Copenhagen before (see my “Spiraling Upward in Copenhagen“), so on this short visit I decided to head out of town to Roskilde. Only thirty minutes by train, Roskilde could be considered a suburb – the other Copenhagen – but it’s like day and night in comparison.

Whereas Copenhagen is bustling (my earlier trip included getting trapped by the mass of runners in the annual 26-mile marathon), Roskilde is relaxed and touristy. And yet it has its share of excitement, hosting an annual rock festival on the outskirts of town. That’s rock as in music, not geology, by the way.

Roskilde, Denmark city hall

On this day we walked down the main pedestrian street, the kind you should expect in a town whose history goes back to the Viking era. I’m not a shopper, but if you are, you’ll find many stores of local wares and gifts. At the end of the short street is the main square featuring a small fountain and the large former city hall. On the other side of the square is the entrance to the Roskilde Palace, which was more of a weekend house for rest than a working palace.

Next to the palace is the impressive Roskilde cathedral. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque church (with its Gothic influence) was the first in all of Scandinavia built of brick. Today it attracts thousands of tourists (for a fee) and houses over three dozen royal tombs as the burial site for Danish monarchs. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are the sort of structures you expect to see in European old towns, but don’t forget to take the pleasant hike downhill through the forested park to the waterfront. Here you’ll find the Viking Ship Museum and Museum Island sitting at the head of the Roskilde Fjord. Inside the museum itself you’ll find the remains of five 11th century Viking ships that were excavated from the fjord in the late 1960s. Apparently scuttled to block the navigation channel, the five ships have been pieced together like jigsaw puzzles with many pieces missing. The island, which you must cross over to reach the museum, includes exhibitions of Viking boat building. Here you can see artisans using hand tools to transform trees into ships. It’s fascinating to watch. Several full-scale ships are on display.

Our visit to Roskilde had a modern day highlight. Directly across the road from the main train station is a small square displaying three huge jars constructed by Danish sculptor Peter Brandes, presented on the cities 1,000th anniversary in 1998. As we walked through the square to start our tour of Roskilde we noticed a crew setting up what appeared to be a huge television screen. Interesting, we thought. I wonder what that is for? On our way back to the station we found out. The square was packed with many hundreds of football (aka, soccer) fans watching the World Cup match between Denmark and France. We arrived in time to see the last two minutes of the match, which ended in a 0-0 tie, enough for both teams to progress to the next stage. [As of this writing, France is into the Finals. They play Croatia for the Cup on July 15, 2018]

Ah, but this unexpected thrill was merely a prelude; another World Cup match (Sweden and Switzerland) would take place the day we were in St. Petersburg. So we got to directly experience World Cup fever twice.

Hopping the train back to Copenhagen, the plan is to see the new Copenhagen Aquarium tomorrow before meeting the yacht that will take us to many interesting ports around the Baltic Sea. More soon.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Science Traveling the Baltic Sea

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Baltic Sea mapAh, the Baltic Sea. I’ll soon be on it. And also in Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Windstar take me there.

I’ve been to some of these places before. When I lived in Europe (Brussels, Belgium) I went to Helsinki, Finland three times for work-related meetings. Later I traveled to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen. This trip will bring me to many new places, including Russia, which seems appropriate given the current state of political affairs in the USA.

I’ll be aboard the Windstar yacht Star Breeze, a small ship with only 200 of my soon to be closest friends. I had sailed the Windstar’s Wind Surf in the Caribbean a few years ago and this ship is similar, but without the sails. Think of something a billionaire might own and that’s the Star Breeze. These small yachts are much better than the big hotel ships that hold 4000 or more people. Much more intimate.

We’ll leave from Copenhagen (see links above for some of my previous activities there), then head straight for the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. After touring the island we’ll head for Gdansk, Poland. Hopefully you’ve heard of Gdansk as it has played a critical role at least twice in European history. Gdansk was the site of the first shots fired in World War II. It was also where Lech Walesa, a shipyard electrician who later became President of Poland, started the Solidarity trade union movement that eventually led to the fall of communism in Poland. I’ll spend some time in the shipyards and the old city, and perhaps even sail on a 17th Century galleon.

Westerplatte monument

Westerplatte monument, Gdansk

But that’s only the beginning. We’ll head up to Klaipeda, Lithuania and tour the Curonian Peninsula, then hop over Latvia to Estonia where we’ll hike around the lower and upper old towns of Tallinn. And then it’s on to St. Petersburg, home of the Hermitage and the Imperial City. This will be my first foray into Russia. Following two days there it’s back to Helsinki, where my personal experience will let me guide tours around the main part of the city and then see (for the first time) the Church of the Rock. A leisurely biking tour of the Finnish island of Mariehamn will help get my land legs back before arriving in Stockholm and back to the US.

I haven’t spoken much about my travel schedule this year for a reason that will become clear later, but I’m scheduled to be seeing a good part of the world during the next 12 months. Locations already in the works are a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, another road trip through Abraham Lincoln’s Illinois, a Windstar cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore (with stops in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei), and maybe, just maybe, a visit to the seventh (or perhaps eighth, depending on how you count) continent. Then there is the month in Paris (for research, I swear) and a ton of other domestic and international travel in the plans. I’ll write more as they come to fruition, and will post tons of photos and stories as they happen.

Before then I have to step up my writing pace. Too many books in the works and too many other activities (not to mention the travel) have slowed my writing progress. But hey, as Benjamin Franklin may or may not have said: “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing about.” At least I’m doing the latter.

Off to write, perchance to dream.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

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The Year in Science Traveling – 2015

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Science TravelerSomehow I managed not to travel anywhere in February, June, and August. But for the other nine months I had at least one out-of-town trip. It was a very good year in Science Traveling. I’ve finished traveling for the year so it’s time for a quick recap.

January: Everglades, Key West, and the Dry Tortugas. Besides seeing the prison cells that held the Lincoln assassination conspirators I discovered that Ernest Hemingway was a crazy cat lady. I also discovered the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach.

March: A relatively local trip to the eastern shore of Maryland in which I unexpectedly came upon skeleton road at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. I also checked in to the marine biology lab I once worked in, plus a wine tasting in St. Michaels.

April: Another semi-local trip for the annual CPRC scientific conference, this one a full-day affair at the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, MD.

May: I started May in New England on a writer’s retreat in my old home town. I ended May in Scandinavia on a tour of Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen (with stops on the fjords). I even came across a few surprises.

July: The 4th of July brought me back to my home town for the holiday, then a road trip up to Quebec City and Montreal. On the way back the route took us on a quest for used book stores in western Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. One of the highlights was Montmorency Falls.

September: A busy fall began with a trip to New York City, where I got up close with the Statue of Liberty, saw the top of the world from the Empire State Building, the bottom of the world in the new World Trade Center Memorial and Museum, and some aircraft carriers/submarines/space shuttles.

October: Ah, Paris in the spring, er, the fall. For once the weather cooperated and the Eiffel Tower was amazing. In two short days we squeezed in a lot of venues, including Musee d’Orsay and the Pompidou Centre, then took the train through the Chunnel to London. Unfortunately I spent most of my time in the latter city hopping around on one foot.

November: The morning after returning from London I was on a plane to Salt Lake City for the annual SETAC meeting, where I picked up the award for Outstanding Regional Chapter Member. Ten days after my return I was in Gettysburg for the annual Lincoln Forum conference. And then my parents visited me for 10 days. November was a very busy month.

December: December seems low-key given that the sole trip was a long weekend to New Orleans. Okay, technically that isn’t the last trip of the year as we likely will drive up to Amish country in Pennsylvania for the Christmas weekend, but that will actually feel like a nice break from a year of science traveling.

And it was, in fact, science traveling. Every trip had some connection to a book I’m researching or a future book in the plans. It’s amazing how much science (and Lincoln and Tesla and Edison) there is when you look for it. The July 4th trip, for example, included stops in two of Thomas Edison’s most iconic laboratories, and New Orleans has a plaque at Thomas Edison Place. Lincoln was everywhere (including New Orleans).

When I wasn’t science traveling I was writing a book, two books in fact. Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World is finished and will be in Barnes and Noble bookstores in 2016. I also published an e-book available on Amazon: Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. If that wasn’t enough to keep me busy I also have read 94 books this year (with two weeks to go), chaired a scientific committee, attended various local Abraham Lincoln dinners, lectures, and symposiums, and served as a Vice President in the Lincoln Group of DC.

Next year should be even busier!

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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More Reflections on Becoming a Science Traveler

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David J. KentA year ago I wrote some “Reflections” on the first anniversary of trading in my well-paid job as a scientific consultant for a new gig as a poor starving writer. My conclusion last year was “It was the best decision I ever made.” After another twelve months as an impoverished writer my new conclusion is an even more emphatic “best decision ever.”

When I left paid employment my book Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity had been in Barnes and Noble bookstores for only a month. It’s now into its 5th printing, bringing the total to over 65,000 copies (plus multiple foreign languages). The book has been such a great success that the publisher came back to me for a follow up – Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World is now written and in the design stage with a 2016 publication date. I also published two specialty e-books on Amazon. The writing life is good.

The traveling life is not so bad either. In the last year I’ve traveled to wild Yosemite and even wilder Everglades and Dry Tortugas. I’ve experienced three Scandinavian countries and cruised through Norwegian fjords. I’ve also visited New England twice and been drenched by the waterfalls outside Quebec City. In the next few months I’ll be in Paris, London, New York City, Gettysburg, and Salt Lake City.

The latter is to pick up an award; I’m being recognized for my contributions over the last 25 years serving SETAC and my regional chapter. I’m honored to receive such a prestigious accolade.

Over the coming year I’ll be writing even more. The Abraham Lincoln book I’ve been researching for, well, it seems forever, should finally get a chance to see the inside of a bookstore. As a VP for the Lincoln Group of DC I’ll continue to expand our outreach and education activities as I immerse myself deeper in that long-time intellectual study. I even have an idea for a compendium of essays by Lincoln scholars.

But that’s just the beginning. My list of “books-to-write” has grown to over twenty, one or two of which are in genres that may be unexpected. The order isn’t necessarily settled, it will depend on finding publishers, but one thing is clear – I’m going to have to write faster to get them all done.

On to the next adventure!

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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Looking for Housing in Brussels (from Hot White Snow)

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Brussels flower carpetThud.

Yes, I actually heard a thud, just like you hear in the old movie reels. So loud it seemed to resonate in my ears, echoing off the walls of the attic room I was evaluating as a possible living space during my impending three-year secondment in Brussels.

On the floor was my guide, his hand to his forehead, his eyes glazed over in partial coherence; clearly concussed.

At my height I rarely worry about low-hanging beams, but he was near two meters easily. Clearly not paying attention he had marched confidently into the center beam of the room, solid and stalwart in its insistence of that space four inches down from the low ceiling. I had walked under it; he found it squarely.

It wasn’t a bad place, really. Tiny in retrospect, but quaint and old-fashioned in a European sort of way. A simple garret with a single window, though grand in size, overlooking one end of the converted attic. Nice enough, and I was considering it, until it took out the man who had been assigned to show me living arrangements. The decision to not take this apartment became clear just as my guide’s vision was doing the same. We would look some more.

In all we looked at a dozen apartments, some impressionably bad…others less obviously insufficient. At one point I decided on one apartment, only to find that it had been rented in the hours I had looked on indecisively. Even the final choice was indecisive. I had agreed to take an apartment in a new building half a block from the main road that led to my company’s office building. It was the only modern building we had seen, and I looked at two or three apartments there. On the second day of looking I asked to go back there and after deciding on an apartment on the fifth floor, had my guide negotiate the deal. An hour later I called him to renege, though just to take a different apartment, this one on the second floor, in the same building.

[Continue reading on Hot White Snow]

The above is a partial of a full article on Hot White Snow, my creative writing blog. Please click on the link above to read further. Thanks.

I’ll have photos and stories from my most recent science traveling trips to Scandinavia and Quebec shortly.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.