The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Here’s a preview.
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Month: May 2012
Thoughts on Nikola Tesla from Google’s Larry Page
Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page calls Nikola Tesla his hero, but says it is better to be like Edison than Tesla. Page read Tesla’s autobiography “My Inventions” when he was 12 years old and was fascinated by his amazing inventions. Tesla’s problem, however, was that he didn’t know how to make money off of those inventions. In fact, Edison and Marconi got credit for a lot of things that were actually thought up by Tesla. In a 2008 interview with Fortune magazine Page said:
You also need some leadership skills. You don’t want to be Tesla. He was one of the greatest inventors, but it’s a sad, sad story. He couldn’t commercialize anything, he could barely fund his own research. You’d want to be more like Edison. If you invent something, that doesn’t necessarily help anybody. You’ve got to actually get it into the world; you’ve got to produce, make money doing it so you can fund it.
So Page says that Google is, in essence, a response to that failure. Innovate, but also sell it to the public so you can afford to innovate some more. With this in mind Google has brought us a wide variety of inventions beyond its initial search engine – Android, the Chrome browser, Google Earth, Gmail – just to name a few. Not everything Google invented became a hit of course, but enough of them did to keep the innovation rolling.
Page describes the influence Tesla had on his desire to become an inventor.
That desire to combine the inventiveness of Tesla with the commercial marketing savvy of Edison has grown beyond Google into other investments. Both Larry Page and co-founder Sergey Brin have invested in something else that pays homage to Nikola Tesla – Tesla Motors. Exploiting several unique innovations in harnessing the power of electricity, the Tesla Roadster can go from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds while also achieving 100 miles per gallon. Now that is a high-performance sports car.
All you need is $100,000 to start (not counting options), or a friend named Larry Page.
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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David J. Kent, Writer is now “The Traveling Scientist”
I have a new name! Well, technically my name hasn’t changed, but this web site now has an actual title instead of just my name:
The Traveling Scientist
It captures at least two of my primary passions – science and travel. I’ve been a working scientist for about 30 years and have now traveled to almost 30 countries (with hopefully at least 30 more to go). Of course, there is also my passion for Abraham Lincoln, so if you want to really stretch the metaphor you can say that I’ve traveled a long way in gaining knowledge about Lincoln. Or even that if you travel a long way from Lincoln’s place of birth in Kentucky to England you would find Charles Darwin being born on the very same day – February 12, 1809. And Charles Darwin is certainly someone who traveled as a scientist.
Okay, I said it was a stretch. [Spoiler alert – check back later for a WIP on Lincoln and science that is not so much of a stretch]
Now back to the new title. Those who frequent this site know that I write about a few sometimes overlapping topics – science (currently Nikola Tesla), travel, and Abraham Lincoln. As it continues to develop I’ll be setting up a schedule of when I’ll post on each topic so those with specific interests in one area more than another will know when to check back.
Better yet, subscribe to the site on the top right of the home page and you’ll get a gentle reminder when new content has been added.
Oh, one more thing. I’ve changed my Twitter account to reflect the new name. Now it reads as “Traveling Scientist” – Scientist by day, writer by night, Abraham Lincoln aficionado always.
I hope you like the new name, and the new look that will be coming soon. Feel free to leave me a comment with likes/dislikes, ideas for topics to discuss, and just general thoughts.
Back soon.
Collecting Abraham Lincoln Books – A Never Ending Joy
Over the years I’ve collected hundreds of books about Abraham Lincoln, though with thousands of books written about him I have a long way to go before I run out of options. Having the money to collect more and the shelf space to store more, well, those are different questions altogether. As of this writing (5/25/12) I have 644 titles in my collection. However, a title could be multiple volumes. For example, my 10-volume set of Nicolay and Hay’s “Abraham Lincoln: A History” published in 1890 counts only as one “title.”
Some quick numbers:
111 = Number of books signed by the author (many directly to me)
273 = Number of confirmed first editions
80 = Number of first editions that are signed by the author
62 = Number of books that have pre-1900 copyright dates
1834 = Oldest copyright date in my collection
Of course, others have a bigger collection than I do. Recently the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership unveiled its 34-foot tower of Lincoln books. While the tower repeats 205 actual titles, it holds about 6,800 books – a fraction of the estimated 15,000 books written about Lincoln.
Clearly I need to step up the pace of my book collecting.
Check out my Abraham Lincoln page.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the feed on the top right of the home page.
I Walked 77 Miles Through Italy – For This?
I recently returned from a well-deserved (at least in my mind) trip to Italy, during which my total walking mileage was about 77 miles. In 9 days. The trip started in Rome, passed through Pisa, flourished in Florence, broke in Bologna, and mingled in Milan before coming to a close in Geneva. And in those places there was the Sistine Chapel, the leaning tower, the naked David statue (another David, no relation), the two towers (no, not the Tolkien ones), the Last Supper, and a mostly not spurting jet d’eau. Oh, and then there was the guy who picked my pocket.
But I’m not going to talk about those now. I’m going to talk about the weirdos.
There are weirdos in Italy. Did you know that? To be honest I really shouldn’t be shocked given that I’ve seen this sort of thing everywhere I’ve gone in Europe (not so much in Asia for some reason). Mostly they are the street performers, if you can call sitting or standing with no movement performing.
First there was the guy sitting on the corner of piazza that keeps Trevi Fountain from running down the street. I think he went by the name of Ronnie Raygun.
Nearby was a slightly lost Praetorian Guard. I believe, but cannot confirm, that he was checking the GPS app on his iPhone to locate the colosseum (two miles east).
Not to be outdone was this finely dressed gentleman. Something strange about him – Not quite sure I can see what it is though. I think he’s hiding something.
This guy isn’t really a weirdo. In fact, he played the most extraordinary guitar. On a most extraordinary guitar. Very talented and a real treat to hear.
Now this guy – he was weird. But environmentally friendly!
Even the horses got into the act. Now I know what they mean by that old expression – “tying on a feedbag.”
Too bad we can’t teach the folks here in DC how to wear a costume and stand still for hours. They would make a lot more money begging that way.
So this was my weirdo, er, street performer post for Italy. I assure you that there were a lot of incredible sites along the way and I’ll definitely come back to share them with you all soon. Here’s some art to whet your appetite. Anyone know who this is (who they are)?
Nikola Tesla and the Ugly Aunts
As my book on Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity continues to grow in volume and excitement I’ve had a chance to explore Tesla’s early life and family. He adored his mother’s intellectual abilities, at one point declaring that she was “an inventor of the first order.” And as might be expected from the son of a clergyman, his feelings for his father were a mixture of admiration, awe, and fear. But overall, Tesla had an immense respect and esteem for his family.
Tesla’s memories of other relatives are not so admiring. In fact, he tells a story of his two aunts that is downright irreverent. These two aunts were, well, not exactly the local beauty queens. They were old, at least in young Nikola’s eyes, and quite wrinkled in their faces. One of them had “two teeth protruding like the tusks of an elephant.” That vision must have been ghastly enough, but she had a habit of burying these tusks in Tesla’s cheek every time she kissed him. Which in traditional Serbian culture is a lot. Certainly too often for Nikola’s liking. Being quite affectionate and adoring of their young nephew the aunts kissed and hugged to their heart’s content. To Tesla this was a fate worse than death. “Nothing could scare me more,” Tesla later said, “than the prospect of being hugged by these as affectionate as unattractive relatives.”
One day an occasion arrived that likely brought Tesla’s family more than a modicum of embarrassment. Tesla’s mother Duka was carrying Tesla in her arms, and perhaps not anticipating the lack of political correctness of the young lad, unfortunately decided to ask Tesla which of the two aunts he thought was prettier. Already the diligent observer that would later became the famous inventor, Tesla studied the faces of the two aunts intently. After careful thought he pointed to one of them and proudly declared, “This here is not as ugly as the other.”
While we don’t know their reactions, we can assume young Nikola was not so warmly hugged after that.
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!
Cinco de Mayo – What to do in Cancun and Chichen Itza
Hola! Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Wondering what to do on Mexico’s traditional day of celebration? Well, head on down to Cancun on the Yucatán peninsula. And don’t forget to take a day trip to Chichen Itza. Just make sure you do it before the end of 2012 (it’s Mayan, you know).
5 Things to do in Cancun
1. Relax at an all-inclusive resort hotel on the beach. Once you arrive everything is already included – all meals, all drinks, all goofy pool games, and all 15 or so miles of the beach along the hotel zone.
2. Be Active at the various hotels, marinas, and yes, even a sinkhole. Take a smiling parasail ride, or if you’re really daring, dive into one of the many Yucatan sinkholes.
3. Shop in Cancun, or work your way down to the Mayan Riviera. Or head inland to check out the Mayan artwork.
4. Visit Chichen Itza. If Cancun is like being in Miami (English and dollars are more prevalent than Spanish and pesos), then Chichen Itza is like going back in time. This center of Mayan civilization is a marvel to see.
5. Watch the sunrise. Come on, it’s the beach. Of course you’re going to watch the sunrise.
I’ll have much more on Cancun and Chichen Itza in the future (this was just to whet your appetite). I’ll have some videos and many more photos and ideas for what to do. But before then, let’s take a quick look at…
What not to do in Cancun
Note the cell phone, an iPad, and even a laptop at his feet. Okay, Mr. Workaholic. Step away from the electronic devices and put on some sun block.
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.
Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!
