The annual holiday season brings many recurring events – reflections on the year gone by, get-togethers with family and friends, and the inevitable gaining of a few extra pounds. It’s a busy time of year, but science and sushi continues unabated. In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap:
Hot White Snow featured two articles. Dreaming of Sushi reflects on a documentary about Jiro Ono, an octogenarian sushi master, whose exclusive restaurant in the Ginza is tops on my list next time I’m in Tokyo. That We Here Highly Resolve, inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous words in the Gettysburg Address, takes a look back at New Year’s resolutions…and a look forward to future plans.
Lincoln’s Christmas gift – and the role of Santa Claus in Civil War propaganda – get some attention on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies online newsletter and here in Science Traveler. The gift – a coastal city in the South. The propaganda – Thomas Nast introduces the version of the jolly old elf that we’ve come to know so well today.
Abraham Lincoln also played an important role in another icon of American history – the establishment of Yosemite National Park. Set aside by Lincoln in 1864, the Yosemite Grant provided federal protection for Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove. Initially run by the new state of California, Yosemite later became a National Park through the efforts of John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson.
You might recognize that last name. This is the same Robert Underwood Johnson who, as editor of Century Magazine, published the first serialization of Lincoln’s life by John Nicolay and John Hay. Johnson would also become close friends with a certain Nikola Tesla (as would Muir).
Which gets us to Tesla in 2014 and Beyond. Nikola Tesla had a great year, including major progress on the rejuvenation of Wardenclyffe into a science center and museum. Science Traveler will be right there under your feet as you stroll the grounds after renovations are completed. Yes, I bought a brick for Nik. And you can too. You can also join Tesla fans and researchers at the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference coming up on January 11th in the New Yorker Hotel.
Climate Change got its own 2014 Year in Review on The Dake Page. It was a busy year indeed for the climate, with several major reports updated, some tentative but forward-looking gains made, and a historic agreement between China and the U.S., the two biggest carbon emitters across the globe. Ah, but major roadblocks still exist, not the least of which is how the media actually helps keep climate denial alive.
Finally, in a bit of sad news, I found out last night that one of my science teachers from high school passed away on Christmas day. Only last year did I reconnect with Rick Rafuse after many decades (along with other high school friends). His sudden passing is a shock. My condolences to his family and friends.
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Nikola Tesla had another big year in 2014, and 2015 looks to continue that trend. To begin with, I bought a brick. Not just any brick, a Brick for Nik.
As part of its amazing rise from the ashes, Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory has been busy raising funds to renovate the facility into a world-class science center and museum. Even Tesla Motors’ indefatigable CEO, Elon Musk, has committed at least $1 million to the effort. I can’t offer that much, but I have contributed a modest amount to the project, including my very own brick on the property.
But 2014 was a big year for another reason – the second printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity hit Barnes and Noble stores in late July and sales were even better than last year. So good, in fact, that the publisher has a third printing scheduled for February 2015, bringing the total in print to over 50,000 (with hopefully more to come). Even more exciting is that the book has a chance to become an integral part of the proposed Tesla curriculum in schools. Many fans have bought extra copies of the book so they can have their book and eat donate it to libraries and schools too. Just last week I sent two dozen copies to the Tesla Science Foundation to be given out to teachers.
July 2014 also saw the release of my new e-book on Amazon. Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time takes a closer look at Tesla’s support for “harnessing the power of nature” – wind, solar, hydroelectric, tides, thermoelectric, etc. – long before our present fascination. I also had a second article published in Tesla Magazine, this one based on the Renewable Energy book.
Signing books at the Tesla Memorial Conference
Of course, 2014 started out with the big Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel in NYC on January 11th. Not only did I meet up with all the great people bringing knowledge of Tesla to the world, but I also met Bono. Well, maybe. Either way it was a great event. Check out the 2015 conference coming in just a few weeks. Among other presentations I gave in 2014 was one close to my heart – and home. In July I gave my very first presentation in front of my parents, and did so at the famous Ipswich Museum in my hometown.
I also just missed making the cut for an on-air appearance for a TV series on the History Channel called “10 Things You Don’t Know About,” hosted by Henry Rollins. A producer for the show had called me and we discussed various story ideas. In the end I wasn’t one of the people selected for a five-minute segment, so my television/Hollywood career will have to wait until 2015. Maybe a Tesla screenplay?
And 2015 is already looking like another busy year in Science Traveling land. I’ll have more on 2015 plans in future posts. For now, Nikola Tesla and I wish everyone a very Tesla Christmas and an electrifying new year.
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Christmas is coming, which of course means the Everglades. Yes, Everglades. Final planning is underway for a trip to Florida soon after the holidays. Stops will include Miami’s South Beach, some gator watching in the Everglades, communing with the spirit of Ernest Hemingway on Key West, and a visit with the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln assassination conspirators in the Dry Tortugas. More details to follow shortly.
I also had an article published on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies page. A Christmas Gift for Abraham Lincoln takes a look at the second of two gifts given by General William Tecumseh Sherman to our 16th President in 1864. The first, in early September, was the driving force behind Lincoln’s reelection win. The second, received on Christmas day, was the driving force behind the Union’s winning of the Civil War.
Nikola Tesla has been busy too. In just a few weeks is the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference and Gala at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City. I attended the first two conferences but unfortunately will miss it this year because of, well, the Everglades. But rumor has it my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, will be making an appearance in several important ways. Sign up here to attend!
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I’m happy to have been a part of this…and even happier to announce that Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is selling so fast in Barnes and Noble stores right now that the publisher has already ordered a 3rd printing to be released in February 2015. This will bring the total print run to over 50,000 books!
As anyone who has read the book knows, it consists of very readable text and is chock full of illustrations, photographs, and vintage comic strips printed on intricately designed high quality pages. And yet the book is being made available at an affordable price in an effort to reach out to as many people as possible. That strategy means that about 25,000 books have already been put in the hands of people who may not have known about Tesla before. After 2 months on the shelves, the books are still selling at more than 1000 copies a week! And with another printing on the way, many more tens of thousands of people will enter the world of Nikola Tesla.
What can you do to help spread the word?
Develop a curriculum: Currently there is an effort to build a Tesla curriculum for schools. This is being spearheaded by Nikola Lonchar and the crew at Tesla Science Foundation and Ashley Redfearn Neswick at the Tacony School. If you have ideas then please plan to attend the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference on January 10, 2015 at the New Yorker Hotel. Check out the Tesla Science Foundation Facebook page for more information.
Signing books at the Tesla Memorial Conference
Donate to local libraries and schools: One of the most gratifying responses to Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has been the number of people who say they believe the book would be a wonderful addition to the curricula of schools ranging from middle school, high school, and even undergraduate college. Many people have told me that they are buying an extra copy of the book specifically to donate it to their local school or public library.
The need for such a book has been obvious. Traditionally the Tesla book market has been split between three categories – highly technical reprints of Tesla’s papers and patents, long scholarly studies of Tesla’s life, and books aimed at children or very young teenagers. Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is an entertaining and affordable book to stimulate interest in Tesla across the range of readership – and that means more people will want to learn about this fascinating man and his contributions.
Review the book: Share Tesla with the world. More ratings and reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and BN.com means more people will hear about Tesla. So go ahead and give ratings to my book and all the other books you’ve read on Tesla. Then share them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and whatever other social networking sites you use. Let’s get the word out!
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The Oatmeal has done it again! The popular online comic series, created by Matthew Inman, is helping to finish the job of building Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe into a world class museum and science center. His audacity managed to raise over $1.3 million in 2012 for the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe to buy the property. And now in an even more audacious move he has asked Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk to pony up the $8 million still needed to turn convert the property into a usable venue.
Wow. This is exciting news for people like Jane Alcorn at the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, Nikola Lonchar at the Tesla Science Foundation, and myriad other Tesla fans around the world that contributed to saving Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe from demise. Even the publisher of my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, is happy (especially since the second printing will be in Barnes and Noble stores in July).
Now you’ll notice that Elon Musk didn’t actually commit to funding the entire $8 million needed (though that would be nice if he did…hint, hint). Details of how this moves forward are obviously yet to be defined. But it’s an amazing first step.
So how did this come about? The Oatmeal did it. I’ve discussed previously how Matthew Inman at the Oatmeal spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign that enabled purchase of the Wardenclyffe property. I had the pleasure of meeting Inman last year at the Tesla Memorial Conference held at the New Yorker Hotel.
Inman took the next step this week in a two-part spread on The Oatmeal. Part 1 talked about “What it’s like to own a Tesla Model S.” It’s turns out it’s pretty cool (in a magical space car kind of way). Part 2 gets to the nitty gritty (which is an idiom from childhood whose actual meaning still escapes me). Part 2 is called “Man vs Motor” and talks about all the super cool stuff Elon Musk is into. Okay, the envy factor is at a high level here as you read about Musk’s various endeavors beyond Tesla Motors, like SpaceX and James Bond’s super-duper Lotus Esprit submarine car. I guess when you invent PayPal, then sell it to eBay for $1.5 billion (that’s billion with a capital “B”), you have some spare change for innovation.
The Oatmeal asked Elon Musk to fund the entire $8 million needed. Talk about audacity.
In any case, The Oatmeal two-parter went up this week, and Elon Musk quickly responded with the tweet above. Happy dances all around.
It’s not that easy, of course. Much more has to be done, including filling in whatever balance is necessary to get the museum built. But right now it looks like the dream of turning Nikola Tesla’s last laboratory into a reality is actually going to happen.
Thank you Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal), Elon Musk, and all the people who have worked so hard to bring Nikola Tesla’s legacy to the modern world. I’m happy to have played a small role in that process.
David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.
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On January 11, 2014 I attended the Second Annual Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City. Sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation, the conference celebrates the life of Nikola Tesla. While there I was interviewed on video by three different groups. Two of those interviews have been posted.
The success of the book has been incredibly gratifying. More and more people are learning about Tesla. In fact, the theme of the conference was to develop a curriculum for teaching about Nikola Tesla in schools, and my book could play an important role in that curriculum.
The second video is called The Spirit of Tesla. Filmed and produced by James Jaeger, it provides a broader look at the conference. My interview with Marijana Vujkovic is featured throughout, with my first appearance at about the 3:00 minute mark.
I was happy and proud to have the chance to participate in the Tesla Memorial Conference for the second year in a row. I’m looking forward to the next conference in Philadelphia this summer, just in time for the release of the second printing of Telsa: The Wizard of Electricity in July. My ebook about Tesla’s advocacy of renewable energy is also due out in late May, so be sure to come back to check on progress.
David J. Kent is an avid traveler and the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.
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Nikola Tesla lived in the New Yorker Hotel for the last ten years of his life, passing away in Room 3327 on January 7, 1943. Last year I joined the Tesla Science Foundation for their Tesla Memorial Conference. And this year, you can too. The conference celebrates the life of the great Serbian-American inventor. Last year the conference focused on “Why Tesla Matters.” And this year the goal is even more ambitious.
When I talk about Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity at various libraries and book clubs I usually start off by asking how many people were taught in schools about Tesla. While everyone raises their hands when I ask about being taught about Edison and Marconi, the hands for Tesla are usually sparse. One of the goals of the Tesla Science Foundation, along with the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe and other Tesla organizations, is to build a curriculum that give Tesla his proper place alongside the other great inventors. The curriculum would recognize Tesla’s often overlooked, but critical, contributions to science…and to society.
What that curriculum would look like, and how it would get out to the schools, and what level of schools it should get out to, are all to be discussed at the Tesla Memorial Conference on January 11, 2014. If you have ideas, you need to be there. I’ll be there signing copies of my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, as well as talking about my forthcoming Tesla book. How the book could fit into a curriculum has yet to be determined.
Along with myself and other Tesla authors such as Bernard Carlson and Howard Lipman (PanOrpheus) will be a full day of presentations from scientific experts developing Tesla-inspired inventions. In addition, the conference will feature Jane Alcorn (Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe), Joe Sikorski (Fragments from Olympus), James Jaeger (Poet of Electricity), and Nenad Stankovic (Tesla Magazine), all of whom will bring us up to date on their activities designed to bring Tesla to the people.
In the evening don’t miss the Spirit Awards with music by Mano Divina and others, along with a special celebrity tribute by Bajaga!
David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.
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So 2013 was an incredible year, and 2014 is already looking like it will be even more incredible. Later this month I’ll take a look back on all that has happened this past year. Meanwhile, my event schedule for 2014 is starting to take shape. Here are just a few of the events already on the calendar for the first six to eight months:
January
4th – Eric Foner dinner: The noted Abraham Lincoln historian will receive the Lincoln Award from the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. We’ll have a special dinner at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC. Foner’s many books on Abraham Lincoln include The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, which won several major awards including the Pulitzer, Lincoln, and Bancroft Prizes.
11th – Tesla Memorial Conference: For the second year in a row I will be attending the annual Nikola Tesla conference sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation and the New Yorker Hotel. More details to come but see here for recaps of the 2013 conference.
18th – Lincoln Group Book Club: Monthly meeting to discuss Herndon’s Lincoln, Ford’s Theater Educational Center.
February
2 weeks mid-month – Travel to Argentina. I’m still coordinating arrangements with a long-time Argentinian friend of mine, but it looks like a couple of weeks of hiking, fishing, kayaking, glacier hopping, etc. along the eastern ridge of the Andes in Patagonia and eventually all the way down to Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego region.
March
End of month – Have completed Lincoln book proposal in my agent’s hands (if not earlier)
7th – Brown bag lecture at the Ipswich Museum in Ipswich, MA. In addition to being the featured speaker I’ll have books available for sale and signing.
8th – 10th – Annual Tesla Days in Philadelphia. A multi-day series of events celebrating the birthday of Nikola Tesla. Check here for information on the 2013 event.
July – September
In addition to the events listed above, and with the second printing (of double the initial print run) due in Barnes and Noble stores in July, I will likely be doing a series of speaking events. Stay tuned for more information, and check back frequently to my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page for updates. Perhaps a west coast swing? Perhaps Serbia? I’m open to ideas.
David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.
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Be a part of history. Join me and the Tesla Science Foundation at a 4-day “celebration of science, ideas and progress” as part of the annual Tesla Days, July 6 – 9+, 2013, in Philadelphia. In addition to a fantastic display of inventions, presentations, and music, the Tesla Science Foundation will sponsor a Million Volt March. Billed as “a global breakthrough movement dedicated to building awareness of a new energy paradigm envisioned by the world’s greatest inventor, Nikola Tesla,” this is your chance to pledge yourself to energy independence.
As of this writing there is about one month to go before these two great events coincide – the launch of my book and the great Tesla Days events. Over the next few weeks I’ll be spotlighting both events here on these pages.
The final details are being worked out now for Tesla Days but one thing is clear – it will change the way you see energy! After the Million Volt March there will be a signing of the Declaration of Energy Independence – and with Tesla’s influence, there might even be free energy. Check here for more information on locations, events, and lodging. Note that there are still a few slots available if you can offer a talk on a Tesla-inspired film, book or visual arts project during the Monday and Tuesday of the Festival. Contact Howard Lipman at parisbks@yahoo.com to get on the agenda.
I’ll be speaking at the Festival and will post more details here when the final dates and times are announced. And after waiting for a very long nine months I’ll also have actual physical copies of my book for sale. So come on to Philadelphia, buy a book direct from me, and I’ll even sign it to you. How about that for a deal, eh?
These are exciting times for Tesla and for me. Come back here to Science Traveler over and over during the next month because I’ll be posting tons of new information on the book, how you can get your own copy (hint – Barnes and Noble stores, front display), and speaking engagements where you can come to hear me speak. If you can’t wait until July (and it will be difficult to wait, I know), check out my talk at the Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel in January (skip to about the 10:50 mark to see me literally trip up the steps to the stage).
I hope to see you in Philly, and back here often during the next few weeks for important details and offers.
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NOTE: To schedule appearances, email to davidjkent DOT writer AT gmail DOT com
Upcoming appearances:
November 9, 2024 (3rd of 3 sessions): LGDC’s book study forum reads and discusses Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. Virtual. [More Info] [Read more here]
November 16-19, 2024: Attendance at Lincoln Forum, Gettysburg, PA. [More Details]
December 6, 2024: The Election of 1864: Was the Election Stolen? Presentation for the Tucson CWRT [More Details Soon]
February 11, 2025: LGDC Celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday in Washington, DC featuring Sidney Blumenthal [More Details Soon]
February 12, 2025: LGDC wreath laying ceremony, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC [More Details Soon]
March 22, 2025: Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium, Ford’s Theatre, Washington, DC [More Details Soon]
April 26, 2026: Presentation at Lincoln Mini-Forum at Hildene, Manchester, VT [Tentative]
Selected recent appearances:
October 29, 2024: The Election of 1864: Was the Election Stolen? Presentation and discussion for LGDC [Video Coming Soon Here]
October 15, 2024: “Lincoln and the Election of 1864,” presentation and led discussion for Lincoln Group of DC [Watch Video Here]
September 7, 2024: Lincoln: The Fire of Genius presentation to the Henry Clay Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). [Watch the Video]
June 6, 2024: White House Historical Association History Happy Hour on Lincoln: The Fire of Genius [Watch the Video Here]
May 21, 2024: Hosted Nancy Bradeen Spannaus “Lincoln and Jefferson and Hamilton and Defeating Slavery,” Lincoln Group of DC, Zoom Only [Watch the Video]
May 15, 2024: “Lincoln’s Influence on Science & Technology in the Civil War” presentation, York (PA) Civil War Round Table [Watch the Video]
April 16, 2024: Hosted Christopher Oakley for the Lincoln Group of DC monthly meeting. Virtual. [Video Here]
March 14, 2024: Moderator of White House Historical Association History Happy Hour Featuring Carl Adams [Watch the Video Here]
February 21, 2024: Co-hosted Harold Holzer for the joint LGDC/CWRTDC Lincoln Birthday Banquet, Fort Myer [C-SPAN Video Here]
February 12, 2024: Presentation of the Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial, Lincoln Birthday wreath laying.
January 16, 2024: Hosting Andrew Lang for the Lincoln Group of DC monthly meeting. Virtual. [Watch Video]
December 5, 2023: Hosted and moderated the LGDC luncheon featuring Terry Alford
November 16-19, 2023: The Lincoln Forum conference, Gettysburg, PA
October 17, 2023: Moderated the LGDC program parsing the Gettysburg Address [Watch Video]
April 15, 2023: Keynote presentation at the annual banquet of the Lincoln Society of Peekskill, Peekskill, NY [Details here]
March 25, 2023: Presentation at the ALI Symposium, Ford’s Theatre, Washington, DC. [Watch the Video]
February 22, 2023: Attendance at A Walk to Respect, a conversation between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
February 12, 2023: Lincoln’s Birthday Wreath Laying, Lincoln Memorial
February 11, 2023: Keynote speaker, Lincoln’s Birthday Banquet, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), Alexandria, VA
February 8, 2023: Joint LGDC/CWRTDC dinner lecture by Jon Meacham, Washington, DC [Recording Coming Soon]
February 3, 2023: Virtual talk on Lincoln: The Fire of Genius for students, faculty, staff, community of Lone Star College-Kingwood [Watch here]
January 13, 2023: My Interview for a nationally syndicated radio program called Our American Stories premiers. [Listen to the Podcast] [Read a transcript]
January 12, 2023: Interview with President Lincoln’s Cottage as part of their Scholar Sessions, Virtual [Watch the Video Here]
January 11, 2023: Looking for Lincoln Conversations, “How Lincoln Institutionalized Science and Technology in the Federal Government,” Virtual, 7 pm CT (8 pm ET) [[Watch the Video Here]
November 17, 2022: Accepted the Wendy Allen Award for the Lincoln Group of DC at the Lincoln Forum [Read about it here]
November 16-19, 2022: Presentation, Breakout session, Book signing, Lincoln Forum, Gettysburg, PA [See the schedule]
October 26, 2022: “The Art and Science of Abraham Lincoln,” Arts Club of Washington, Washington, DC
October 13, 2022: “Lincoln, Science, Technology, and the Civil War,” Civil War Round Table of DC, Fort Myer, Arlington, VA [Audio available soon here and Video Here]
September 17, 2022: “Lincoln, Mathew Brady, and Photographic Technology,” Dedication event at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC
September 16, 2022: “Lincoln, Science, and Technology in the Civil War,” lecture at the Cosmos Club, Washington, DC
September 13, 2022: The Fire of Genius Book Launch Party with the Lincoln Group of DC, Maggiano’s Restaurant, Washington, DC [SEE ON C-SPAN2 AT 9:30 AM, NOV. 19TH, THEN ON VIDEO THEREAFTER]
September 3, 2022: The Fire of Genius lecture for the Rock Creek Civil War Round Table, Washington, DC (Online)
September 1, 2022: Release Day Interview by Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop on A House Divided broadcast! [Check out the video]
August 19, 2022: Interview with Andy Lucien of the Civil War Center Podcast [Listen to the Podcast here]
May 22, 2022: Lincoln Memorial Centennial on the Memorial steps. [David J. Kent, Organizer and Master of Ceremonies] [Watch the Video on C-SPAN]
January 18, 2022: “Archer Alexander: The Monument’s Unknown Hero” by Dorris Keeven-Franke [Introduction] [See the replay here] Access Passcode: D&3+wx8e
May 18, 2021: Became President of the Lincoln Group of DC
April 13, 2021: Panel member on “The Case for Honoring Lincoln” for the Illinois State Society. [Zoom] Watch the recorded event here.
January 15, 2021: Chaired a panel on “Teaching Lincoln.” Other panelists were from the Library of Congress, Lincoln Cottage, and Ford’s Theatre. Cosmos Club Civil War Round Table, Washington, D.C. [Zoom]
September 18, 2020: Invited to “Dialogue on Civil War Statues” with journalist Barry Wood, Moderated by Rod Ross. Cosmos Club, Washington DC. [Zoom]
September 5, 2020: Invited speaker at Rock Creek Civil War Round Table. “Abraham Lincoln’s Long Road to Emancipation.” [MS Team]
June 26, 2020: “What Would Lincoln Do.” Interview and 1.5-hour conversation with filmmaker Annabel Park on The Talk on Main St. [Watch it here]
June 4, 2020: “Lincoln and Viruses: The Past and Present Collide.” Invited speaker at the Library Company of Philadelphia, June 4, 2020. [Watch it here]
April 5, 2020: Featured hour interview on The Railsplitter: The Abraham Lincoln Podcast, Episode #122. Interview of me on my blog post “That Time Lincoln Got a Virus and Almost Died,” published on my website 3/25/20. Interview took place on April 3, 2020 with all three hosts. Went live on the podcast website on 4/5/20. [Podcasts archived at https://therailsplitter.podbean.com/]
[Note the photos and info below are being retired. See above for current appearance schedule. Watch for updates and new photos. Media information also on the way.]
Check out these photos sent to me by fans (if you send me yours, I’ll post it here too!). There are also photos of historic meetings:
Meeting HRH Prince Alexander of Serbia
And HRH Princess Katherine of Serbia
Plus, Dr. Branimir Jovanovic, Tesla Museum, Belgrade
Posted by Bridget R. Gaudette on “March for Science” Facebook page, 2/9/17
Two books in one – from Josh Amaya 10-10-16 FB
Melissa Nolledo, Photographer Extraordinaire
Nikola Lonchar, President, Tesla Science Foundation
Ljubo Vujovic, President, Tesla Memorial Society of New York
Dr. Pablo Vigliano, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-Bariloche
Kids like it too…
Kyle Driebeek donating a book to his school library
Some day I’ll be as tall as Tesla
Being interviewed…
…by Tesla Magazine…
…and Tesla TV
More testimonials and cool stuff!
“Beautiful book, great storytelling.” – Lisa Gensheimer, Goodreads (5 stars)
Exton, PA
New Yorker Hotel, NYC
“I got my book, not what I expected, can’t believe the graphics and print, read most every book there is on Tesla, you gave it Life!!”
– Jim Nelson, Facebook, 7/18/13
“Clear, accessible writing and beautiful photographs and ephemera make this book a fun and easy read.”
– Alyb, Goodreads
“I have never read such a beautiful book! Loved it!”
– Cindi Taylor Nelson, Facebook
“There are several biographies about Nicola Tesla however this one by David Kent is more informative, easy to understand, fun! and just a damn good book. I read the entire book in a 24 hour period, I could not put it down and that does not happen very often. If you want to understand why you enjoy all the comforts of electricity than get a copy of this book you will not be disappointed. Kent is just one of those people who knows how to tell a story.” – Alexander Stevens, Facebook
In addition, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has received high praise from:
– Nikola Lonchar (President, Tesla Science Foundation)
– Jane Alcorn (President, Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe)
– William Terbo (Grand-nephew and closest living relative of Nikola Tesla)
– Nenad Stankovic (Publisher of Tesla Magazine)
and many more!
Meeting the cast of the off-Broadway play, TESLA (written by Sheri Graubert; directed by Sanja Bestic; starring James Lee Taylor, Jack Dimich, and a wonderful cast)
Hot White Snow featured two articles. Dreaming of Sushi reflects on a documentary about Jiro Ono, an octogenarian sushi master, whose exclusive restaurant in the Ginza is tops on my list next time I’m in Tokyo. That We Here Highly Resolve, inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous words in the Gettysburg Address, takes a look back at New Year’s resolutions…and a look forward to future plans.
Lincoln’s Christmas gift – and the role of Santa Claus in Civil War propaganda – get some attention on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies online newsletter and here in Science Traveler. The gift – a coastal city in the South. The propaganda – Thomas Nast introduces the version of the jolly old elf that we’ve come to know so well today.
Which gets us to Tesla in 2014 and Beyond. Nikola Tesla had a great year, including major progress on the rejuvenation of Wardenclyffe into a science center and museum. Science Traveler will be right there under your feet as you stroll the grounds after renovations are completed. Yes, I bought a brick for Nik. And you can too. You can also join Tesla fans and researchers at the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference coming up on January 11th in the New Yorker Hotel.
Climate Change got its own 2014 Year in Review on The Dake Page. It was a busy year indeed for the climate, with several major reports updated, some tentative but forward-looking gains made, and a historic agreement between China and the U.S., the two biggest carbon emitters across the globe. Ah, but major roadblocks still exist, not the least of which is how the media actually helps keep climate denial alive.
Meanwhile, the writing biz continues to be busy. Two posts here on Science Traveler looked at 
A daily writing prompt inspired a slightly off-the-path look a twinkling light. Can you follow the transition (and wordplay) in 
I also had an article published on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies page. 
Nikola Tesla has been busy too. In just a few weeks is the 
The Oatmeal has done it again! The popular online comic series, created by Matthew Inman, is helping to finish the job of building Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe into a world class museum and science center. His audacity managed to raise over $1.3 million in 2012 for the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe to buy the property. And now in an even more audacious move he has asked Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk to pony up the $8 million still needed to turn convert the property into a usable venue.
On January 11, 2014 I attended the Second Annual Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City. Sponsored by the 
? – What is this…nothing on my calendar yet for June? I’ll need to do something about that soon.
Be a part of history. Join me and the Tesla Science Foundation at a 4-day “celebration of science, ideas and progress” as part of the annual Tesla Days, July 6 – 9+, 2013, in Philadelphia. In addition to a fantastic display of inventions, presentations, and music, the 
