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A Civil War Christmas

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The American Civil War was a time of great strife in the nation. Over 620,000 men died on both sides of the conflict. In keeping with the somber spirit of the times, President Abraham Lincoln sent no Christmas cards and set up no Christmas tree. Of course, Christmas itself didn’t become a national holiday until President Ulysses S. Grant signed a congressional bill into law in 1870.

That’s not to say that Christmas wasn’t important. In fact, Christmas was getting a lot of press in the 1850s and 60s, which is one of the reasons why Grant did what he did. The brutality of the Civil War also played a role in the resurgence of Christmas in American life. Ironically, it was the non-religious aspects of Christmas that saw the biggest growth during this period. Not the least of which was the popularization of Santa Claus.

While Santa may have had some origins in St. Nicholas and other regional folklore, he evolved into the jolly old elf we know today thanks in large part to Thomas Nast, a prolific illustrator and cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly magazine. It was Nast who first introduced Santa Claus (aka, Father Christmas) – as a recruiting tool for the Union army! One iconic image from the January 3, 1863 issue of Harper’s, has Santa “on a sleigh handing out packages to Union soldiers in Civil War camp.”

Thomas Nast 1863 Christmas

Another showed a Union soldier home on furlough for the holidays (Santa lurks in the left hand panel).

Thomas Nast Christmas 1863

So Santa became propaganda, rallying behind the Union war effort. The South used this to their advantage as well, telling children that those evil Yankees might block Santa’s route from the North Pole down to Confederate territory. This, of course, was long before Coca-Cola turned Santa into a soft drink marketing campaign and Hallmark made a fortune selling Christmas cards.

There was one rather important Christmas celebration for Abraham Lincoln. General William Tecumseh Sherman, who had been decimating a path toward the sea throughout the fall of 1864, wired Lincoln in the White House on December 22nd. The wire said:

“I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah.”

He also had captured “150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition,” along with “about 25,000 bales of cotton.” An ecstatic Lincoln replied with “many, many, thanks for your Christmas gift.” As devastating was Sherman’s destruction during his march, it helped bring the war to an end a few months later.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me and Science Traveler. Watch for much, much more in the new year.

David J. Kent is 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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[Note: This is a slightly modified version of an article first posted in 2013]

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Science Traveling Yosemite National Park

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Yosemite National Park is arguably one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It certainly was inspiring enough to Galen Clark, John Conness, John Muir, and Abraham Lincoln – yes, Abraham Lincoln – for it to become our first federally protected land (later a national park). And having seen it close up, from the valley to the cliffs, I can see why they were so inspired.

El Capitan Yosemite National Park

El Capitan – Yosemite National Park

 

Studying the science of Yosemite is awe-inspiring in itself. A series of glaciers slithered down an ancient river valley to cut the canyon. Thirty thousand years ago the valley was filled with seemingly living ice, carrying sixteen types of granite rock as it slowly inched its way downward. About 10,000 years ago, after the glaciers melted, you would have found that a moraine had dammed the Merced River near Bridal Veil Falls and created a shallow lake. Eventually that lake filled with sediment to leave the flat valley floor of present day Yosemite.

Yosemite Falls (dry)

Yosemite Falls in drier times

El Capitan, the massive granite outcropping that epitomizes Yosemite, boasts the world famous Yosemite Falls. Except when it doesn’t. The thundering falls are actually quite ethereal, violently cascading over the cliff face in the spring as the winter snows melt, then dwindling down to nothing by late summer. As the photo above shows, the thin snow melt season, combined with California’s multi-year drought, has left its mark on the cliff walls where the falls once roared.

Half Dome from Glacier Point

Half Dome from Glacier Point

The other iconic feature of Yosemite is Half Dome. Never a complete dome, it nevertheless has been shaped by millennia of glacial action, erosion, rock falls, and earthquakes to reach the smoothed and cut shape it has today. Just one of many domes in Yosemite, which hosts more domes than anywhere else on Earth, Half Dome is the result of a geologic process called “exfoliation,” where huge slabs of curved rock split off and fall to the valley below.

Mariposa Grove

Mariposa Grove

But Yosemite shouldn’t all be taken for granite; the Park also encompasses the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees. Once widespread in North America, Europe, and Asia, the Giant Sequoia now are limited to a few dozen sites on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Joined by their close cousins, the Coast Redwoods, these huge trees inspire one to gaze skyward and contemplate the majesty of the heavens.

I’ll pick up on the great trees in future posts as Science Traveling explores other National Parks…and beyond.

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and is currently working on a book about his experiences traveling in Argentina. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Happy Halloween, Remembering Vietnam, Chinese Warriors, Climate Denial, and Learning from Peasants

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It has been a very busy week, which culminates in a Friday night ghouling spectacular. Starting here on Science Traveler with the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an, China.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

Haven’t experienced the terra cotta warriors yet? Now is your chance. Part I introduces you to Xi’an in central China and the thousands of clay warriors, officers, infantry, archers, and even horses that make up one of the most amazing funerary art in the world. Part II delves deeper into the reconstruction of these life-size pieces, along with some surprises about the vibrant colors originally displayed.

VietnamMemorialwall

Meanwhile, Hot White Snow brought out memories of Arthur Hardy, a hometown boy I never met but miss deeply. Hardy was shot down in Laos during the Vietnam War, an event that is still remembered to this day by everyone in our small town. I have a rubbing from the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial (aka, “The Wall”) here in DC. A second rubbing was given by my Mom to his Mom in a very emotional meeting.

5 stages of denial

The Dake Page continues its series exposing climate denialism. Recent  posts include an examination of why climate deniers diss the IPCC, one of many scientific bodies who compile and summarize climate science, and why deniers rely on abusive language to attack scientists and anyone else who acknowledges the science.

learn-from-peasants

The Cultural Revolution sounds like a good thing, right? Not so much, Ru says, as she continues her series on a blog she aptly named Ru… on which she writes about her family history in China. Her latest post looks at how Mao Zedong forced people from cities into the countryside to “learn from the peasants.” This began a decade in which education was considered “bourgeois” and hard labor was the path to the future. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work out as planned.

The Birds

Happy Halloween! By some unnatural glitch in the time-space continuum we’ve somehow made it to the end of October, seemingly skipping over many of the months that usually occur between spring and autumn. Enjoy the foliage while you can as the ghouls and goblins roam the streets in sugar-induced frenzies.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity Nikola Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

 

 

 

 

This past week my 82- and 87-year-old parents flew down for a visit, which among other things included going up into the Washington Monument for the first time (more on that soon). Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has sold over 25,000 copies so far, with a third printing due out in February. Meanwhile, my e-book continues to sell on Amazon – look for some exciting news about Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time to be annnounced shortly.

Up next is a meeting with a famous author, a Lincoln Group symposium you don’t want to miss on the nation-saving “Election of 1864” (see Lincoln Group for more details), more travel, more Tesla, more excitement…

More Science Traveler coming soon!

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and is currently working on a book about his experiences traveling in Argentina. He is also 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 Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an – Part II

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This is Part II of experiencing the terra cotta warriors of Xi’an. You can read Part I here. Part I highlights the discovery of the warriors and gives some amazing views of the extent of the site. Part II takes a closer look at how the figures have been restored. The largest of the three pits housing these magnificant funerary art forms is mind-boggling in expanse and impressive in the sheer numbers of figures.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

Getting to this point wasn’t easy. When the corridors were unearthed, most of the figures had been smashed. The painstaking work of reconstruction begins by excavating the spaces and systematically collecting the broken terra cotta shards.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

From there the pieces are brought to a laboratory area where workers combining the skills of artists, surgeons, and masons carefully rebuild each individual warrior. Supporting pieces, like legs and hands, are solid clay, while the upper bodies and heads are usually hollow for lightness.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

Almost done, some only have to wait for heads.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

At a first cursory glance of the reconstructed figures they look exquisitely plain. This is misleading. Originally, the figures were coated in wondrous color, which immediately began to fade to the gray you see now as a result of oxidation and mold when the pits were exposed to the moist air. If you look closely at some of the figures, such as this pair of horses, you can seen hints of what they may have looked like when they were created.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

Even these don’t do them justice. These fallen (or perhaps resting) warriors show the full range of color that graced the terra cotta. Among the colors are purples composed of barium copper silicate, as well as pink, red, white, and lilac.

Xi'an terra cotta warriors

But still the figures are awe-inspiring. What they have lost in color they retain in sheer numbers and the knowledge of how much effort was involved in creating the thousands of figures. One can’t help but be equally impressed by the effort being made to restore the figures and the site.

Xi’an takes some planning to get to from Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, but it’s well worth the effort. And if you haven’t already, check out Part I of the terra cotta warriors of Xi’an here.

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!


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Experiencing the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an – Part I

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If you’ve never been to Xi’an, you’re missing one of the world’s greatest wonders. This ancient megacity is one of the four great dynastic capitals of China. The two Chinese characters making up the name of Xi’an mean “Western Peace;” ironic given that it is the location of the Terra Cotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

Discovered only in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the terra cotta warriors of Xi’an have become one of the most awe-inspiring funerary art forms in the world today. Built around 210 BCE, the pottery figures were buried with the emperor to protect him in the afterlife. The scale of the burial site is impressive. As you first enter the enclosure covering Pit 1 – the largest of four that have been uncovered – it’s like walking into a football stadium.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

To date approximately 2,000 warriors and horses, along with about 20 wooden chariots, have been unearthed in a space of about 4,000 square meters. This is only a small proportion of the total area still to be uncovered, which is anticipated to include more than 6,000 warriors and horses and 50 chariots in an area of over 14,000 square meters. Even more impressive is that the figures aren’t simply copies of each other; there are warriors representing middle and high ranking officers, cavalrymen (with their steeds), archers, infantrymen, and war chariots, all ready to march into battle to protect their emperor. Two other pits contain what appear to be a military guard and a command center. A fourth pit is empty and presumably was a work in progress.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

You can’t help but stare in awe at the massive clay army lined up in 11 corridors making up the expanse of Pit 1. The more intimate views of Pits 2 and 3 are equally inspiring. But in a way, all these views are misleading. When the pits were first located the figures were largely broken into pieces, some large, some miniscule. Workers have spent myriad hours cataloging the shards and reconstructing the figures.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

I’ll explore the reconstruction in Part II of this series on the terra cotta warriors, including a revelation about what colors were discovered. Yes, I said colors. Tune in for more in Part II.

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!

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A Little Hot White Snow

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Science Traveler is my official author website and focuses primarily on my non-fiction writing – Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Science Traveling. Not long ago I started a new blog for my more creative writing endeavors – memoir, writing prompt experimentation, and even a little preview erotica. It’s called Hot White Snow.

Bryce

The blog’s title comes from the first piece I wrote for the site, a response to a writing challenge on a now largely defunk writing website. The prompt asked us to write a story using a color as a theme, especially concentrating on any emotions connected to that color. The result was a somewhat dreamy scene involving a hot tub, frolicking snowshoe rabbits, and some steamy snowmelt.

The blog header photo above was chosen for the heat evoked by the redness arching through the cool white snow.

Other posts have included vignettes derived from my travels, some creative musings, and memoir-ish meanderings from life and loves. One of my most recent involved my Great Wall of Books.

Feel free to follow me on Hot White Snow, or check in periodically for updates cross-posted here on Science Traveler.

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.

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

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Science Traveling Through Climate Change Denial

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5 stages of denialMan-made climate change has been described by scientists and policymakers as one of the greatest challenges of our time. It has also been called a hoax by fossil fuel industry lobbyists and oil-state politicians. The fact is that human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and the release of carbon into the atmosphere and oceans, is warming our planet. This has both short- and long-term ramifications for economic, political, ecological, and social structure. No amount of denial will stop that, only action to reduce carbon emissions.

The Dake Page has been reporting on science issues for many years and recently began a series exposing climate denialism. The goal is to discuss the tactics and tall tales of those who deny the science of climate change. Links to The Dake Page will be periodically posted on this Science Traveler site for those who are interested.

The first in the current series relates to an internet communication campaign by a website called Skeptical Science, and the resulting “rebuttal” by climate science deniers. Others in the series can be found at this search term: exposing climate denialism. Earlier posts on The Dake Page are also relevant to the discussion.

David J. Kent is the author of 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. His next book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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Reflections on My Anniversary (or, Why I Became a Science Traveler)

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The Traveling ScientistOne year ago today I left behind the first half of my life.  After more than 30 years as a working scientist I had decided to give up a comfortable salary for a life of (essentially) no income. I would become a poor starving writer.

It was the best decision I ever made.

I loved my previous life. Well, most of it. But the parts I didn’t like had grown in proportion to the parts that excited me. Using my skills, my knowledge, and my personal connections with colleagues and clients, I made a large amount of money – for others. Sure, my salary was nice enough, but increasingly the benefits of my labor went to others, and those others seemed decreasingly appreciative of that fact. Abraham Lincoln’s line from his Second Inaugural Address about  “wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces” kept popping into mind. Not a perfect analogy, but close enough.

I learned a lot during all those years – about science, about business, about people. I also learned that science is often trumped by business concerns and people’s perceptions. I felt there was a growing need to communicate science to the public, and that scientists weren’t always very good at meeting that need. I decided to do something about that.

Coincident with this desire was some serendipity that led to publication of my first professional book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. As the old saw grinds, “the stars aligned, angels’ voices rang down from the heavens” and all that not-so-scientifically-accurate metaphorical interlude. In real terms, stuff fell into place and it became clear this was the time to take the risk. So I did.

So where am I this one year later? I’ve traveled a bit, though not as much as I would have liked. One highlight of 2014 is an amazing trip to Argentina, with several smaller and more local trips throughout the year. I’ll squeeze in a few more jaunts before New Year’s and am busy planning for 2015 (Peru? China? Rushmore?). Science Traveling will play an increasingly important role in my future.

I’m also writing. Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity was back in Barnes and Noble stores mid-summer and was selling faster than it did last year (in fact, sales in the first 6 weeks already nearly matched all last year). To this I added a second book, an e-book exclusive to Amazon called Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. More books are in the works, including my opus on Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science. Add in some manuscript editing, magazine articles, newsletter writing, and even some grant requests (plus my blogs, which I’ll reveal more about later), and yes, I’ve been keeping incredibly busy. All in an effort to bring science to the public – to make science fun again.

Finally, as I wind down my final year of the presidential cycle for the regional SETAC Chapter, I begin my first year in a leadership role with the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. As the director of outreach and education for LGDC I’m working with an engaged group of Lincoln scholars and aficionados to celebrate the life of Abraham Lincoln and ignite a new generation of interest. His “science geekiness” bridges my lifelong interest in Lincoln with my lifelong career in science. A perfect prelude to my forthcoming book. 🙂

I can confidently acknowledge that it’s a very happy anniversary indeed. The first of many.

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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The Gravel Roads of Patagonia

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Thump.

My leg instinctively jerks away even though this is the tenth time a rock has stung the floorboards beneath my foot. The ping strikes my ears a split second after the thump has stimulated my autonomic reaction. Thump, ping, repeat.

This is Route 40, about 250 km of dirt – no, make that gravel – that Argentina considers a highway. Gravel roads are common here in the southern reaches of Argentina, which is more than can be said for road signs. Except for signs blazing the word “Desvio;” Detour. Desvio signs are ubiquitous along this side of the Patagonian Andes. Detour. The sign itself is obvious, but the road to which you’re detouring to? Well, not so much. We’re pretty much off the grid for the next several days, with hundreds of kilometers between towns, no phone service, no internet, and as I’ve been finding out, often no road.

Gravel roads in Patagonia

This is one of the better roads

I’m traveling with my long-time friend and Argentine host, Pablo. Even he has been having difficulty following the road. Desvio signs pop up as routinely as the gravel thumps against the bottom of the car. Several times we had to stop to ask for help locating the road, something that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was traveling alone. If you don’t speak the language, it’s definitely a plus to be traveling with a native. We actually had to stop to ask the only person we had seen for many miles – the driver of a road grader leveling the mountain of rocks into a semblance of a highway.

Compounding the difficulty was that the gravel roads aren’t captured well on maps. You’ll be driving along a beautifully paved road and suddenly, with no other visible options, another sign pops up – Fin de Pavimento (End of Pavement). I should mention that we’re talking about roads that go on for tens or hundreds of kilometers with no outlets. You’re on this road going one direction, or you’re on it going the other direction. Even then, sometimes you can’t tell which direction you’re going.

Occasionally you’ll suddenly see an opening and get to pop back up onto a partially paved section in the middle of nowhere, but usually that pleasure is short-lived and you’re quickly back on gravel. The road surface ranges from packed dirt and pebbles (a rarity) to looser pebbles (more common) to coarse gravel (even more common) to what the official Krumbein Phi Scale of particle size officially calls cobble. Way too often the road is reminiscent of salmon spawning streams with rocks the size of bricks piled high in the middle of self-made tracks. These are the loudest, and scariest, clanks on the bottom of the car.

The car, by the way, is a Ford EcoSport SUV, so we sit high above the road surface. And still the stones thump.

My foot jerks away again. It actually feels like the rock is a direct strike to the bottom of my shoe.

Gravel roads are common in Pablo’s hometown of Bariloche as well, though mostly at the better end of the spectrum between “noisy but drivable” and “should be condemned as impassible.” So prevalent are gravel roads that Pablo says everyone adds one option to their new car purchase – steel plates on the underside of the car to protect the engine compartment and the gas tanks from puncture.

Thump.

But apparently not the floor boards in the back seat area. It’s a different world down here.

[For more articles on Argentina, click here and scroll down, or simply type Argentina into the search box at the top of the page]

[This is a cross-post from my Hot White Snow site while I’m out science traveling.]

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (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. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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Science Traveling – Ipswich

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It’s a busy week of writing – I’m working on articles for the Lincoln Group of DC newsletter, for Tesla Magazine, and for the Smithsonian Civil War Studies website. Amidst all of this I’m out science traveling. More on that in the future. Which gets me to a quick visit in Ipswich.

I previewed my most recent trip to my hometown in Massachusetts in this article. More articles are here (click and scroll down). The talk on Nikola Tesla I gave at the Ipswich Museum is here.

Ipswich is the “Birthplace of American Independence,” the home of the famous Ipswich clam (aka, steamers), the Clam Box, Crane Beach, and “The Castle.” It’s also home to more first period houses than any other place in the United States. In short, it’s pretty cool.

Some of the more famous houses include the Whipple House:

Whipple House, Ipswich

The John Heard House (now home to the Ipswich Museum), typical of the wealthier folks in town:

John Heard House, Ipswich

Directly across the street from the Heard House is a reconstruction of a simple timber frame structure called the Alexander Knight House, circa 1657. This was the kind of house that most families lived in during early Ipswich days (incorporated 1634):

Alexander Knight House

And then there is this yellow house. I actually don’t know much about it even though it has stood on this prominent rise overlooking the main downtown area for my entire life. I’ll  dig up more information for a later post.

Big yellow house, Ipswich

There is much more to Ipswich than these glimpses. I’ll write more later but for starters you can check out the Stories from Ipswich blog by Historian Gordon Harris.

And don’t forget – if you downloaded my e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, please leave a rating and review.

Come back on Thursday for more science traveling from Argentina. I’ll also post from the road as internet connection allows.

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.