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Nikola Tesla and Me – On Video

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Signing books 1-11-14On 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.

My first interview was with Teslavision.tv and Tesla Magazine. We talked about Nikola Tesla and my book Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can watch the interview here (click on my name below the video to get a full screen version):


David J. Kent – Scientist, Traveler, Abraham Lincoln Aficionado

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.

More on the Tesla Memorial Conference.

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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G’day Mate…Drinking tea in Argentina

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The pronunciation of “mate,” by the way, is MAH-Tay. Mate is a tea-like infusion made from the Yerba plant (pronounced Jerba). And it was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Argentina.

David J. Kent drinking mate

While not as formalized as the Japanese tea ceremony, or as regimented as the British tea time, the drinking of mate is a cultural phenomenon in Argentina and other parts of South America. It exemplifies and strengthens the social bond between friends. Why? Because you share the same cup.

Gourd, actually. The “cup” is actually a hollowed out gourd, often decorated with leather and metal rims or other designs. Everyone also drinks through the same metal straw called a bombilla.

Mate gourds

Before we drink, let’s back up a bit. Unlike tea leaves, Yerba is an evergreen shrub, a species of holly. It has been sipped for centuries by native populations of South America. Like tea, yerba is dried and cut into small pieces. It is then steeped in hot, but not boiling, water. The temperature is important. Boiling the water brings out the bitterness of the Yerba plant, a taste that most non-Argentinians probably wouldn’t like. Hot water – about 80°C – is perfect for enhancing the flavor of mate without “burning” the leaves.

Making mate

The social context of drinking mate is also important. Sharing mate is an act of hospitality. A single person takes on the responsibilities of the cebador (or cebadora), the preparer of the mate for that session. After drinking the first gourd-full or two, the cebador refills the gourd with water and passes it to the next person, who drinks it down fully. The gourd is returned to the cebador, who refills and passes to the next in line. The yerba leaves remain for each gourd-full, only the water is refilled each time. After each person gets their drink, the circuit repeats for as long as people want mate – or the hot water runs out.

If someone no longer wants any mate, they simply say gracias (thank you) when they hand back the gourd.

The drinking of mate is so ingrained in the Argentinian culture that travelers can be assured that any suitable establishment (restaurants, bars, even gas stations) will happily refill your mate thermos with the correct temperature water, for free. Naturally caffeinated, the mate was a welcome companion as we traveled nearly 3500 kilometers by car around Patagonia. More importantly, mate exemplified the friendships, old and new, forged on this trip. I’m looking forward to returning to see more of Argentina and South America. I thank my old friend Pablo and his two daughters for showing us such a wonderful time…and also for the best gift I could have asked for – a mate gourd and mate to take home.

Mate

I’ll have much more on my Argentina adventure. If you missed them, check out my photos from the road here, here, here, and here.

More travel related posts here.

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

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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Ash from Chilean volcano blankets Bariloche

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I’m still out science traveling in Argentina with access by iPhone only. Yesterday I toured around the lake in Bariloche. One of the more interesting aspects was the remnants of the big 2011 volcanic eruption from Chile (the border is only a few kilometers from here).

See that sand alongside the stream? It’s not sand. It’s pumice from the volcano.

The ash was so thick it raised water levels for months. The water covered the roots of the stream side trees, hence the dead trees in the picture below.

On the lake itself the pumice, volcanic rock that is lighter than water, floats.

The beach of the lake is more pumice, at least 10-20 cm of it. That’s my host hopping across the ash/sand. And yes, there’s a story behind the broken leg. I’ll cover that when I get back to the states.

That’s all for now. Keep in mind these photos are all from my iPhone; the best photos are on the other two cameras. So much more to come.

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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A few places in Argentina this past week

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Before the trekking, we needed sustenance.

Mount Fitz Roy (think, Darwin). Hiked up to this place. Quite an adventure. Turns out coming down was an adventure too. More on that when I return.

Then the Perito Moreno glacier. And there is much more. Will check in when have access again.

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First views of Buenos Aires

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Well, I’ve arrived in Buenos Aires. Here is my first view coming in on the plane.

As you can see, the weather isn’t exactly cooperating. Overcast yesterday afternoon when I took this photos. Today is something out of Noah – flashes of lightning, huge crashes of thunder, and rain that fluctuates between steady light and demonstrable deluge.

From yesterday, a monument in Plaza de Mayo.

So far the city is more European than South American. First it seemed like Greece or Rome.

The Casa Rosada (Pink House) is where Evita made her famous song (or was that Madonna).

A cool bridge that is supposed to capture the sweeping arms and legs of tango dancers. You have to have a good imagination here.

Other locations had an obelisk that looked like the Washington monument in an intersection that looked like a mini Times Square. Then a pedestrian shopping street with people constantly hawking “cambrio,” which reminded me so much of Nanjing East Road in Shanghai I wanted to reply Bu Yao.

More when I can get access.

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Science Traveler and Science Traveling

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Candied hawthorns in Olympic Park, Beijing

Candied hawthorns at Olympic Park, Beijing

I call this site Science Traveler. And I’m currently out science traveling. So, what is science traveling? I’m glad you asked. Though the answer isn’t as clear cut as it might seem.

I’ve been a scientist for many years, and as a result have done a little bit of travel. Emphasis on “little” and “bit.” Besides the many wonderful days spent in luxurious locales such as oil refineries, sewage treatment plants, and mud bogs, I regularly attended scientific conferences in cities around the United States and Canada. A delightfully drenched week in Vancouver spent entirely inside a convention center epitomizes the excitement of that annual opportunity. For the last 15 years, however, travel has became a lot more interesting.

I’ve been lucky enough to live overseas on three different occasions, in St. George’s, Bermuda; Edinburgh, Scotland; and most recently, Brussels, Belgium. I’ve been to Asia several times, tootled around a good part of Europe, and currently am trekking through a couple of countries south of the equator. Now that I’m writing books and freelancing full time, my travels will become more frequent and more adventurous. They will also become story lines. And those story lines will usually contain some science angle.

Science traveler. Like asking whether Galileo actually did drop balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and if he did, was someone at the bottom to catch them? Like, how is it that I could carry on a conversation with an elderly (and slightly inebriated) Japanese gentleman when neither one of us spoke the others language? Like, how many Argentinian students does it take to get a visiting scientist to wade into a stream alongside an electroshock fisherman?

Of course, science traveling can also mean simply appreciating the ephemeral beauty of a sinking sunset over a Mexican beach, the astonishing talent of a renaissance artist in the Vatican, or the portentous river of water sluicing down a melting glacier in Chile. It might also include crawling through caves in Tennessee after overlooking one of the Civil War’s most infamous battle sites, admiring the orchids of Tenerife, or visiting the latest in a long list of aquariums.

Science traveling most definitely includes photographs. Thousands of photographs. And with each photo comes a story…or many stories. Science traveler will tell those stories.

So while I’m out science traveling I’ll post some photos, some stories, and hopefully some scientific insights that will bring the world closer to everyone.

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.

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.

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Nikola Tesla Seeks to Harness the Power of Nature

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Nikola Tesla was for renewable energy before it was cool to be for renewable energy.

“It seems that I have always been ahead of my time.”

From a young age he sought to harness the power of nature. He used the natural energy of June bugs to power his stick windmill. As a child he designed his first water wheel, then as an adult he fulfilled his dream by harnessing the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls with his alternating current motors and transformers. Today he stands overlooking one of his greatest achievements.

Tesla statue overlooking Niagara Falls

Nikola Tesla overlooking Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side. Photo by David J. Kent

Tesla often spoke of harnessing the energy of the sun, stating that fossil fuels were wasteful. As far back as 1891 he argued that “nature has stored up in the universe infinite energy.” To Tesla, “the eternal recipient and transmitter of this infinite energy is the ether.” That particular idea did not hold up to scrutiny, but he continued to look to nature.

One of the most thought-provoking documents of Tesla’s numerous writings was an article he wrote for The Century Illustrated Magazine, June 1900, which was edited by Robert Underwood Johnson. In a long and sometimes mystical treatise called “The Problem of Increasing Human Energy (with special references to the harnessing of the sun’s energy),” Tesla leaped ahead a hundred years by anticipating the need for renewable sources of energy to power our planet. He noted that “besides fuel, there is abundant material from which we might eventually derive power” and suggested that “an immense amount of energy is locked up in limestone, for instance, and machines can be driven by liberating the carbonic acid through sulfuric acid or otherwise.” He even claimed to have constructed such an engine and that “it operated satisfactorily.”

Terrestrial power

Tesla was so far ahead of his time that, while others at the turn of the twentieth century were busy exploiting coal, iron, aluminum, and drilling for oil, he was already recognizing the limits of those endeavors. He was into conservation. “Whatever our resources of primary energy may be in the future,” Tesla wrote, “we must, to be rational, obtain it without consumption of any material.” He believed that natural sources of energy could “eliminate the need of coal, oil, gas or any other of the common fuels.” One way was to harness the power of the wind.

“It is difficult to believe, but it is, nevertheless, a fact, that since time immemorial man has had at his disposal a fairly good machine which has enabled him to utilize the energy of the ambient medium. This machine is the windmill.“

[The above is adapted from Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. I explored more of Tesla’s adventures in renewable energy in my 2014 e-book noted below.]

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.

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.

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Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina

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Argentina has come a long way since the days of Eva Peron (aka, Evita), though in which direction is perhaps up for debate. The silverless country whose name is derived from the Latin word for silver is an enigma. And I’m headed there.

This trip is long overdue. In fact, an Argentinian friend from college has been inviting me to visit for the last, well, ahem, um, a long time. I was all set to go several years ago but then my (now former) company sent me to Brussels for three years. I know, it was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it. In any case, I’m finally going to Argentina.

I’ll have a lot more information after the trip, but the basic plan is to fly to Buenos Aires, then two days later fly to Bariloche. A small city of about 100,000, Bariloche sits comfortably between beautiful Nahuel Huapi Lake and the Andes mountains.

Argentina regions

From there we’ll head south on the eastern side of the Andes, stopping in some of the most pristine and beautiful parts of Patagonia (the pinkish part in the map above). There will be plenty of stops for hiking, kayaking, and, depending on my friend’s patience, maybe I’ll even learn to fly fish. At this point it looks like the southern terminus will be just below Argentina’s Glaciers National Park, though there is still a slight chance of making it to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia. Then back to Bariloche where I will likely join in some field sampling fun (the hazards of having a host who is a fisheries biologist and university professor).

Not much chance of me learning how to tango. But, who knows.

It’s summer down there so I expect Buenos Aires to top out in the mid 90s F. Bariloche will be more like 60 F. I’m not even going to guess the temperature by the time we reach the glaciers (which is roughly the equivalent of southern Canada in reverse latitude). During the trip I’ll write as much as I can. There may even be another book in the works by the time I return.

I have another week before I leave, so don’t count me gone yet. Much more before that happens.

More travel related posts here.

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.

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.