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3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference Comes to the New Yorker Hotel – January 10, 2015

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Nikola Tesla died in the New Yorker Hotel. On January 10th, Nikola Tesla lives again in the New Yorker Hotel. Welcome to the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference and Spirit Awards.

Tesla Memorial Conference

The conference is sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation, led by Nikola Lonchar and Marina Schwabic. The conference seeks to honor the great Serbian-American inventor and scientist, as well as bring together a range of people interested in learning more about Tesla, carrying on his innovative work, and educating budding scientists of tomorrow. This year’s theme is “Let’s create the Tesla Curriculum,” with a specific focus on introducing “an ‘assembly classes initiative’ as the vehicle for teaching the Nikola Tesla’s historical legacy in school systems, in the U.S., Serbia, and worldwide.”

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Signing books at the Tesla Memorial Conference

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity should be making an appearance at this year’s conference even though I’ll be away science traveling and can’t personally attend. I had a great time at the 2014 memorial conference, and spoke at the inaugural conference in 2013 [Click here and scroll for stories about the previous two conferences].

Meanwhile, I shipped two dozen books to the Tesla Science Foundation this morning to be used as gifts to teachers. I’m very proud and happy that Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has received such a great response from school groups, teachers, principals, and libraries. It’s very satisfying to know that my book has helped tens of thousands of new people learn about Nikola Tesla. Watch for the third printing in Barnes and Noble stores again in February 2015.

But wait, there’s more! The Tesla events on January 15th don’t stop with the conference itself. That evening starts with the revealing of a Nikola Tesla bust donated by the Tesla Science Foundation; the bust will take up permanent residence in the lobby of the New Yorker Hotel, Tesla’s residence for the last ten years of his life. Immediately following are presentation of Tesla Spirit Awards, a Gala featuring artistic performances, and even “a special Tesla Celebrity Tribute by a surprise guest.” You don’t want to miss it.

More information on the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference can be found at the Tesla Science Foundation website, on the TSF Facebook page, or directly on the conference event page.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years and is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Around the Blogs – Lincoln, Tesla, the Everglades, and More

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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.

Abraham LincolnMeanwhile, the writing biz continues to be busy. Two posts here on Science Traveler looked at Abraham Lincoln’s educational pursuits and how his knowledge of science to win an important murder case.

A Twinkle in the IceA daily writing prompt inspired a slightly off-the-path look a twinkling light. Can you follow the transition (and wordplay) in A Twinkle in the Ice?

The Dake Page took on how (and why) professional climate deniers create deceptive graphics to mislead the public about the science behind man-made climate change.

William Tecumseh ShermanI 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 TeslaNikola 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!

While you’re thinking about Tesla, check out this amazing music video that uses Tesla’s principles of electricity and vibration.

Much more to come, including a lot more science traveling.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over 30 years, is a lifelong Lincolnophile, 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.

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Tesla, Lincoln, Climate Denial, and Thanksgiving

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A lot can happen in a week, or in this case, two weeks. Here’s a quick rundown of posts covering Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Climate Denial, and Thanksgiving.

Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeNikola Tesla had a busy week as Amazon put my e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time onto a “Countdown Deal” clock. The book started at a big discount and then continued at a smaller discount before returning to its normal low price. Thanks to the thousands of people who took a lot. You can read more about it here and still download the e-book on Amazon. Also, check out my Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity book on Amazon, BN.com, and in Barnes and Noble stores.

Abe and MeNot to be outdone, Abraham Lincoln was busy as well. First he was in Washington DC for the Election of 1864 Symposium, then he was in Gettysburg for the annual Lincoln Forum (and something about a speech to dedicate a graveyard), and then he took time away from the Thanksgiving holiday to, well, create the Thanksgiving holiday.

turkeyThanksgiving also featured prominently in Eating Thanksgiving on Hot White Snow. Upon reflection during this time of giving thanks it also struck me that I too often was Blogging the Day Away instead of working on my Lincoln and science book. I’ve corrected that somewhat, which is why there are fewer digressions on Hot White Snow (though admittedly I’m still writing those digressions).

Einstein2Finally, as the weather turned colder and the doorstep of winter approaches, The Dake Page took on two topics related to climate denial. The first offered some advice for how to discuss climate change over Thanksgiving (hint, don’t), while the second looked at the phenomenon known as “fake experts.”

Science Traveling got some attention as well. The plane tickets and rental car are all arranged for an Everglades/Key West/Dry Tortugas adventure in January. More on that soon.

There was also some exciting news this week on the Lincoln book in progress front. Two of the top Lincoln scholars in the world told me that my book topic is a wonderful idea and offered their insights and encouragement. Nothing better than inspirational support from renowned experts, except perhaps a 5- or 6-figure advance from the publisher. In any case, I’m spending the rest of the day on Abraham Lincoln.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over 30 years, is a lifelong Lincolnophile, 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.

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Big Deals on Nikola Tesla Books Now

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Nikola Tesla is a fascinating character, both for his scientific achievements and the intrigue in his personal life. Now for a limited time you can download the e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, at big discounts on Amazon.

As this goes to press there are a few hours left at $0.99. After that, the price stays discounted at $1.99 until December 4th, when it reverts to its normal price.

Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

To give you a taste, the following is an excerpt from the beginning of the book:

“My paramount desire today, which guides me in everything I do, is an ambition to harness the forces of nature for the service of mankind.” – Nikola Tesla

The active pursuit of renewable energy sources may seem like a new phenomenon. Only in the 1970s, as a result of the oil crisis and OPEC limitation of oil exports, did the modern world begin to seriously consider the widespread use of energy derived not from coal, oil, and natural gas, but from the sun, wind, and water. Unfortunately, this surge in interest was largely abandoned in the 1980s as the country redirected investment into the military as a means of “winning” the cold war. Now, with the 21st century upon us and with an emphatic understanding that fossil fuels are causing man-made global warming, we are seriously revisiting a shift to renewable energy. We lost over thirty years of renewable energy development, but even that delay pales in comparison when considering the first recognized need for renewable energy by a man named Nikola Tesla.

In fact, Tesla was into renewable energy long before it became cool to be into renewable energy. As the header quote indicates, Tesla had sought to harness the forces of nature for the good of mankind. And he was doing this a hundred years ago.

This volume will explore the motivations of Nikola Tesla and some of his contributions that predate our current efforts to harness the power of nature. The book is intended as an overview rather than a comprehensive treatise on renewable energy then or now. The primary goal is to show that Nikola Tesla, and others, were already seeing the need for renewable resources long before the current resurgence in interest. This e-book expands on a concept briefly addressed in my earlier book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, published by Fall River Press (2013).

Click here to download it now on Amazon.

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityBut that’s not all. My original book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, is also now available for pre-order directly on Amazon. Previously you could only get it at Barnes and Noble and from resellers. Now you can get it from Amazon, at BN.com, and at Barnes and Noble bookstores all over the country. A third printing of 20,000 is on order and should sell out fast like the first two printings.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years and is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Tens of Thousands of New Tesla Fans – And More on the Way

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These are great days for Nikola Tesla. Tens of thousands of people have become newly aware of Tesla because of the efforts of people like Nikola Lonchar (Tesla Science Foundation), Jane Alcorn (Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe), Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal), Joseph Sikorski (Tower to the People), Nenad Stankovic (Tesla Magazine), and many, many more.

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!

Electrical Execution

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.

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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!

Here are more ways you can spread the Tesla word to others.

If you haven’t already, check out my e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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10 Things You Don’t Know About Edison vs Tesla

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Henry Rollins from imdb.comWay back in May I was contacted by a producer for a TV series for the History Channel called “10 Things You Don’t Know About,” hosted by Henry Rollins. They were interested in doing a program on the rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. I spoke with the producer and provided my thoughts on what interesting facts they could include, and although I didn’t make it into the final program, it aired on September 7, 2014.

10 Things You Don’t Know About Edison vs Tesla

Rollins talks to an interesting array of experts and gets himself zapped by The Oatmeal, deep dives to the sunken luxury liner Oregon, and checks out Edison’s handwritten notes for a planned science fiction book. He also delves into Mark Twain’s role as Tesla’s “test dummy,” Edison’s most profitable invention (it’s not what you think and is actually quite ironic), and Tesla’s inspiration from Christopher Columbus. All in all it’s a great program.

You can also check out my own “5 Things You Didn’t Know about Nikola Tesla,” including how Tesla was both a showman and recluse, his interest in renewable energy, and why some people thought he was an alien from another planet.

Search for Telsa in the box above for more things you didn’t know about Nikola Tesla. And if you downloaded my e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, please leave a short review and rating to help others discover Nikola Tesla.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Buy a Brick for Nik – Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe

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I bought a brick for Nik – Nikola Tesla, that is. And you can too. If you’ve been following this website you know of the extraordinary efforts to purchase Tesla’s last laboratory at Wardenclyffe and turn it into a science center and museum. And now you can get your name on it.

The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, led by Jane Alcorn:

“invites you to become a permanent part of the Center project by purchasing a commemorative brick for one of the several places on our 16-acre campus where we will be establishing paved areas, beginning with the area at the base of the Nikola Tesla statue.”

Bricks come in two sizes (4″ x 8″ and 8″ x 8″), plus a special one for corporations. You can put your name, a favorite quote, a dedication, or whatever you want in support of Wardenclyffe. All funds go toward the continuing renovation and the building of a world-class science center.

Brick for Nick Tesla

Go here directly to order a brick.

I’ve already ordered mine. You could be next!

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

 

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Did Nikola Tesla Harness Energy from the Rain?

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeNikola Tesla is well known for harnessing the power of Niagara Falls. But did he also figure out how to harness power from the rain? Whereas hydroelectric power is limited to areas with significant natural drops like Niagara or artificial drops like Hoover Dam, the rain falls everywhere.

So one of Tesla’s wilder ideas was to foresee getting electrical power from rainy days, an energy source he thought was essentially unlimited, at least in theory. He argued that the practical energy from rain would “represent over one-half a billion horsepower,” more than six times greater than the total horsepower that could be garnered from harnessing all of the waterfalls in the United States.

Did he succeed? Find out in Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, now available as an e-book on Amazon.

If you were one of the more than 500 people who have already downloaded the book, please take a moment to leave a review or rating on Amazon and Goodreads. Doing so helps spread the word about Nikola Tesla to as many people as possible.

To leave a review on Amazon, go here.

To leave a review on Goodreads, go here.

In related news, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is back in Barnes and Noble stores and is selling even faster than anyone anticipated – almost 5000 copies in less than three weeks! That’s half of the entire first print run that took six months to sell out. Get yours while you still can, either at Barnes and Noble stores, BN.com online, or Amazon.com. Or order a signed and inscribed copy directly from me.

Thanks again for reading about Nikola Tesla. And watch for the next book soon!

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Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln – The World’s Fair Connection

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Though Nikola Tesla was born only nine years before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and half a world apart, there nevertheless are an uncanny number of connections between the two great men. One of them involves a World’s Fair (two, actually).

Nikola Tesla’s first big break in the war of the currents with Thomas Edison was at the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Up to this time Edison dominated the growing electricity business with his direct current (DC) systems. But DC had some severe limitations and Tesla favored his own alternating current (AC) system. Edison brutally protected his DC turf with a campaign to discredit AC, even supporting the development of the first electric chair to show how dangerous AC could be.

But Tesla had teamed up with George Westinghouse and the combination of Tesla’s AC system and Westinghouse’s business acumen allowed them to win the bidding to light up the Chicago World’s Fair – the first attempt to electrify at this scale. It was a huge success.

Chicago World's Fair 1893

The World’s Fair grounds were designed by some of the greatest architects of the time, including Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmstead. The canals, pools, and massive buildings – the White City – were tremendous, but the centerpiece was a 65-foot tall sculpture called the Statue of the Republic (nicknamed “Big Mary”). With its stone base it stood 111-feet high over the Grand Basin.

Lincoln Memorial

The connection to Abraham Lincoln? Well, “Big Mary” was designed by none other than Daniel Chester French. French, of course, went on to design the seated statue of Abraham Lincoln that dominates the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, Daniel Burnham, the architect who supervised the design and building of the Chicago World’s Fair and who selected French to design “Big Mary,” was also on the Lincoln Commission tasked with designing a fitting memorial to our 16th President. Burnham strongly lobbied for another architect, Henry Bacon, to build the Lincoln Memorial. In fact, Bacon did design and build the Greek Doric temple that houses French’s famous statue and serves as one of the world’s most visited monuments.

Meanwhile, French’s original Statue of the Republic was destroyed by fire only two years after the fair ended. French was later commissioned to create a smaller version – only 24-feet high and gilded in bronze – for the 25th anniversary of the fair. Appropriately, it now stands on the site of the original World’s Fair Electricity Building, the place where Nikola Tesla first brought alternating current into the modern world.

Tesla exhibit 1893 World's Fair

Oh, there’s another World’s Fair connection between Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln. I’ll talk about that in a later post. 🙂

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile 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.

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Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla! The Wizard of Electricity Lives Again

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Happy 158th birthday to Nikola Tesla. And just in time for his birthday is the release of a new printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. The hard copy book is once again available for order on BarnesandNoble.com (and BN.com). You can also download the e-book version for fast reading. Of course, if you want a signed first edition you can get it directly from me, personally signed and inscribed from me to you.

It’s been a great year for Nikola Tesla – books, movies, and a tremendous revival in interest have brought Tesla back into the public eye. The success of Tesla Motors has reminded people of Tesla’s great contributions to society. And Wardenclyffe is being renovated into a world class science center and museum. [Breaking news: Elon Musk has pledged a $1 million donation to Wardenclyffe. For more information, check out the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe website.]

Ipswich Museum presentation

I’ve just returned from a very successful presentation at the Ipswich Museum (more on that soon). And besides being available online, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity will be back in Barnes and Noble stores later this month. Be sure to ask them at the counter if you don’t see it prominently displayed; they sell fast but the store may have more they can restock.

Tesla Renewable Energy book cover 2

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityComing out soon is my new e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. For supporters of Tesla, this website, and any who “Likes” my Facebook page, I’ll show you how you can download the e-book for free during a limited introductory period.

Happy birthday, Nikola Tesla! May your memory live on just as your contributions to society live on – forever.

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

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