Tag: New Yorker Hotel

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Tesla Takes Manhattan – 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference

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On January 10th, just days beyond the 72nd anniversary of his death, Nikola Tesla again returned to the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan for the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference. Sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation, the conference this year focused on efforts to develop a curriculum so that students today can learn of this great inventor all to often left out of history books.

Kyle Driebeek

Kyle Driebeek holding up my book, photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek

Due to a prior commitment I was unable to be present at this year’s event, but I’m happy to say that Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity made several appearances. Kyle and Julian Driebeek, the intrepid young men bringing Nikola Tesla to a new generation of fans, emphasized the importance of library donations. Both have donated copies of my book to school libraries, and encouraged others to do so as well. One of the most gratifying aspects of being an author is having your work endorsed by the addition of tens of thousands of new readers learning something new.

Dr. Ljubo Vujovic

Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek

Thanks to Nikola Lonchar and the Tesla Science Foundation, hard copies of my book were given as gifts to some of the presenters and to educators making the effort to bring Tesla into the classroom. Betsy Driebeek, Julian and Kyle’s mother, was nice enough to donate an extra copy of the book to none other than Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, President of the Tesla Memorial Society in New York.

Mano Divina

Mano Divina (and Sam Mason), photo from TSF

Tesla Awards were also given out at the conference. Among the recipients was Mano Divina, whose adept playing of the theremin, a Tesla-inspired electronic musical instrument, and group, the Divine Hand Ensemble, have entertained Tesla conferences and others for many years. Ashley Redfearn also received a well-deserved award for her tireless Tesla curriculum efforts. The top Tesla Spirit Award went to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, who recently pledged at least $1 million towards the rebuilding of Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory on Long Island.

Those who missed the conference are in luck – the Tesla Science Foundation has been posting photos on their Facebook page and you can view all of the videos by Kevin Wood on his RememberTesla.com website.

Tesla bust, New Yorker Hotel

Tesla bust, TSF photo

Not to be forgotten is the Tesla bust dedication. Thanks to the Tesla Science Foundation, a bust of Nikola Tesla was permanently installed in the lobby of the New Yorker Hotel.

So 72 years after he lived his final days in the hotel, Nikola Tesla once again takes Manhattan.

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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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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Nikola Tesla Returns to the New Yorker Hotel – And So Can You!

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David J. KentNikola 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.

The 2014 theme is “Let’s Build a Tesla Curriculum!”

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!

And a whole lot more!

So join us at the New Yorker Hotel on January 11, 2014. View the program (both the Conference and Spirit Awards) here. Don’t miss out.

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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Tesla Commemorative Conference 2014 – Let’s Build a Tesla Curriculum

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Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla lived out the final ten years of his life in the New Yorker Hotel. Each year the Tesla Science Foundation and the New Yorker Hotel host a Tesla Commemorative Conference. The 2014 event will be held on Saturday, January 11th and includes a discussion on building a Tesla curriculum for schools, along with a wide range of Tesla-inspired technical presentations. The goal is to help bring the world of Nikola Tesla to a wider audience.

That is the goal of my book. 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 has successfully appealed to a broader middle audience. The book includes many photographs, graphic arts, and highlighted quotes and stories, all of which bring Nikola Tesla to a general public that may have very little knowledge of the great inventor. The writing style is intentionally clear and fluid so that readers young and old can gain insights into both the technical achievements and personal stories that make Tesla such an interesting man as well as a critically important contributor to modern science. People that know a lot about Tesla and people who know very little, as well as everyone in between, have all found the book both entertaining and informative.

Tesla and the author

The January conference is a wonderful opportunity to further develop a curriculum that will spread the word about Nikola Tesla. Perhaps my book will become a part of that curriculum. The conference will delve into the best way to reach out to those who have yet to know and appreciate one of the most important, yet little known, inventors in our history.

The Tesla Conference is being held on January 11, 2014 at the famed New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, just steps away from Madison Square Garden and the Penn Station Amtrak stop. An agenda of the conference can be found on the Tesla MeetUp page.

My three part series on the 2013 Tesla Conference can be read at: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

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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Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Laboratory Purchased for a Museum

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WardenclyffeThe New Yorker Hotel, where Nikola Tesla lived out the last 10 years of his life, was the setting for a remarkable news conference on May 2, 2013. Jane Alcorn, President of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe announced that after many months of paperwork, Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory was now officially purchased. The group will turn the famous scientist’s last working lab into a museum and science center.

This has been a long road for Jane and others, who have striven for many years to acquire the more than 15-acre property. Yesterday that dream became a reality.

In a follow up article I’ll have more on the event and the future activities to renovate the laboratory. For now you can watch the recording of the live feed (provided free from Kevin Wood) on the Tesla Science Center‘s home page or on the RememberTesla.com site. An earlier post of mine provides more details on the history of the purchase.Congratulations to Jane Alcorn and all of the people who worked so hard to make this happen.

More information on the release of Tesla: Wizard of Electricity.

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Tesla Science Foundation Expands Efforts to Recognize Nikola Tesla’s Contributions

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Nikola TeslaThe Tesla Science Foundation is expanding. Following the success of the most recent Tesla Memorial Conference, which took place on the 70th anniversary of Telsa’s death on January 7, 2013, the Foundation is working with other Tesla groups to recognize Nikola Tesla’s contributions to society. As Nikola Lonchar, President and Founder of the Tesla Science Foundation, recently announced:

Nikola Tesla’s popularity is growing.  Our hard work has helped make that happen. Additionally, our hard work has placed our group in a strong position to do more as the most active Tesla-related group in the country.  With this power comes the responsibility to carry out the mission of the Tesla Science Foundation, the Nikola Tesla Club and Nikola Tesla Inventors Club by facilitating the growth of free and renewable energy.

To accomplish this, the Foundation and its affiliate Tesla Groups have proposed a series of activities to enhance the Tesla name. They include:

  • Consolidation of all of the Tesla groups domains into a single website location called TeslaTalk.tv. A webinar series will provide background on Nikola Tesla, allow interviews of “some of the world’s most knowledgeable scientists and Tesla enthusiasts,” and rebroadcasts of Tesla lectures from around the world.
  • Monthly meetings and lectures at libraries, schools and universities.
  • Development of new Tesla Clubs worldwide.
  • Continue organizing two annual conferences per year in the United States – the January Memorial Conference in the New Yorker Hotel (New York City) and the July Tesla Days celebrations in Philadelphia.
  • A project to restore the Tesla Room in the New Yorker Hotel to its original appearance, including a permanent Tesla display in the hotel.
  • Funding of innovative and promising projects by group members with the goal of promoting the legacy of Nikola Tesla and developing future innovations based on his work.
  • Opening of a Tesla Club building in Philadelphia. The vision is to include an art gallery, book store, library, a “Tesla: Past, Present, Future” display, a coffee/snack shop (featuring Tesla’s favorite foods, of course), and a webinar recording studio and communication center.
  • A traveling exhibit version of the “Tesla: Past, Present, Future.”

I’ll provide more information on each of these goals in future posts so be sure to check back here often. You can search on keywords “Tesla Science Foundation” to get a list of relevant articles.

I’ll also have more on an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that is currently being developed to help make these goals a reality.

More on Tesla: Wizard of Electricity.

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William H. Terbo, Nikola Tesla’s Grand-Nephew

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Mr. William H. Terbo. Nikola Tesla’s grand-nephew. At the Tesla Memorial Conference in New York City January 5-7, 2013.

Day 1    Day 2    Kyle Driebeek

William H. Terbo, Tesla's Grand-Nephew

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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Nikola Tesla Corner

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In New York City, where West 40th Street meets the Avenue of the Americas (aka, Sixth Avenue), stands Nikola Tesla Corner.

Photo 48 - Tesla Corner

Dedicated in 1994, the corner sits at the entrance to Bryant Park, a place well known to Nikola Tesla. Seeking solitude or companionship, we’re still not sure which, Tesla would in his later years wander the streets near the New York Public Library and Bryant Park feeding pigeons. When he came across injured birds he would often take them back to his modest rooms in the New Yorker Hotel to nurse them back to health. He became particularly enamored of a certain stunning white pigeon. Ah, the stuff of legends.

More on Nikola Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

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Nikola Tesla Makes a Robot Boat

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Recently I attended the Tesla Memorial Conference held at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City. Click on these links to read about Day 1, Day 2, and a special presentation by 12-year-old Kyle Driebeek. One of the presentations on Day 2 was by Marko Popovic of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Popovic mentioned that Nikola Tesla developed a remote-controlled boat he called a telautomaton.

In “The Art of Telautomatics,” written as part of his My Inventions autobiography in 1919, Tesla reminds us that he first demonstrated his robotic boat way back in 1898.

Tesla robot remote controlled boat

In order to show how wireless technology could be used to command ships and missiles from a distance, Tesla had a large tank built in the center of Madison Square Garden and “in this places an iron-hulled boat a few feet long, shaped like an arc.” The audience, mostly attendees of the first annual Electrical Exhibition, was requested to ask questions and the automaton would answer them by signs, usually by turning left or right or reversing direction. “This was considered magic at the time,” writes Tesla in My Inventions, “but was extremely simple, for it was myself who gave the replies by means of the device.”

Tesla-PSJul1956

He repeated the exercise with a more advanced and larger telautomatic boat in 1919.

Telsa robotic boat

While Tesla acknowledged that these were “the first and rather crude steps in the evolution of the art of telautomatics,” it did signal the beginning of what today we call robotics. Consider Tesla’s designs then and the remote-controlled drones used in our more recent military and terrorist control efforts and you can see how far he was ahead of his time.

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, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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12-year-old Kyle Driebeek Inspires the Crowd at Nikola Tesla Conference

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Twelve-year-old Kyle Driebeek first learned about Nikola Tesla when he was only 8 years old. Four years later he is one of the star attractions at the Nikola Tesla Memorial Conference held in New York City January 5-7, 2013. [Day 1 and Day 2] The conference was held on the 70th anniversary of Tesla’s death in the very place that he lived the last 10 years of his life – the New Yorker Hotel. Many luminaries in the field were in attendance including Tesla Science Foundation President Nikola Lonchar, Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe President Jane Alcorn, The Oatmeal’s Matthew Inman, and William H. Terbo, the grand-nephew of Nikola Tesla. But Kyle was the real star.

Kyle Driebeek

Amazingly poised and well-spoken for someone so young, Kyle walked up to the microphone and quickly awed the roomful of Nikola Tesla experts. He related how he first came to hear about Tesla on a History Channel program called Modern Marvels. That same year his 3rd Grade class gave him an assignment to study a famous person. Kyle chose Tesla. For his research Kyle and his family came to the New Yorker, stayed in the very room that was Tesla’s, and toured the property with engineer Joe Kinney. He also went out to Long Island and peered at Wardenclyffe through the fence. It would be the first of many visits to the New Yorker and to Wardenclyffe.

His research continued for a 5th Grade class project. In 2011 Kyle attended the Long Island Tesla Conference and got to stand on the octagonal base of the Wardenclyffe tower. He learned to play the Theremin, the electronic instrument played without physical contact. He smiled as the contributions rolled in during Matthew Inman’s crowd-funding efforts in 2012, an effort that raised nearly $1.4 million and has allowed Jane Alcorn’s Tesla Science Center to purchase the Wardenclyffe property to be made into a museum and educational center. And now here he was an invited speaker at the Tesla Memorial Conference. [You can watch Kyle’s presentation beginning at about minute 37:00 in this video.]

Kyle Driebeek was inspired by Nikola Tesla. The attendees at the conference were inspired by Kyle Driebeek. Like Kyle, we all feel that the world needs to know more about Nikola Tesla’s contributions to science. Kyle vows to help spread the word. And after his inspiring presentation, so will we all.

More on Nikola Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

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