Tag: Travel

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Science Traveler Shows Increasing Trend in Viewership

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David J. KentScience Traveler is only months old but the recent trend in viewership has been very encouraging. The original website was started in February 2012 and the views during the first few months reflected the efforts of friends and family to make me feel wanted. In August 2012 I changed the name of the blog to Science Traveler to better reflect my emphasis on both science and traveling. [And some ideas for the future that I’ll keep under my proverbial top hat for now.]

The last few months have shown tremendous progress in gaining an audience, or as they say in the publishing biz, a platform. We’re not talking J.K. Rowling or or E.L. James type numbers here for sure, but given that I started from scratch I’m comfortable with where I am right now. As you can see, my monthly views are going in the right direction.

And since the total number of views is influenced by the number of days in the month, the following shows the average daily views for each month. Very encouraging for such a short period of time.

The key to keeping this trend is to continue to gain more readers and understand why the ones I have came here in the first place. It should come as no surprise that my forthcoming Nikola Tesla book has been a draw and I am continuing to become more and more fascinated by the man and the people who work hard to bring his genius to the public. I anticipate that my book will help raise Tesla’s Q-score.

And then there is Abraham Lincoln. I’m working on the book proposal now.

And the travel. I’m traveling out to California to attend the SETAC meeting (and will be bringing Tesla with me), then cruising the Caribbean in December. My Science Traveler site will be getting more travel science as it develops.

And aquariums.

See a trend?

The plan is to redesign the site to provide a better experience for visitors, including a new landing page, links to information about my books and other writing, and make it easier to follow the topic people find most interesting. I’ll even be offering some freebies! So stay tuned.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the posts by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends with the buttons below.

 

 

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Peregrine Falcons, Albatross, and Sumatran Tigers – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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When you think of a place to go bird watching – specifically to see peregrine falcons – you most likely would not have been thinking of a trip to the Tate Modern museum in London. But here I was strolling along the Thames River when I spotted, well, spotting scopes, the cross between binoculars and telescopes used by avid birders seeking distant raptors. Drawn to the small group earnestly gazing at the tower that rises above the world famous museum of modern art, I soon found myself also drawn into the world of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Tate Modern London

Based in the United Kingdom but working worldwide, the RSPB is a non-profit group whose work “is driven by a passionate belief that we all have a responsibility to protect birds and the environment.” With over a million members and 18,000 volunteers donating their time, the RSPB has grown into an effective and far-reaching force.

Carol Rawlings, RSPB

One of those volunteers is Carol Rawlings, who graciously spent time telling me about peregrines as we searched for the pair who make the top of the Tate tower their home, along with their single offspring. Named Misty and Houdini, they join more than a dozen breeding pairs of peregrine falcons soaring above London’s skyline. The birds perch on the high buildings and then upon spotting potential prey – usually other medium-sized birds – the peregrine goes into a steep dive, called a stoop, at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Usually the prey doesn’t stand much of a chance.

But peregrine falcons in London are not the only focus of the RSPB, as Carol explained to me over lunch during her recent trip to Washington DC.

One current project is working with fishermen to reduce or eliminate the death of albatross from longline fishing. These huge birds with wingspans up to 12 feet spend most of their time at sea. They catch fish and squid by diving near the surface, which puts them at severe risk from the up to 80-mile long squid-baited fishing lines containing thousands of hooks being dragged behind fishing vessels. According to the RSPB, around 100,000 albatrosses are drowned every year after getting caught on these longline hooks. This is the main reason that 18 of the 22 albatross species are now threatened with extinction. A short film highlights the problem.

The RSPB has collaborated with fishermen and engineers in the design of a hook cover that effectively eliminates 80% of the albatross deaths from longlines in pilot programs. The next step is to get funding to provide these devices to all fishermen.

So what about Sumatran tigers…aren’t they a bit far-afield for a UK based charitable organization? Actually, no. The RSPB partners with other bird and wildlife protection organizations around the world. One such partnership has employed a unique strategy to help save the rainforests of Sumatra, part of the nation of Indonesia.

The Sumatran tiger is rare subspecies that is critically endangered. The main reason – logging of its shrinking rainforest habitat. To combat this loss, the RSPB and its partners bought the logging rights to thousands hectares of rainforest in the Harapan region of Sumatra. They also got the laws changed to allow them to restore the forest – previously the law required the logging rights owners to log the property. The project is a big one and will be ongoing for many years. Check here for more background and a video explaining the efforts to save the tigers and birds of Sumatra.

A stroll along the Thames has turned into a renewed appreciation for the natural world, both within the urban environs of London and Washington DC and the almost anachronistic beauty of far-flung locations such as Sumatra. As Carol and I chatted over lunch it seemed appropriate that we both have visits to the Galapagos Islands at the top of our travel lists. I’m looking forward to writing more about RSPB and their work internationally, and am already planning a series of articles for national and international magazines to highlight their work.

More travel stories and photographs can be found on my travel page or by searching on the keyword “travel” at the top of the page.

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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[Note: The photos of the peregrine falcon, albatross and Sumatran tiger all are from Wikimedia Commons.]

 

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I Saw a Fish, or A Fish I Saw

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Everyone has been to Sea World in Florida, or the New England Aquarium in Boston, or perhaps just the Mandalay Bay Hotel Aquarium in Las Vegas. For many people all the big public aquariums start to look eerily alike – a big tank with toothy sharks, small tanks with colorful reef fish, and brilliantly lit tanks of jellyfish (or more accurately, sea jellies, since jellyfish are neither jelly nor fish).

But to come to this conclusion is to miss the uniqueness of each aquarium, a uniqueness that the curators strive to achieve with the passion that comes from doing what you love to do. Since each aquarium by definition exists in its own local environment, each tries to bring that individuality to the public. Oh, and also a big tank of toothy sharks.

In going through some photos of a recent visit to North Carolina I came across a different kind of toothiness – a sawfish.

Sawfish

Sawfish look like people (well, maybe a little…just look at the photo above). Okay, not so much people. But they do look like sharks with long snouts (called a rostrum) filled with teeth-like denticles. Technically they are considered to be rays, the flattened fish with winglike fins that skate across the bottom of the tank and sneak up on tourists in the tropics.

Not surprisingly, sawfish use their “saw” to slash at prey with their denticle-covered rostrum. They also use it to defend themselves from predators, even if those predators are merely the unprotected ankles of an unwary wader. Unfortunately for sawfish, however, their saw hasn’t kept them from becoming endangered species. Many are poached for their rostrum (as a collectors item) or their fins (for food). Many are simply pulled up as bycatch by fisherman looking for more legal forage.

Sawfish are popular at public aquariums where they can be found, but are actually difficult to maintain due to their size and the lack of success in breeding programs. There is some question as to how much longer they will be around to be seen.

And I have to admit they are pretty cool to see.

More on aquariums here.

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On Becoming an Author

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David J. KentI must admit – the experience of becoming an author is a bit surreal.

The next step in this experience is creating a Facebook “Author’s Page.” I still have my personal Facebook page, but now I also have a separate page devoted solely to my writing.

You can find the page here: David J. Kent

If you want to follow the process, and my progress, of becoming an author and read about my upcoming books, please “Like” my new page. I promise not to sell you to advertisers (like I could even figure out how to do that anyway). If you “Like” the page Facebook will make sure you get my occasional updates, upcoming appearances, tips and critically important facts, and even free stuff. Seriously, what could be cooler than that?

Needless to say the new author page is a work in progress, which reflects both the development of my writing career and the pace at which I can figure out how to work all the cool stuff that author’s pages let you do. Or at least the cool stuff that I think author’s pages let you do. As soon as I figure out how to do it.

Thanks in advance for being on the ground floor of a work in progress that could rival the new Freedom Tower in New York City. Yes, it is that cool.

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Science Traveler – New Name, Same Me

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David J. KentI’ve changed my name. I’m now Science Traveler.

The Traveling Scientist was nice, but it had way too many syllables. And nothing is more important to a writer than having exactly the right number of syllables. [Yes, I counted the number of syllables in that sentence.]

As I’ve mentioned in the past, this site is a work in progress. Which is appropriate because every writer has a work in progress, or the shorthand version, WIP. I actually have several WIPs, but we’ll get to those in good time.

Note the Twitter feed has also changed names to Science Traveler. Be sure to follow me here, there, and everywhere.

Another WIP as it relates to this site is a redesign that will take place after I deliver the Nikola Tesla book to the publisher. The new Science Traveler will make it easier to track posts in different categories, and of course, highlight some of the key tidbits from my books.

More to come.

 

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Niagara Falls High and Low

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Ah, Niagara Falls. One of the wonders of the world. And a place that just has to be experienced. And to fully experience it you need to see it from both the American and the Canadian sides, as well as both from dry land and aboard the famous Maid of the Mist boats that take you right up under the, well, mist.

Niagara Falls, which is where the Niagara River drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is actually three separate waterfalls. Yes, three, not two. Most people think of the arching Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the straighter American Falls on the American side. But there is a third drop – Bridal Veil Falls – which is narrower and separated from American Falls by the tiny Luna Island.

Assuming you arrive by car from the American side, be sure to take the turn over the bridge crossing the deceptively peaceful river just upstream from American Falls and pass onto Goat Island. Here you can get right up to the edge of all three falls. Also visit the edge of American Falls from the US mainland side. You can even walk out on a tall structure that overhangs the river and provides a good view of the falls.

Then get back in your car, get your passport ready, and drive across Rainbow Bridge into Ontario, i.e., the Canadian side. From here you can walk along the banks and see all the falls across the river, providing the best spot for panoramic photos. And if you’re staying at one of the hotels on the Canadian side you might just be able to see the view below from your room on the 38th floor.

Niagara Falls Horseshoe Falls

Ah, but you want to get closer to the action right. How about this:

Niagara Falls Horseshoe Falls Rainbow

Next, head on down to the tour boats, get yourself literally immersed in the experience, then get that camera out because back on shore you’ll likely get a photo like this:

Niagara Falls American Falls

Of course, Niagara also boasts two statues of Nikola Tesla, whose alternating current patents allowed the first electricity generation from Niagara Falls.

So there you have Niagara Falls high and low. But one thing you probably won’t do is get the kind of view that Nik Wallenda recently got:

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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Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses – Emma Lazarus was born today

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Emma Lazarus was born on this date in 1849. A native New Yorker, her sonnet “The New Colossus” would be engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the lower level of the pedestal that supports the Statue of Liberty. The words, and the Statue that held them, would welcome millions of immigrants to this “land of the golden promise,” a phrase used by Nikola Tesla as he prepared to set sail for America.

On a recent trip to New York I shot this rather different photo of the Statue of Liberty. Look close, to the right of the post, but don’t ignore everything else that the picture tells us.

Statue of Liberty

From 1892 to 1954 most immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island; before that they entered through Castle Garden Immigration Depot on the southern end of Manhattan. Ellis Island, below, now joins Liberty Island itself to be part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Ellis Island

I leave you with Emma Lazarus’s poem:

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

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Where is Stonehenge? It’s Here, Of Course!

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If you pop around to the different pages on this web site (which I know you do), you’ll notice that the header photo changes randomly.  I previously had four photos that rotated, and now there are five – Stonehenge. In the unlikely event you don’t know what Stonehenge is you can find out more here. The best way to show you is with a photo.

Stonehenge

Pretty cool for a bunch of big stones, eh?

For a little more about each of the photos you can go to this now updated article.

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Edinburgh Scotland – Have Fun Storming the Castle

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Ah, Edinburgh. I have fond memories of this wee city, the capital of Scotland. I had the good fortune of living there for all too short a time – only three months – but during the brightest summer in recent history I’m told. I was there to work, but spent most weekends exploring the surroundings.

One of the centerpieces, both figuratively and literally, is the Edinburgh Castle. The summer I was there saw the release of J.K. Rowling’s last (or perhaps second to last) Harry Potter book. Though born in England Rowling called Edinburgh her home and so there was a grand book launch at the castle the likes of I’ve never seen before. The castle (needless to say) sits on a hill in the center of town and the line of children and their parents stretched all the way out of the castle and down the narrow streets:

Edinburgh Castle

The above photo was taken from the top of Arthur’s Seat, the rocky outcrop looming over the city.  Here’s a view to give you an idea. It was a beautiful place to hike up to and contemplate life.

Edinburgh Scotland

The Seat hovers above the Salisbury Crags, here seen from below to give you an idea of how high up I was:

Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh, Scotland

And the castle a bit closer:

Edinburgh Castle

Ah, this inspires a bit of poetry, like the opening lines of Jason Fenton’s appropriately named “Edinburgh Castle:”

Roots of stone
rise unfettered out of the earth;
crenellations of cobble
burnish with pride that cascades
into the Firth of Forth.

Okay, let’s leave town so I can show you a gorgeous photo of the Ballachulish Mountains at Loch Linnhe, a half day drive north of Edinburgh towards the Isle of Skye:

Ballachulish Mountains at Loch Linnhe

More about Edinburgh Castle can be read here. If you go try to do it in August when they have the “Fringe,” a festival of art and music performances that fill the halls and the streets for a full month.

That’s it for now. This is just a teaser as I’ll be out visiting a bunch of old rocks standing in the (likely) rain. I promise more stories and photos when I return.

David J. Kent is 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!

[Fragile]