David J. Kent's Blog, page 72

Grand Palace Guard – Bangkok, Thailand

A close up look at one of the guardsman standing watch over a temple in the Grand Palace, alongside the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, Thailand. This is a preview of future posts on Thailand. Follow the link for a … Continue reading →

Science Traveling Through Climate Change Denial

Man-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, … Continue reading →

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

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 … Continue reading →

Abraham Lincoln and the Rule of Three

Abraham Lincoln rose from a nearly non-existent formal education to become the 16th President of the United States. In a brief biography provided to friends endorsing his 1860 nomination he wrote “I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule … Continue reading →

Book Review – Congressman Lincoln by Chris DeRose

Author Chris DeRose takes a more detailed look at a period in Abraham Lincoln’s life that is normally glossed over in other biographies – his single term as a U.S. Congressman. The first few chapters highlight the political status of … Continue reading →

Renewable Energy Comes to Tesla Magazine

Solar and wind energy, along with hydroelectric power, may seem like recent ideas, but Nikola Tesla had them in his sights a long, long time ago. As this post goes up on Science Traveler, the new Tesla Magazine goes to … Continue reading →

Book Review – Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life by Adam Gopnik

The title comes from the controversy (assuming you knew there was a controversy) over whether Edwin Stanton, upon Lincoln taking his last breath, said “Now he belongs to the ages” or “Now he belongs to the angels.” With this contrivance … Continue reading →

Where to Find Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC

Abraham Lincoln spent about six years in Washington, D.C. The first two were from 1847 to 1849 when he served his one term as a U.S. Congressman from Illinois. The last four – the last four years of his life … Continue reading →

Nikola Tesla and Renewable Energy – Discovering Hydrothermal and Geothermal Power

Nikola Tesla believed that the thermo-dynamic process, i.e., the burning of fossil fuels, was “wasteful and barbarous.” He foresaw the limitations on supply and the inherent dangers to man and the environment (though even Tesla couldn’t anticipate the impacts of … Continue reading →

Abraham Lincoln, Ballooning, and the Technology of War – Redux

Abraham Lincoln is the only president to ever get a patent, an ingenious, though impractical, method for lifting boats over shoals. This interest in technology served him well during the Civil War as battles increasingly relied on mechanization for transportation, … Continue reading →