JEFFERSON’S TOY BOX
WE’VE ALL heard that Thomas Jefferson was something of a renaissance man, a Leonardo da Vinci of his time. This is corroborated in the fine book, Passions, The Wines and … Continue reading
WASHINGTON EV FEE
STARTING FEBRUARY 1, 2013, the state of Washington will collect an additional $100 in annual registration fees from owners of road-going electric vehicles. This is seen as making EVs contribute … Continue reading
HENRI COANDĂ’S JET?
DID ROMANIAN Henri Coandă fly the world’s first jet aircraft? Or was it a ducted-fan design? Maybe it didn’t fly at all. The answer, at least in part, depends on whether … Continue reading
ENGLISH 101
AS IS evident from time to time, I am an unabashed Anglophile. Along these lines, here are three books that constitute English 101. (Not that these are in any way … Continue reading
CHRISTMAS EVE 2012
IN 1822, Clement C. Moore published A Visit From St. Nicholas. This wonderful poem sums up so many things about the holiday, from its image of the real Santa Claus … Continue reading
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA
INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA, is a beautiful city, and it’s particularly charming during Christmastime with its Christkindlmärkte Altstadt. Here’s a photographic essay from my Christmas 2009 visit. What about a White Christmas? … Continue reading
FUEL CELLS, PEM & SOLID OXIDE
TWO DISTINCT types of fuel cells have been in the news lately. In a sense, both types are known for performing electrolysis in reverse: They take in hydrogen and oxygen … Continue reading
A 91.2-MPG DATE WITH VERA
FORTY MPG on the highway seems to be the value that everybody lies about these days. Hence, it is with more than just modest satisfaction that I recall my adventure … Continue reading
IEA OIL GUSH
RECENT HEADLINES (“U.S. Oil Output to Overtake Saudi’s”) have interesting subtexts cited in Science, 30 November 2012, Vol. 338 and in The New York Times Magazine, December 16, 2012. The … Continue reading
GABRIEL VOISIN VS THE WRIGHT BROS.
WELCOME TO today’s debate. Its topic, who invented the aeroplane? The Wright Bros. of Dayton, Ohio? Or Gabriel Voisin of Billancourt, Paris, France? In composing the Wright Bros. argument, I used … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 