Les' Space and Science Blog

Green Energy

2008-10-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night, September 28, Robert Kennedy of The Ultimax Group presented at our Stammtisch Group on the topic of "Green Energy." Robert consults with various companies and local governments, including Oak Ridge, TN advising them how they can save money and help the environment by conserving energy and, in some cases, producing it. Our living room was packed for the presentation and the ensuing discussion lasted until almost 11:00 pm.

He's supposed to send me a copy of the charts presented. When they arrive, I will post them here.

The Battle of Chickamauga, Russell Cave National Monument and Space Enthusiasts

2008-09-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my son and I visited a reenactment of The Battle of Chickamauga near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Wow. Thousands of Civil War buffs dressed in period clothing and recreating one of the most famous battles of the Civil War. We had a great time and learned some history as well. You can see pictures from our trip at my Photobucket site. While camping we had great late-night discussions with some of the participants -- space exploration supports all.

While driving home, we stopped at The Russell Cave National Monument and learned about early Native Americans that lived in and around the cave as long as 10,000 years ago. The tour guides were excellent and one of them is a space enthusiast. He'd read Bob Zubrin's book, The Case for Mars, and when I told him I had written a book on solar sails he asked for my autograph! I was both flattered and humbled. The exploration of space has a broad appeal indeed.

Stammtisch

2008-09-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Last night we hosted our Stammtisch (a discussion group -- you can read more about the group by visiting my website: www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/stammtisch). There was no formal program; it was our one of our "book report nights" in which each member brought whatever books they happen to be reading and provided an overview of each to the group.

The book that generated the most interest was "Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass" by Theodore Dalrymple. Theodore Dalrymple argues that long-term poverty is caused not by economics but by a dysfunctional set of values, one that is continually reinforced by an elite culture searching for victims. Given the political mix of the group, there was, of course, fireworks -- expressed politely, of course.

Other books that generated interest were "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coeloho, "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, and "1632" by Eric Flint. Not that the other books weren't interesting, but, hey, it's my blog...

And since this is a "space and science" blog, I must mention that one of the group members brought a book that attempts to explain the "meaning" of quantum physics. The person who brought the book is a Ph.D. physicist and if anyone can figure it out, it should be him!

Rosetta & Centauri Dreams

2008-09-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! I followed the rendezvous of ESA's Rosetta mission last night as it flew by asteroid Steins. One of these days, we're going to realize that the asteroids are a resource to be mined -- it's only a matter of time before competition for resources here on Earth makes this happen. When it does, it will be good news for the environment.
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I just received an email note from author Paul Gilster. He reviewed our new Solar Sail book (favorably!) and posted the review on both his blog and Amazon.com. You can read it here: http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=2943

DragonCon 2008

2008-09-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

My wife and I returned from DragonCon on Labor Day -- exhausted from a great weekend among thousands of space, science, and science fiction fans. The weekend was filled with thought-provoking panels, interesting people, good conversations, awesome costumes, and great parties. While there, I was on 3 panels: "Political Science," "Where Is Everybody? (A discussion of the Fermi Paradox)," and "Boomers to Millennials." I also gave a solo presentation on solar sails to promote my new book.

Many thanks to Rain (Space Track chair) and Dru ( Science Track chair) for all their hard work planning the weekend.

Les