Imagine life for a moment without reliable sources of electricity for our every need, no further away than the nearest wall socket. Local historian and frequent DMA speaker Art Gottlieb will enlighten us on the history of what is called “The Power Grid,” a network of power generation and distribution systems made possible by the genius of Nicola Tesla and his practical applications of Alternating Current (AC), enabling electricity to be consumed hundreds of miles away from its point of generation. This talk will also feature a discussion of alternative green energy sources contributing to “The Grid.”
Art was formerly a professional curator of naval history and the technical director of exhibits at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City. In these roles, Art worked regularly with veterans of all services toward the creation of exhibits accurately illustrating the history of 20th century warfare. From 1989 through 1997, Art coordinated with all branches of the armed services and the National Guard toward the preservation of historic ships, aircraft, and armor from around the world, and has facilitated the recovery of scores of artifacts from warships slated for demolition. More recently, he has refocused his efforts to address the growing needs of aging veterans and their families.
In addition to these endeavors, Art has developed a large repertoire of speaking topics that embrace architectural, technical, and cultural history, including numerous topics involving science and technology. His talk on the electrical grid could not come at a better time as our national struggles to meet the ever-increasing demand for power and energy in the context of climate change.
There were technical problems at the beginning. We join Mr. Gottlieb’s presentation shortly after it began.