Author Archives: johnkwhi

johnkwhi

About johnkwhi

John K. White is an Irish-Canadian physicist, writer, and educator. He is the editor of the energy news service E21NS and author of The Truth About Energy (Cambridge University Press, 2024) on the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, Do The Math! (Sage, 2013) on economics, statistics, and numeracy, and The House of Words (Tuttle House, 2013), a novel about the adventures of New York state Scrabble champ Suzy Quest and the search for her spy father. A former lecturer in the School of Physics, UCD Dublin, he has written for CounterPunch, various other publications, and blogs about his adventures in Spain in Caracolas.

La Rioja – More than Words and Wine

Posted on November 20, 2014 by johnkwhi

The Spanish language is said to have begun with a thirteenth-century monk, who first put ink to paper a poem using the vulgarized Latin spoken in medieval Spain. Like Homer’s Odyssey in Greek and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in English, … Continue reading →

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Frank O. Gehry Architect – Royal or Rebel?

Posted on October 24, 2014 by johnkwhi

Today, Spain bestows its highest cultural honour, el Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes, on Canadian-born, American architect Frank Gehry. The awards, which began in 1981 at the behest of the then Prince of Asturias (Spain’s title for royal … Continue reading →

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Celtic Connections: Ireland, Scotland, northern Spain, …

Posted on September 28, 2014 by johnkwhi

The Celts are said to have originated in central Europe 14,000 years ago in modern-day Austria (Hallstatt), migrating westward from the seventh century BC onwards. Today, most people of Celtic origin are found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, France, and … Continue reading →

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Renewable Energy in Spain: How the wind and the sun are changing our world

Posted on August 30, 2014 by johnkwhi

Everyone knows the windmills of La Mancha from Don Quixote and that the south of Spain is one of the sunniest and hottest parts of Europe, drawing record numbers of tourists each year. But did you know that Spain is … Continue reading →

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If You’re Coming to Gijón

Posted on July 24, 2014 by johnkwhi

In 2007, El País reported the best places to live in Spain (las ciudades españolas donde mejor se vive), naming Gijón the third-best behind Pamplona and Bilbao. On the flip side (donde peor se vive) was Las Palmas de Gran … Continue reading →

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Basilmania and monarquía: Or how to make pesto sauce without any pomp or circumstance

Posted on June 22, 2014 by johnkwhi

Basil is so named for basileus meaning “king” in Greek, supposedly because it’s meant to be the king of the herbs. If Leo can be king of the jungle, I guess Basil can be king of the herb garden. Word … Continue reading →

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Life Long Learning

Posted on May 28, 2014 by johnkwhi

This past year I have had great fun learning the ropes to my new life in Gijón. From how sidra is poured (more experimentation needed) to ensuring I don’t order cow’s brains for lunch. From the meaning of “no te … Continue reading →

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Spring has most definitely sprung in sunny Spain

Posted on May 15, 2014 by johnkwhi

I can remember a snowfall as late as May 5 in Toronto. That was 20 years ago, and I made a snowman on the day although it melted the very next day. Back then, no one knew much about global … Continue reading →

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Another Spanish top ten list (Part II): Art Treasures Galore

Posted on April 27, 2014 by johnkwhi

In the art world, few cities rival Madrid with its three world-class galleries: The Prado, The Reina Sofía, and The Thyssen. There’s the National Gallery in London where one can gaze for free at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers or Seurat’s Bathers … Continue reading →

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Another Spanish top ten list (Part I): Sun, salsa, sangria, …

Posted on April 7, 2014 by johnkwhi

Everyone’s doing a top ten list these days. They’re easy – no need to maintain a coherent theme, just add the next number and switch to another idea. They don’t require much attention – great for new Tube thinking, the … Continue reading →

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