On the other hand, destructive resonance may have knocked down the Tacoma Narrows Bridge near Seattle. The bridge was known as “Galloping Gertie” because it moved so much during windstorms. Although the bridge was built to withstand wind speeds of a hundred and twenty miles per hour, on a day with a wind speed of only forty-two miles an hour, the bridge collapsed. The video footage of the July 1, 1940 event is eerie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw
Tesla did have someone who helped him with his pigeons, including collecting wounded pigeons from the streets, but I don’t know his name, and none of my characters is in any way related to him. I’d love to learn more about him, though, so if you find anything out, please send me an email (mailto: rebecca@rebeccacantrell.com).
Spooky doesn’t exist, but there are other networks of hacktivists and activists spread around the world. The most famous is Anonymous, whose members wear Guy Fawkes masks when speaking for the group in the non-virtual world. The group was named by Time magazine one of the world’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2012 and has performed hacks against various government agencies, religious organizations, and corporations.
All of the locations in the book, besides Joe Tesla’s house, are real. The cemetery where his father is buried? Here are pictures. Grand Central Terminal does contain the information booth, the famous clock, the gorgeous constellations, the Biltmore Room, The Campbell Apartment and the Oyster Bar. If you visit any of Joe’s hangouts, do please send me a picture!