When I write, I love finding connections between ideas. When the connections are plentiful and strong, then I know it's a pretty good subject to writ….

There are interesting scientific and historical connections between these things that I just love..

I always have a ton of projects in mind. On my ToodleDo list, I divide projects into those I'm actively working on, those I'm not doing but believe I….

There are a lot of ideas I've had that I originally was quite taken with, but over time, I lost steam. They stay on my list, but between me and you, ….

My home office and workshop are on an overlook on the only deep river gorge on the entire length of the Mississippi River..

I have a large standalone workshop on the back of my property where I prototype and build stuff. It's bright, roomy, and has a giant door so it's eas….

I work with a lot of different editors at different publishers and magazines and so on, and having a system of shared folders makes keeping track of ….

I specialize in science and history, with a special emphasis on including do-it-yourself projects in the mix. My dozen or so books have sold hundreds….

When something good hits me, I'll use Siri to make a note so I don't forget..

Some things are better than other things: Google, Gmail, my vintage Montgomery Wards socket set (30+ years, still going strong), my Estwing framing h….

I travel internationally a lot and I have a hard time sleeping and staying awake normally after crossing multiple time zones, especially going east. ….

You get energy from other people, so hang out with energetic people..

I'm really good at building things that shoot, hurl, or throw stuff..

In my workshop, I like to have the TV on for background noise, but I only put on shows that you don't really need to watch in serial order; stuff you….

In my home office, I built a custom sit-stand desk to which I connected a big, kidney shaped glass top which I got for cheap at Ikea. Kidney-shaped d….

Every day, I walk with my dog - summer, winter (it gets -20 F in Saint Paul), rain or shine. The nicer the day, of course, the longer the walk..

I started a funny book from the 1930s called The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse. Wodehouse is a comic genius..

I spend a fair amount of time just thinking about whether something is feasible or not, and if it is feasible, whether it's really worth doing..

I get some of my best ideas while out walking..

I'd love to get ideas on overcoming jet lag..

Yeah, it's a weird little niche, but by God, it's my niche..