I am Peter Terren ( Dr Electric ), medical specialist and 50-something year old 1st year uni physics dropout. “Continue reading” for more details and photos. A psychiatric patient of mine was heard to confide in someone else in the waiting room (about me). “He’s really rather weird .. ” A fine commendation from a well qualified source.

A poster made for a demo at Flickerfest.

When-I-was-small electrical stuff

My first electrical “wow” experience was perhaps at 8-10 years old when someone brought a big old fashioned dry cell to school. These were about the size of a drink can and had screw on terminals. He hooked a wire across the terminals and it glowed red. It was a magical moment burned in my memory.

Teens electrical stuff

Later my Dad introduced my to crystal sets and an electronics kit, the Philips E 20 …

This was my first electronics kit from the late 60’s. Actually mine is long gone but this is the exact same one from eBay and a very sentimental find. I still remember many of the part numbers. From this I made my first electronic project, a portable radio, when I was 12. Long before Dr Electric. High voltage followed a few years later in the course of developing some science projects like this.

High voltage 1972 style with twin ignition coils.

I won Science Talent Search prizes in 1970, 71 and 72 Since then almost nothing happened for 25 years (a regret of mine) due largely to work and city living with no available shed.

Grown-up stuff

In the last 10 years I have had more time to pursue the holy art of electrickery. This has been aided considerably by the internet and sites including those in links. I currently live on the outskirts of a small coastal city in Western Australia on a one acre block. It is rural enough to have kangaroos coming up our drive occasionally and more importantly, neighbors are distant enough not to be bothered by noisy Tesla coils. My shed is below. ‘A clean shed is a sign of a sick mind’, I think someone said. (Actually the quotation was from Einstein “If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what then is an empty desk a sign?”.)

When not working in the shed, I cycle (my best effort 340 km in 24 hours in April 2006). And I have a day job as well which mostly involves collecting pens (see below).

This is 336 of my best pens collected over 10 years which I made into a display in August 2004 with a laser pen and LED light pen hardwired in the display. Two pens are the same – on either side of the airplane . It makes a bit of a change from watercolours for the office. It made the back cover of an Australian magazine and won me a case of wine.

Medical stuff

I’m 2.3% Neanderthal. That explains a few things…From The National Geographic Genographic project. You send in your DNA with a saliva swab. My results among many: YOUR HOMINID ANCESTRY When our ancestors first migrated out of Africa around 60,000 years ago, they were not alone. At that time, at least two other species of hominid cousins walked the Eurasian landmass: Neanderthals and Denisovans. Most non-Africans are about 2% Neanderthal. The Denisovan component of your Geno 2.0 results is more experimental, as we are still working to determine the best way to assess the percentage Denisovan ancestry you carry. The evolution of this data is another way you are actively involved in helping advance knowledge of anthropological genetics! 2.3%  NEANDERTHAL:  Your Neanderthal makeup as a percentage of your genome 3.5% DENISOVAN:  Denisovan makeup as a percentage of your genome

See my more recent details from the last 50,000 years ago in my Genographic genetic ancestry page

Look into my eyes.. deep into my eyes. These are my retinal shots from my optometrist. The white disk is where the optic nerve comes into the back of the retina. The dark blurred area is the macula where the prime focus is and has the greatest discrimination. The retinal veins are the larger red vessels and the arteries are paler but thinner and follow roughly the same course.

MRI scan (above) just to show that the eyes attach to something. Never mind that my left occipital lobe is trying to shove the right out of the way.  Can you see the lenses in my eyes?

Here, illuminated by LEDs from my bike.

And a straight shot for media….

Poetry Mrs Mollie Groenheide is an 80 year old patient of mine.  She composed this poem while in the waiting room listening to people discussing my Tesla coil photo in the waiting room.

UNTOUCHABLE ART By Mollie Groenheide
There is a saying of true fact
That the greatest unexplored area
In the world Is under one’s hat!!
There may be a person of exception
Who has truly seen the light!
Under his hat of invention
He creates images of artistic sights.
The courage of mountain climbers
Is inherent in many who endeavor to achieve,
To venture over the safety line –
With dedicated belief to succeed.
Negatives, Positives, and circuit decisions
Surely demand accurate precision
To create firey rings and fantastic images
Effects real amazement by patients and visitors.
The enlarged photo in the waiting room
Is a conversation piece – it’s true
And everyone moves closer for a better view
To seek the incredible knowledge of the truth.
The beautiful image arcing car and youth
Is a photo enlarged – the proof of truth.
These electrical images incredibly mystic
Seem captured matter as if simplistic.
Though when the details in print are read,
It is perceived that only he who dares,
Has ventured, where very few would tread,
Surely all applaud, that under this hat
There is indeed a head
Quite explored.

Strewth, mate. I come from the Australia. That’s how we do it down here.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” —Lord Acton, 1887

Wonder what this site looked like in 2003? Wayback Machine

Current time and temperature in Perth, Western Australia