Crookes tube experiment demonstrating electron flow

Exploring the unseen: A Crookes tube reveals the elegance of natural laws.

About Lewis Loflin: A Deist Technologist

By Lewis Loflin | Updated May 16, 2025

"Bridging science, technology, and reason to empower curiosity, self-reliance, and rational inquiry."

Welcome to my world of circuits, code, and contemplation. I’m Lewis Loflin, a Bristol, Virginia-based technologist with over 45 years in electronics—from vintage vacuum tubes to modern microcontrollers—and a classical Deist who believes reason unites science and faith. For over two decades, my websites, BristolBlog.com and Sullivan-County.com, alongside a YouTube channel with 31,400 subscribers and 5.5 million views, have shared practical electronics tutorials, skeptical analyses of climate, culture, and education, and explorations of Deism’s rational philosophy. Sparked by a 1998 Sullivan County Ten Commandments dispute, my mission is to provoke thought, challenge ideological dogmas, and inspire others to explore the universe through evidence and inquiry. Join me in building, learning, and questioning.

From Appalachian Roots to Technical Mastery

Born in Norton, Virginia’s coal country, my curiosity was ignited by geology, physics, and high-voltage ion beam experiments, earning regional science fair awards. Vocational training in TV repair led to college studies in physics, chemistry, biology, and programming (C, C++, Pascal, Arduino, Raspberry Pi). With 45 years as an electronics technician, educator, and tinkerer, I’ve worked across vacuum tubes, solid-state systems, and industrial controls. As an adjunct professor, I taught electronics, emphasizing practical applications until program shifts ended the role. My philosophy—master the basics, demonstrate functionality, encourage experimentation—empowers learners to innovate.

Early Inspiration: Built a high-voltage ion beam project as a teen, watching charged particles dance (Biography).

Education: Northeast State Technical Community College, with coursework in sciences and programming.

Career: 45 years in electronics, blending hands-on expertise with teaching.

Activism: Sparked by the 1998 Sullivan County religious dispute (Details).

“A light bulb in series with your power supply can save your circuits—a lesson from years of troubleshooting.”

Electronics: Empowering Hobbyists and Innovators

My BristolBlog.com and YouTube channel (278 videos, 5.5M views) demystify electronics for hobbyists, offering tutorials on Arduino, MOSFETs, op-amps, and more. I advocate applied reason, teaching foundational concepts like Ohm’s Law to enable projects from weather stations to robots. My work rejects jargon-heavy gatekeeping, promoting accessible, hands-on learning that fosters critical thinking and self-reliance.

Philosophy: Simplify complex concepts, encourage experimentation (Applied Reason).

Key Resources:

Deism: A Rational Approach to Faith

As a classical Deist, I view the universe as a purposeful system governed by natural laws, accessible through reason, inspired by Unitarians, Socinians, and Islamic philosophers like Avicenna and Averroes. My essays explore Deism’s historical roots, religious syncretism (e.g., Zoroastrianism’s influence on Judaism), and critiques of Christian and Islamic dogma, fostering dialogue without hostility unless beliefs threaten liberty. Electronics and Deism share a quest for understanding, uniting science and philosophy.

Core Belief: A transcendent deity set natural laws in motion, not intervening (Deism’s Roots).

Key Works:

“The universe’s laws reflect a purposeful intelligence, accessible through reason, not revelation.”

Science and Skeptical Inquiry

A lifelong scientist, I defend the scientific method—testable, reproducible results—against misuse in policy, religion, or ideology. From fossil collecting in Virginia’s coal mines to exploring dark matter’s cosmic role, I reject extremes like creationism or alarmist climate models, advocating evidence-based inquiry. Science describes the universe’s operation, not a deity to worship, aligning with my Deist view of purposeful natural laws.

Scientific Method: Demands skepticism and reproducibility (Scientific Method).

Key Works:

Climate Science and Rational Environmentalism

I advocate evidence-based environmentalism, challenging eco-dogma with data from plant stomata, ice cores, and historical records that reveal natural climate cycles, not CO2-driven apocalypses. Nuclear energy, with 85–95% capacity factors, offers reliable, clean solutions over inefficient renewables. My work critiques alarmism, eco-theology, and regulatory overreach, promoting pragmatic policies that balance human needs and ecological stewardship.

Climate Evidence: Stomata show CO2 at 260–340 ppm over 11,000 years, not unprecedented (CO2 Record).

Key Resources:

Stomata on plant leaves regulating gas exchange

Stomata reveal historical CO2 cycles, challenging alarmist narratives.

Nuclear capacity factor graph showing 85–95% efficiency

Nuclear power’s reliability: 85–95% capacity factor outperforms renewables.

Cultural and Ideological Critiques

I challenge ideologies—postmodernism, Critical Race Theory, Identity Statism, and Islam’s Sharia—that erode reason, Western culture, and individual liberty. My analyses of crime, education, and multiculturalism emphasize culture and behavior over race or ideology, rejecting relativism and advocating merit-based solutions grounded in evidence.

Identity Statism: State coercion via identity politics, exemplified by DEI mandates (Progressive Statism).

Key Critiques:

Education, Crime, and Social Impact

My work in education and activism emphasizes cultural discipline, merit, and practical solutions. I critique failing school policies, analyze crime through a cultural lens, and advocate self-reliance, from budget living to community support, all rooted in reason and evidence.

Activism: Supported displaced trailer park residents and fought free speech battles (News).

Key Analyses:

Solutions for a Rational Future

Join the Journey

My work blends electronics, Deism, and rational skepticism to challenge ideologies and inspire inquiry. From circuits to climate, culture to faith, I invite you to explore my website, watch tutorials on YouTube, or engage on X. Rooted in a 1998 Sullivan County dispute, my mission is to provoke thought and empower self-reliance. Have ideas or questions? Contact me at lewis@bvu.net. Let’s build, learn, and question together.

Explore More

Explore More Insights

Dive deeper into my work with these additional resources, spanning Deism, environmental policy, cultural analyses, religious history, and regional issues. From my base in Bristol, Virginia, these writings and projects reflect my Deist commitment to reason, skepticism, and practical solutions, challenging dogmas and sparking rational dialogue. Explore these topics to uncover more about the universe’s purposeful design and the societal issues shaping our world.

Deism and Religious History

Environmental Policy and Eco-Critiques

Climate Science and Historical Analysis

Cultural and Ideological Critiques

Nuclear Energy and Technology

Education and Social Issues