Clarence Hansell
Encyclopedia
Clarence Weston Hansell (born January 20, 1898 - died 1967) was an American research engineer
who pioneered investigation into the biological effects of ion
ized air. He was granted over 300 US patents, including, in the 1930s, a precursor to the modern ink jet printer that could print 750 words a minute, its data received via radio telegraph. Only Thomas Edison
held more patents.
Hansell was born in Medaryville, Indiana on January 20, 1898. He graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1919. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Electrical Engineering in 1952.
Hansell founded the RCA
Radio Transmission Laboratory at Rocky Point, New York
, Long Island in 1925, and headed the lab for over 30 years.
He was also involved in radio
and fiber optics research and suggested the invention of polarized sunglasses.
His interest in the biological effects of ion
ized air was spurred in 1932 when he noticed that the moods of one of his colleagues at Rocky Point Laboratory swung in response to the ions being generated by their equipment. He noted that when the equipment generated negative ions, his colleague's mood was upbeat. Conversely, positive ions generated a downbeat mood. Hansell researched the therapeutic possibilities of negative ions throughout his life. Current scientific studies support his findings, and negative ion therapy may be useful in alleviating depression in some people.
He died in 1967. His papers are kept at State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who pioneered investigation into the biological effects of ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
ized air. He was granted over 300 US patents, including, in the 1930s, a precursor to the modern ink jet printer that could print 750 words a minute, its data received via radio telegraph. Only Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
held more patents.
Hansell was born in Medaryville, Indiana on January 20, 1898. He graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1919. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Electrical Engineering in 1952.
Hansell founded the RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
Radio Transmission Laboratory at Rocky Point, New York
Rocky Point, New York
Rocky Point is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 10,185.Rocky Point is a community in the town of Brookhaven.-Geography:...
, Long Island in 1925, and headed the lab for over 30 years.
He was also involved in radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and fiber optics research and suggested the invention of polarized sunglasses.
His interest in the biological effects of ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
ized air was spurred in 1932 when he noticed that the moods of one of his colleagues at Rocky Point Laboratory swung in response to the ions being generated by their equipment. He noted that when the equipment generated negative ions, his colleague's mood was upbeat. Conversely, positive ions generated a downbeat mood. Hansell researched the therapeutic possibilities of negative ions throughout his life. Current scientific studies support his findings, and negative ion therapy may be useful in alleviating depression in some people.
He died in 1967. His papers are kept at State University of New York, Stony Brook.
On the biological and mood-altering effects of negative ions
- http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6655864
- http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/psych/asktheexperts/ask_the_experts_inquiry.asp?SI=102
- http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/journal/journal-o/archives/jour_v19no1/light.html
- http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=315728
- http://www.negativeionsinformation.org/
- http://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/iec/abe/control/neg_ion.asp
