Patrick Flanagan
Encyclopedia
Gillis Patrick Flanagan (born 11 October 1944 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
) is an American
inventor.
Flanagan claims to have invented an electronic sleep machine at age 8, developed and sold a guided missile detector to the U.S. military at age eleven, gained his air pilot's licence at age seventeen, and been employed by a Think Tank
at The Pentagon
, and later as a consultant to the NSA, CIA, NASA
, Tufts University
, the Office of Naval Research
, and the Aberdeen Proving Grounds for the Department of Unconventional Weapons and Warfare. He also claims the unusual ability to tie 6000 different knots, 4800 by the age of 8.
, widely regarded by mainstream science as New Age
pseudoscience
. Flanagan wrote several books about the topic (see bibliography) and promoted pyramid power through lectures and seminars. According to the Skeptical Inquirer
, during the planetary alignment of 1985 Flanagan "charged up a number of crystals full of pyramid energy during the alignment and offered to give one free to everyone who signed up for his $145 seminar near San Francisco. These crystals "were also charged at the apex of the Pyramid in the full moon-light on the last day of this most powerful alignment." In 1977, Flanagan told a press conference that he had 15 gold needles embedded in his body at a cost of $1,000, in the belief that this would make him immortal.
material, through which a high voltage alternating current is passed. The design was improved upon in 1986, receiving U.S. patent no.4,743,275, by doping the dielectric material with conductive or semiconductive particles, reducing the power consumption and increasing the field strength.
In 1982, Flanagan and his wife, Gael Crystal, claim to have discovered a new form of colloid
al silica known as a microcluster in the glacial water drunk by the Hunza people of northern Pakistan
, a people who are renowned for their health and longevity. The Flanagans went on to develop a product utilizing the microclusters called Crystal Energy (the ingredients are water, silica, potassium carbonate
, and magnesium sulfate
), which is claimed to lower the surface tension of drinking water. In the 1990s the couple claimed discovery of negatively charged hydrogen
or hydride
ions in the Hunza water. They claim that these ions act as powerful antioxidant
s. A nutritional supplement was developed using silica microclusters to stabilise the hydride ions, a novel compound known as silica hydride. For this work he was named 1997 Scientist of the Year by the International Association for New Science, a body that promoted work in fringe science
. Several scientific papers by Flanagan about silica hydride have been published in peer review
journals such as the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
and Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor.
Childhood
As a teenager Flanagan invented a device he called a Neurophone which he claimed transmitted sound via the nervous system to the brain. This earned him a profile in Life magazine, which called him a "unique, mature and inquisitive scientist". In 1968, the invention was further improved by the development of a means of simplifying speech waveforms, for which he received U.S. patent no.3,647,970, which allowed the device to produce clear sound at lower power levels. Flanagan has continued to develop the Neurophone and it is currently being sold as an aid to speed learning.Flanagan claims to have invented an electronic sleep machine at age 8, developed and sold a guided missile detector to the U.S. military at age eleven, gained his air pilot's licence at age seventeen, and been employed by a Think Tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
at The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, and later as a consultant to the NSA, CIA, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
, and the Aberdeen Proving Grounds for the Department of Unconventional Weapons and Warfare. He also claims the unusual ability to tie 6000 different knots, 4800 by the age of 8.
Pyramid power
During the 1970s, Flanagan aroused controversy by becoming a proponent of pyramid powerPyramid power
Pyramid power refers to alleged supernatural or paranormal properties of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and objects of similar shape. With this power, model pyramids are said to preserve foods, sharpen or maintain the sharpneses of razor blades, improve health , function "as a...
, widely regarded by mainstream science as New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
. Flanagan wrote several books about the topic (see bibliography) and promoted pyramid power through lectures and seminars. According to the Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer
The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
, during the planetary alignment of 1985 Flanagan "charged up a number of crystals full of pyramid energy during the alignment and offered to give one free to everyone who signed up for his $145 seminar near San Francisco. These crystals "were also charged at the apex of the Pyramid in the full moon-light on the last day of this most powerful alignment." In 1977, Flanagan told a press conference that he had 15 gold needles embedded in his body at a cost of $1,000, in the belief that this would make him immortal.
Claimed inventions and discoveries
In 1981, Flanagan invented an Electron Field Generator, or air ioniser, capable of negatively charging and purifying air, for which he received U.S. patent no.4,391,773. It consists of two or more circular flat electrodes, stacked on top of one another, separated by and encased in a dielectricDielectric
A dielectric is an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. When a dielectric is placed in an electric field, electric charges do not flow through the material, as in a conductor, but only slightly shift from their average equilibrium positions causing dielectric...
material, through which a high voltage alternating current is passed. The design was improved upon in 1986, receiving U.S. patent no.4,743,275, by doping the dielectric material with conductive or semiconductive particles, reducing the power consumption and increasing the field strength.
In 1982, Flanagan and his wife, Gael Crystal, claim to have discovered a new form of colloid
Colloid
A colloid is a substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance.A colloidal system consists of two separate phases: a dispersed phase and a continuous phase . A colloidal system may be solid, liquid, or gaseous.Many familiar substances are colloids, as shown in the chart below...
al silica known as a microcluster in the glacial water drunk by the Hunza people of northern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, a people who are renowned for their health and longevity. The Flanagans went on to develop a product utilizing the microclusters called Crystal Energy (the ingredients are water, silica, potassium carbonate
Potassium carbonate
Potassium carbonate is a white salt, soluble in water , which forms a strongly alkaline solution. It can be made as the product of potassium hydroxide's absorbent reaction with carbon dioxide. It is deliquescent, often appearing a damp or wet solid...
, and magnesium sulfate
Magnesium sulfate
Magnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate epsomite , commonly called Epsom salt, from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the...
), which is claimed to lower the surface tension of drinking water. In the 1990s the couple claimed discovery of negatively charged hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
or hydride
Hydride
In chemistry, a hydride is the anion of hydrogen, H−, or, more commonly, a compound in which one or more hydrogen centres have nucleophilic, reducing, or basic properties. In compounds that are regarded as hydrides, hydrogen is bonded to a more electropositive element or group...
ions in the Hunza water. They claim that these ions act as powerful antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
s. A nutritional supplement was developed using silica microclusters to stabilise the hydride ions, a novel compound known as silica hydride. For this work he was named 1997 Scientist of the Year by the International Association for New Science, a body that promoted work in fringe science
Fringe science
Fringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
. Several scientific papers by Flanagan about silica hydride have been published in peer review
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
journals such as the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
The International Journal of Hydrogen Energy is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published for the International Association for Hydrogen Energy by Elsevier. It covers all aspects of hydrogen generation and storage....
and Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Royal BodyCare Inc. Lawsuit
On May 29, 2002, Royal BodyCare Inc. filed a lawsuit against Patrick Flanagan and his partners requesting injunctive and monetary relief and alleging, among other causes of action, breach of contract, conspiracy, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, disparagement, tortuous interference and unlawful restraint of trade. On February 18, 2003, a settlement was reached, requiring Flanagan to pay an aggregate of $250,000.00 to Royal BodyCare Inc.External links
- PhiSciences, official website of Patrick Flanagan