Thomas Townsend Brown
Encyclopedia
Thomas Townsend Brown was an American
physicist
.
; his parents were Lewis K. and Mary Townsend Brown. In 1921, Brown discovered what was later called the Biefeld-Brown effect while experimenting with a Coolidge
X-ray
tube. This is a vacuum tube with two asymmetrical electrodes. Brown noticed that there was a force exerted by the tube when it was connected to a high-voltage source. This force was not caused by the X-rays, but instead was related to ionized particles created at the small (sharp) electrode and moving to the large (flatter) electrode. Later, in 1923, he collaborated with Paul Alfred Biefeld
at Denison University
, Granville, Ohio
. He started a military career afterwards and was involved in a number of science programs.
In 1930 he joined the U.S. Navy and conducted fundamental research in electromagnetism
, radiation
, field physics, spectroscopy
, gravity and other topics. He later worked for Glenn L. Martin and, still later, for the National Defense Research Committee
(NDRC) and the Office of Scientific Research and Development
, headed at that time by Dr. Vannevar Bush
. After 1944 he worked as a consultant to the Lockheed-Vega Aircraft Corporation.
(SNCASO) on secret research called Projet Montgolfier, a study of the Biefeld-Brown effect.
In 1956, the aviation trade publication Interavia reported that Brown had made substantial progress in anti-gravity
or electro-gravitic propulsion
research. Top U.S. aerospace companies had also become involved in such research (see United States gravity control propulsion research (1955 - 1974)
) which may have become a classified subject by 1957. Others contend Brown's research simply reached a dead end and lost support. Though the effect he discovered has been proven to exist by many others, Brown's work was controversial because others and even he himself believed that this effect could explain the existence and operation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
Brown was an early investigator of UFOs and in 1956 helped found the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena
(NICAP). Though Townsend resigned not long after NICAP was founded, NICAP was an influential force in civilian UFO research through 1970. The organization's activities drew the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), several high-level officers of which joined the group. Brown's research has since become something of a popular pursuit around the world, with amateur experimenters replicating his early experiments in the form of "lifters" powered by high-voltage.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
.
Early and middle years
Brown was born in Zanesville, OhioZanesville, Ohio
Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio...
; his parents were Lewis K. and Mary Townsend Brown. In 1921, Brown discovered what was later called the Biefeld-Brown effect while experimenting with a Coolidge
William David Coolidge
William David Coolidge was an American physicist, who made major contributions to X-ray machines. He was the director of the General Electric Research Laboratory and a vice-president of the corporation...
X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
tube. This is a vacuum tube with two asymmetrical electrodes. Brown noticed that there was a force exerted by the tube when it was connected to a high-voltage source. This force was not caused by the X-rays, but instead was related to ionized particles created at the small (sharp) electrode and moving to the large (flatter) electrode. Later, in 1923, he collaborated with Paul Alfred Biefeld
Paul Alfred Biefeld
Dr. Paul Alfred Biefeld was born in Jöhstadt, Saxony, Germany. He was the son of Heinrich and Wilhelmina Biefeld, he moved to the United States in 1881. Biefeld received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin in 1894. He received his Ph.D...
at Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
, Granville, Ohio
Granville, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,167 people, 1,309 households, and 888 families residing in the village. The population density was 790.4 people per square mile . There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 345.4 per square mile...
. He started a military career afterwards and was involved in a number of science programs.
In 1930 he joined the U.S. Navy and conducted fundamental research in electromagnetism
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation...
, radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
, field physics, spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
, gravity and other topics. He later worked for Glenn L. Martin and, still later, for the National Defense Research Committee
National Defense Research Committee
The National Defense Research Committee was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the United States from June 27, 1940 until June 28, 1941...
(NDRC) and the Office of Scientific Research and Development
Office of Scientific Research and Development
The Office of Scientific Research and Development was an agency of the United States federal government created to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War II. Arrangements were made for its creation during May 1941, and it was created formally by on June 28, 1941...
, headed at that time by Dr. Vannevar Bush
Vannevar Bush
Vannevar Bush was an American engineer and science administrator known for his work on analog computing, his political role in the development of the atomic bomb as a primary organizer of the Manhattan Project, the founding of Raytheon, and the idea of the memex, an adjustable microfilm viewer...
. After 1944 he worked as a consultant to the Lockheed-Vega Aircraft Corporation.
Later years
In 1955, Brown went to England, and then France where he worked for La Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Sud OuestSociété nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest
SNCASO was a French aircraft manufacturer, which originated on November 16, 1936, from the merger of the factories of Blériot of Suresnes, Bloch of Villacoublay and Courbevoie, SASO of Bordeaux-Mérignac, UCA of...
(SNCASO) on secret research called Projet Montgolfier, a study of the Biefeld-Brown effect.
In 1956, the aviation trade publication Interavia reported that Brown had made substantial progress in anti-gravity
Anti-gravity
Anti-gravity is the idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift...
or electro-gravitic propulsion
Electro-gravitic propulsion
Electrogravitics is a hypothesis proposed by Thomas Townsend Brown and Brown's subsequent extensive experimentation and demonstrations of the effect. The term was in widespread use by 1956...
research. Top U.S. aerospace companies had also become involved in such research (see United States gravity control propulsion research (1955 - 1974)
United States gravity control propulsion research (1955 - 1974)
American interest in "gravity control propulsion research" intensified during the early 1950s. Literature from that period used the terms anti-gravity, anti-gravitation, baricentric, counterbary, electrogravitics , G-projects, gravitics, gravity control, and gravity propulsion...
) which may have become a classified subject by 1957. Others contend Brown's research simply reached a dead end and lost support. Though the effect he discovered has been proven to exist by many others, Brown's work was controversial because others and even he himself believed that this effect could explain the existence and operation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
Brown was an early investigator of UFOs and in 1956 helped found the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena
National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena
The National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena was a civilian unidentified flying object research group active in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s.-Overview:...
(NICAP). Though Townsend resigned not long after NICAP was founded, NICAP was an influential force in civilian UFO research through 1970. The organization's activities drew the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA), several high-level officers of which joined the group. Brown's research has since become something of a popular pursuit around the world, with amateur experimenters replicating his early experiments in the form of "lifters" powered by high-voltage.