Valerie Thomas
Encyclopedia
Valerie Thomas is an African American
scientist and inventor. She invented the illusion transmitter.
and she proceeded to enroll in Morgan State University
. She was one of two women in her class to graduate with a degree in physics
. After graduation she would go on to work for NASA
as a data analyst.
. In 1976 she attended a seminar that demonstrated an illusion
. The demo used concave mirrors to trick the viewer into believing that a light bulb was glowing even after it was unscrewed from its socket. She was fascinated and began to think about the commercial opportunities for this type of illusion. The following year Thomas began experimenting with flat and concave mirrors. She compared the flat mirrors, which provided reflections of objects that appear to lie behind a glass surface, with the concave, which presented a reflection that appears in front of the glass; creating an illusion that the objects exist in a three-dimensional manner. She believed that images presented this way could provide more accurate and interesting video data. Thomas believed this technology could be used on commercial television
and as a scientific tool for NASA and its image delivery system. Thomas applied for a patent on December 28, 1978, which was then issued on October 21, 1980 for the illusion transmitter.
Thomas also developed programs to research Haley's comet and ozone depletion
and served as the project manager for Space Physics Analysis Network and associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office. She continued to work for NASA until she retired in 1995 and was the recipient of the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal and the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit. Thomas serves as a mentor for students through the National Technical Association and Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
scientist and inventor. She invented the illusion transmitter.
Early life and education
Thomas was fascinated by technology as a child, she read books like The Boys First Book on Electronics and would tinker with electronics around the house. She attended an all girls high school and did not receive encouragement to study science or math subjects. Upon graduation from high school she chose to focus on becoming a scientistScientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and she proceeded to enroll in Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
. She was one of two women in her class to graduate with a degree in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. After graduation she would go on to work for 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...
as a data analyst.
Professional career
After establishing herself at NASA, Thomas was asked to oversee the Landsat programLandsat program
The Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
. In 1976 she attended a seminar that demonstrated an illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
. The demo used concave mirrors to trick the viewer into believing that a light bulb was glowing even after it was unscrewed from its socket. She was fascinated and began to think about the commercial opportunities for this type of illusion. The following year Thomas began experimenting with flat and concave mirrors. She compared the flat mirrors, which provided reflections of objects that appear to lie behind a glass surface, with the concave, which presented a reflection that appears in front of the glass; creating an illusion that the objects exist in a three-dimensional manner. She believed that images presented this way could provide more accurate and interesting video data. Thomas believed this technology could be used on commercial television
Commercial Television
Commercial Television was the third free-to-air broadcast television station in Hong Kong. It first went on air in 1975, and ceased transmissions in 1978.-History:...
and as a scientific tool for NASA and its image delivery system. Thomas applied for a patent on December 28, 1978, which was then issued on October 21, 1980 for the illusion transmitter.
Thomas also developed programs to research Haley's comet and ozone depletion
Ozone depletion
Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere , and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon...
and served as the project manager for Space Physics Analysis Network and associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office. She continued to work for NASA until she retired in 1995 and was the recipient of the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal and the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit. Thomas serves as a mentor for students through the National Technical Association and Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology.