Clump Red Cells

Cfa collection: John Nash Ott Collection
Notes: This film is a product of John Nash Ott's research on the effects of video display terminal radiation emissions upon red blood cell activity.; In Exploring the Spectrum Part III, Ott's narration elaborates upon the nature of the cell activity:; "This microscope slide shows clumping of red cells in human blood into long chains after five minutes of exposing the blood directly in front of a video display terminal."; In 1981, Ott gave a seminar on the effects of low-level radiation on human health and behavior to the Bureau of Radiological Health, a subdivision of the Food and Drug Administration. Subsequently, he received a contract from the BRH to assist with further research. Several years later, Ott concluded that radiation released by video display terminals causes red blood cells to clump together into long chains called rouleaux, which in turn could clog capillaries and diminish blood supply to the brain, possibly causing Alzheimer's disease. After Ott announced this finding, a representative of the Food and Drug Administration wrote a letter to Ott letting him know he was mistaken, and that the previous contract was merely for the day Ott provided the seminar.
Subjects: Time; Biology; Science; Scientific equipment
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Winnetka
Cfa elements: 114 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/36285