Philo T. Farnsworth
1983 United States postage stamp honoring Farnsworth
Born	April 19, 1906(1906-04-19) Beaver, Utah, USA
Died	March 11, 1971 (aged 64) Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Burial place	Provo City Cemetery, Provo, Utah, USA
Nationality	American
Known for	Inventor of the first electronic television, over 300 United States and foreign patents
Religious beliefs	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Spouse	Elma "Pem" Gardner
Parents	Lewis and Serena Farnsworth
Website philotfarnsworth.com

Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) was an American inventor. He is best known for inventing the first completely electronic television. In particular, he was the first to make a working electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), and the first to demonstrate an all-electronic television system to the public. Image File history File links Philo_Farnsworth_stamp. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Old Beaver County Courthouse, Beaver, Utah Beaver is a city located in Beaver County, Utah. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... For ships of the United States Navy of the same name, see USS Salt Lake City. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Provo is a city in Utah and the county seat of Utah County, located about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... In older video cameras, before the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ...

In his later life, Farnsworth also invented a small nuclear fusion device known as a fusor. U.S. Patent 3,386,883 - fusor — June 4, 1968 The Farnsworth–Hirsch Fusor, or simply fusor, is an apparatus designed by Philo T. Farnsworth to create nuclear fusion. ...

History

Many inventors had written about, worked on or built various electro-mechanical television systems prior to Farnsworth's seminal contribution, among them Alexander Bain, Paul Nipkow, Aleksandr Stoletov, Karl Ferdinand Braun, Boris Rosing, Herbert E. Ives, and John Logie Baird. Several inventors also wrote about, devised or built electronic apparatus prior to Farnsworth, including Boris Rosing, Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton, Kalman Tihanyi, Vladimir Zworykin and Kenjiro Takayanagi. Farnsworth made the world's first working television system with electronic scanning of both the pickup and display devices, which he first demonstrated to news media on September 1, 1928, televising a motion picture film; and to the public at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on August 25, 1934, televising live images. Alexander Bain (October 1811 – January 2, 1877), was a Scottish instrument inventor, technician, and clockmaker. ... Paul Gottlieb Nipkow (August 22, 1860 - August 24, 1940) was a German engineer, who devised a mechanical apparatus, a spinning disk to scan images that was used in early television. ... Aleksandr Stoletov Aleksandr Grigorievich Stoletov (Александр Григорьевич Столетов, August 10, 1839-May 27, 1896) - Russian physicist, founder of electrical engineering, and professor in Moscow University. ... Karl Ferdinand Braun (6 June 1850 in Fulda, Germany – 20 April 1918 in New York City, U.S.) was a German inventor, physicist and Nobel Prize laureate. ... Boris Lvovich Rosing (Russian: ) (1869 – 1933) was a Russian scientist and inventor in the field of television. ... Dr. Herbert Eugene Ives (1882–1953) was a scientist and engineer who headed the development of facsimile and television systems at AT&T in the first half of the twentieth century. ... For other persons named John Baird, see John Baird (disambiguation). ... Boris Lvovich Rosing (Russian: ) (1869 – 1933) was a Russian scientist and inventor in the field of television. ... Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton (1863 - 1930) was a consulting electrical engineer born in Edinburgh. ... Kálmán Tihanyi (April 28, 1897 - February 26, 1947), was a Hungarian physicist, electrical engineer and inventor. ... Vladimir Zworykin, 1929, holding his kinescope Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin (Russian: ) (July 30, 1889 - July 29, 1982) was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. ... A recreation of Takayanagis pioneering experiment, on display at the NHK Broadcasting Museum in Minato-ku, Tokyo Kenjiro Takayanagi , January 20, 1899 – July 23, 1990) was a Japanese pioneer in the development of television. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Franklin Institute Front steps as seen from the adjacent Moore College This article is about the science museum in Philadelphia. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1930, after a visit to Farnsworth's laboratory, Vladimir Zworykin copied this apparatus for RCA, though he found it impractical and returned to his work on the iconoscope. The U.S. Patent Office rendered a decision in 1935 that the "electrical image" of Farnsworth's image dissector was not in Zworykin's inventions, and priority of that invention was awarded to Farnsworth. Farnsworth nevertheless lost some court decisions for other key television inventions. Some aspects of Farnsworth's 1930 camera and receiver designs remain in use today. Vladimir Zworykin, 1929, holding his kinescope Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin (Russian: ) (July 30, 1889 - July 29, 1982) was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ...

Early life

Farnsworth was born into a Mormon family in Beaver, Utah on August 19, 1906. His parents were Lewis Edwin and Serena Bastian Farnsworth.^[1] His father later moved the family to Rigby, Idaho, where he worked as a sharecropper. When they moved to their new home, Philo was apparently excited to find it was wired for electrical power, something that was still fairly rare at that point, at least in the countryside. It had electric lighting, and power hoists to lift hay into the barn. Farnsworth converted a washing machine from hand to electric power by winding an armature to construct an electric motor.^[2] Young Philo developed an early interest in electronics after his first telephone conversation with an out-of-state relative and the discovery of a large cache of technology magazines in the attic of the family’s new home. This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ... Old Beaver County Courthouse, Beaver, Utah Beaver is a city located in Beaver County, Utah. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Rigby is a city located in Jefferson County, Idaho. ... Chopping cotton on rented land near White Plains, Greene County, Ga. ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... For other uses, see Telephone (disambiguation). ...

Farnsworth excelled in chemistry and physics at Rigby High School, and produced sketches and prototypes of electron tubes. One of the drawings he did on a blackboard for his chemistry teacher, Justin Tolman, was recalled and reproduced for a patent interference case between Farnsworth and Radio Corporation of America (RCA).^[3] For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation). ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ...

Philo took violin lessons from Reuben Wilkins in Ucon, Idaho. He enrolled at Brigham Young University in 1923. Ucon is a city located in Bonneville County, Idaho. ... , Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is a private coeducational school completely owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and run under the auspices of its Church Educational System. ...

After a brief stint in the Navy, Farnsworth returned to Idaho to help support his mother. In 1926, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay area with his bride, Elma “Pem” Gardner Farnsworth (February 25, 1908 - April 27, 2006).^[4] A local philanthropist managing a community chest agreed to fund Farnsworth's early television experiments (see below). Naval redirects here. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, or reputation to a charitable cause. ... Community Chest may refer to any of the following: Community Chest (Hong Kong organisation) Community Chest (US organisation), a forerunner of the United Way An aspect of the game Monopoly This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Career

In 1926, Farnsworth formed a partnership with George Everson in Salt Lake City to develop Farnsworth's television ideas. Farnsworth moved to Los Angeles to carry out research. Within months, he was ready to demonstrate his models and blueprints to a patent attorney who was a national authority on electrophysics. They agreed Farnsworth should apply for patents, which became critical to later disputes with RCA. To that point the development of television relied on mechanical whirling disks to scan the image. Farnsworth's innovation was to recognize that a satisfactory image, using whirling disks, would require a speed that was a mechanical impossibility, and that his own all-electronic system could produce an image for broadcast much more effectively.^[5] For ships of the United States Navy of the same name, see USS Salt Lake City. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ...

On September 7, 1927, Farnsworth's Image dissector camera tube transmitted its first image, a simple straight line, at his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco. The source of the image was a glass slide, backlit by an arc lamp. This was due to the lack of light sensitivity of the Image Dissector tube design, a problem Farnsworth never managed to resolve independently. By 1928, Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press. His backers had demanded to know when they would see dollars from the invention.^[6] The first image shown to them was a dollar sign. In 1929, the system was further improved by elimination of a motor-generator; the television system now had no mechanical moving parts. That year, Farnsworth transmitted the first live human images using his television system, including a three and a half-inch image of his wife, Pem (with her eyes closed because of the blinding light required). is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In older video cameras, prior to the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Radio station motor-generator, converting from low to the high voltage power supply. ...

In 1930, Vladimir Zworykin, who had been developing his own all-electronic television system at Westinghouse, in Pittsburgh, since 1923, was recruited by RCA and visited Farnsworth's laboratory. Zworykin was impressed with the performance of the Image Dissector and had his engineers make a working copy of it, though he saw that the dissector's need for excessive light requirements made it impractical. In 1931, David Sarnoff of RCA offered to buy Farnsworth's patents for $100,000, with the stipulation that Farnsworth become an employee at RCA, but Farnsworth refused; in June of that year Farnsworth joined the Philco company and moved his laboratory to Philadelphia, along with his wife and two children. Vladimir Zworykin, 1929, holding his kinescope Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin (Russian: ) (July 30, 1889 - July 29, 1982) was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. ... This article is about the defunct Westinghouse Electric Corporation founded in 1886, renamed CBS Corporation in 1997, and purchased by Viacom in 1999. ... Pittsburgh redirects here. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... Sarnoff redirects here. ... A Philco 90 cathedral style radio from 1931. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ...

When Farnsworth traveled to England in 1932 while raising money in his legal battles with RCA, he met with John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor who had developed mechanical-scan cameras, and was seeking to develop electronic television receivers. Baird demonstrated his mechanical system for Farnsworth. According to Farnsworth accounts, Baird explained "the superiority of his system to Farnsworth", but after watching several minutes of Farnsworth's version, he left the room without a word, "having realized the futility of his efforts"^{[citation needed]}. Baird himself had supported an earlier merger with Farnsworth's competitors in the U.K., the Marconi Company; the merger did not succeed. Marconi had a patent-sharing agreement with RCA. Baird company directors decided later to merge with Farnsworth. Baird's company paid Farnsworth $50,000 to supply electronic television equipment, and provide access to Farnsworth television patents. Baird and Farnsworth competed with EMI for forming the standard U.K. television system. EMI however merged with Marconi in 1934, gaining access to the RCA Iconoscope patents. After trials of both systems, the BBC committee chose the Marconi-EMI system, which was by then virtually identical to RCA's (Zworykin's) system. The Image dissector camera scanned well, but had poor light sensitivity compared to the Marconi-EMI Iconoscopes, which were called Emitrons. Farnsworth's old adversary, Vladimir Zworykin, also made an appearance at the BBC television trials. For other persons named John Baird, see John Baird (disambiguation). ... “UK” redirects here. ... The Marconi Company Ltd. ... The Marconi Company Ltd. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... “UK” redirects here. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... The Marconi Company Ltd. ... The iconoscope was invented by Vladimir Zworykin in 1923, essencially a tube for television transmission used in the first cameras. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (July 30, 1889 - July 29, 1982) was a pioneer of television technology. ... In older video cameras, prior to the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ... Vladimir Zworykin, 1929, holding his kinescope Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin (Russian: ) (July 30, 1889 - July 29, 1982) was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. ...

After sailing to Europe in 1934, Farnsworth also secured an agreement with the Goerz-Bosch-Fernseh interests in Germany.^[7] Some image dissector cameras were used to broadcast Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Philco denied Farnsworth time to travel to Utah to bury his young son Kenny, who died in March 1932; this death put a strain on Farnsworth's marriage and may have marked the beginning of his struggle with depression. In 1934, because Farnsworth was making poor progress with in his television work, Philco severed their relationship. A Philco 90 cathedral style radio from 1931. ... For other uses, see Depression. ... A Philco 90 cathedral style radio from 1931. ...

Farnsworth returned to his lab. By 1936, Farnsworth's company was transmitting regular entertainment programs experimentally. In addition, Farnsworth, working with University of Pennsylvania biologists, developed a process for passing radio waves through milk to sterilize it. He had also invented a fog-penetrating beam for ships and airplanes.^[8]

In 1938, he established the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with E.A. Nicholas as president, and himself as director of research. In 1939, Farnsworth sold his television patents to RCA Victor for $1 million. The New York World's Fair showcased electronic television sets in April 1939, and soon afterward, RCA electronic televisions went on sale to the public. Nickname: Motto: Room for Dreams Location in the state of Indiana, USA Coordinates: , Country State County Allen Founded October 22, 1794 Incorporated February 22, 1840 Government  - Mayor Tom Henry (D)  - City Clerk Sandra Kennedy (D)  - City Council Marty Bender (R) Liz Brown (R) John Shoaff (D) Tom Smith (R) Karen... Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ...

Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation was purchased by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) in 1951. During his time at ITT, Farnsworth worked in a basement lab known as “the cave” on Pontiac Street in Fort Wayne. From here he introduced a number of breakthrough concepts, including: a defense early warning signal, submarine detection devices, radar calibration equipment, and an infrared telescope. “Philo was a very deep person – tough to engage in conversation because he was always thinking about what he could do next,” says Art Resler, an ITT photographer who documented Farnsworth’s work in pictures.^[9] One of Farnsworth's most significant contributions at ITT was the PPI Projector, which allowed safe control of air traffic from the ground. This system developed in the 1950s was the forerunner of today’s sophisticated air traffic control systems. This article needs cleanup. ... For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... An infrared telescope is a telescope that uses infrared light. ... For the Canadian musical group, see Air Traffic Control (band). ...

In addition to his electronics research, ITT management agreed to nominally fund Farnsworth's controlled fusion ideas. He and staff members invented and refined a series of fusion reaction tubes called "fusors." For scientific reasons unknown to Farnsworth and his staff, the necessary reactions lasted no longer than thirty seconds. In December 1965, ITT came under pressure from its board of directors to terminate the expensive fusion research and sell the Farnsworth subsidiary. It was only from the urging of President Harold Geneen that the 1966 budget was accepted, permitting ITT's fusion research one additional year. However, the stress associated with this managerial ultimatum threw Farnsworth into relapse. One year later he was terminated and eventually allowed medical retirement.^[10] The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing sustainable fusion power. ... U.S. Patent 3,386,883 - fusor — June 4, 1968 The Farnsworth–Hirsch Fusor, or simply fusor, is an apparatus designed by Philo T. Farnsworth to create nuclear fusion. ...

In the spring of 1967, Farnsworth and his family moved back to Utah to continue his fusion research at Brigham Young University, which presented him with an honorary doctorate. The university also offered him office space and an underground concrete bunker location for the project. Realizing the fusion lab was to be dismantled at ITT, Farnsworth invited staff members to accompany him to Salt Lake City as team members in his planned Philo T. Farnsworth Associates (PTFA) organization. By late 1968 the associates began holding regular business meetings and PTFA was underway. However, although a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was promptly secured and more possibilities were within reach, the financing needed to pay the $24,000 in monthly expenses for equipment rental and salaries was stalled.^[10] This article is about the U.S. state. ... , Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is a private coeducational school completely owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and run under the auspices of its Church Educational System. ... For ships of the United States Navy of the same name, see USS Salt Lake City. ... NASA Logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

By Christmas 1970, PTFA had failed to secure the necessary financing, the Farnsworths had sold all their own ITT stock and cashed out Philo's life insurance policy to maintain organization stability. The underwriter had failed to provide the financial backing that was to have supported the organization during its critical first year. The banks called-in all outstanding loans. Repossession notices were placed on anything not previously sold and the Internal Revenue Service put a lock on the laboratory door until delinquent taxes were paid. During January 1970, Philo T. Farnsworth Associates disbanded. Farnsworth became seriously ill with pneumonia and died on 11 March 1971.^[10] For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Life insurance or life assurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individuals or individuals death. ... In banking, underwriting is the detailed credit analysis preceding the granting of a loan, based on credit information furnished by the borrower, such as employment history, salary, and financial statements; publicly available information, such as the borrowers credit history, which is detailed in a credit report; and the lender... Repossession is generally used to refer to a financial institution taking back an object that was either used as collateral or rented or leased in a transaction. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        IRS redirects here. ... This article is about human pneumonia. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ...

Farnsworth's wife Elma fought for decades after his death to assure his place in history. Farnsworth always gave her equal credit for creating television, saying "my wife and I started this TV." She died on April 27, 2006, at the age of 98.^[11] The inventor's long-lived wife was survived by two sons, Russell (then living in New York), and Kent (then living in Fort Wayne, Indiana). is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Farnsworth's wife's name was Elma Gardner "Pem" Farnsworth. She went by Pem all her life and is how she is referred to.

Scientific American Magazine called him one of the ten greatest mathematicians of his time.^[10]. Scientific American is a popular-science magazine, published (first weekly and later monthly) since August 28, 1845, making it the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Inventions

Electronic television

Farnsworth worked out the principle of the image dissector television camera at age 14, and produced the first working version at age 21. A farm boy, his inspiration for the scanning lines of the cathode ray tube (CRT) came from the back-and-forth motion used to plow a field. During a patent lawsuit against RCA in 1935, his high school chemistry teacher, Justin Tolman, reproduced a drawing that Farnsworth, when he was just 14, had made on the blackboard at the school. Farnsworth won the suit and was paid royalties but never became wealthy. The video camera tube developed from a combination of the work of Farnsworth and Zworykin, was used in all television cameras until the late 20th century, when alternate technologies such as charge-coupled devices started to appear. In older video cameras, prior to the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ... Cathode ray tube employing electromagnetic focus and deflection Cutaway rendering of a color CRT: 1. ... Civil action redirects here. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... In older video cameras, before the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ... A specially developed CCD used for ultraviolet imaging in a wire bonded package. ...

Farnsworth developed the "image oscillite", a cathode ray tube receiver that could display images captured by the image dissector. Cathode ray tube employing electromagnetic focus and deflection Cutaway rendering of a color CRT: 1. ... In older video cameras, prior to the 1990s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device (CCD). ...

Fusor

The Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor, or simply fusor, is an apparatus designed by Farnsworth to create nuclear fusion. Unlike most controlled fusion systems, which slowly heat a magnetically confined plasma, the fusor injects high temperature ions directly into a reaction chamber, thereby avoiding a considerable amount of complexity. U.S. Patent 3,386,883 - fusor — June 4, 1968 The Farnsworth–Hirsch Fusor, or simply fusor, is an apparatus designed by Philo T. Farnsworth to create nuclear fusion. ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing sustainable fusion power. ... For other uses, see Plasma. ... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ...

When Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor was first introduced to the fusion research world in the late 1960s, the Fusor was the first device that could clearly demonstrate it was producing any fusion reactions at all. Hopes at the time were high that it could be quickly developed into a practical power source. However, as with other fusion experiments, development into a power source has proven difficult. Nevertheless, the fusor has since become a practical neutron source and is produced commercially for this role. At the end of the 20th century, Thermonuclear has came to imply anything which has to do with fusion nuclear reactions which are triggered by particles of thermal energy. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Other Inventions

At his death, Farnsworth held 300 U.S. and foreign patents. His inventions contributed to the development of radar, the infra-red night light, the electron microscope, the baby incubator, the gastroscope, and the astronomical telescope.^{[12] [10]} A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor or applicant for a limited amount of time (normally maximum 20 years from the filing date, depending on extension). ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than visible light, but shorter than microwave radiation. ... An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses electrons as a way to illuminate and create an image of a specimen. ... A newborn infant sleeping in his incubator. ... In medicine (gastroenterology), esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or upper endoscopy is a diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualises the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Appearances on television

Although he was the man responsible for its technology, Farnsworth appeared only once on a television program. On July 3, 1957, he was a mystery guest ("Doctor X") on the TV quiz show I've Got A Secret. He fielded questions from the panel as they unsuccessfully tried to guess his secret ("I invented electronic television."). For stumping the panel, he received $80 and a carton of Winston cigarettes.^[13] Ive Got a Secret (abbreviated as IGAS) was a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television and was created by Allan Sherman as essentially a knockoff of Whats My Line?. The original version of the show premiered in June 19, 1952...

In the interview with host Garry Moore, Dr. Farnsworth said: "There had been attempts to devise a television system using mechanical disks and rotating mirrors and vibrating mirrors--all mechanical. My contribution was to take out the moving parts and make the thing entirely electronic, and that was the concept that I had when I was just a freshman in high school [in 1922, at age 14]." When Moore asked about others' contributions, Dr. Farnsworth agreed, "There are literally thousands of inventions important to television. I hold something in excess of 165 American patents." The host then asked about his current research, and the inventor replied, "In television, we're attempting first to make better utilization of the bandwidth, because we think we can eventually get in excess of 2000 lines instead of 525 ... and do it on an even narrower channel ... which will make for a much sharper picture. We believe in the picture-frame type of a picture, where the visual display will be just a screen. And we hope for a memory, so that the picture will be just as though it's pasted on there." Garry Moore smoking as he often did while hosting Ive Got A Secret Garry Moore (January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was born in Baltimore, Maryland as Thomas Garrison Morfit. ...

In a 1996 videotaped interview by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, available on Google video,^[14] Elma Farnsworth recounts Philo's change of heart about the value of television, after seeing how it showed man walking on the moon, in real time, to millions of viewers: The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) is the organization which awards the Emmys. ...

Interviewer: The image dissector was used to send shots back from the moon to earth.

Elma Farnsworth: Right.

Interviewer: What did Phil think of that?

Elma Farnsworth: We were watching it, and, when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, Phil turned to me and said, "Pem, this has made it all worthwhile." Before then, he wasn't too sure.

A letter to the editor of the Idaho Falls-based Post Register disputed the single television appearance claim. Published in the December 10, 2007 edition (page A4, digital version requires subscription), Roy Southwick claimed "... I interviewed Mr. [Philo] Farnsworth back in 1953 - the first day KID-TV went on the air." KID-TV later became KIDK-TV, and was the first local broadcaster in southeast Idaho. The KID-TV affiliate is located a 15 minute drive from the Rigby area where Farnsworth worked in the potato fields and struck on his idea for electrons forming an image.

Misquote

Although Philo T. Farnsworth is sometimes quoted as telling his son Kent, with regard to television:

“There’s nothing on it worthwhile, and we’re not going to watch it in this household, and I don’t want it in your intellectual diet.”

His family's website makes it clear that this is Kent's summation of his father's view, rather than a quote.

Memorials

The plaque on Green Street.

• In 2006, Farnsworth was posthumously presented the Eagle Scout award when it was discovered he'd earned it but had never been presented with it. The award was presented to his wife, Pem, who died four months later.^[15]

• A statue of Farnsworth represents Utah in the National Statuary Hall Collection, located in the U.S. Capitol building.

• The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker located at 1260 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania commemorating the "Farnsworth Television" shop established there in the summer of 1933. The Plaque reads "Inventor of electronic television, he led some of the first experiments in live local TV broad-casting in the late 1930s from his station W3XPF located on this site. A pioneer in electronics, Farnsworth held many patents and was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame."

• A plaque honoring Farnsworth as The Genius of Green Street is located on the 202 Green Street location (37.80037N, 122.40251W) of his research laboratory in San Francisco, California.

• The scenic "Farnsworth Steps" in San Francisco lead from Willard Street (just above Parnassus) up to Edgewood Avenue, passing Farnsworth's former residence at the top.

• A plaque honoring Farnsworth is located near his former home in a historical district in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

• Farnsworth's television-related work, including an original TV tube he developed, are on display at the Farnsworth TV & Pioneer Museum at 118 W. 1st S. Rigby, Idaho.

• A Farnsworth image dissector is on display at Fry's Electronics in Sunnyvale, California, along with other artifacts of the history of electronics in Silicon Valley.

• The Philo Awards named after Philo Farnsworth is an annual Public access television competition where the winners receive notice for their efforts in various categories in producing Community Media.

• Several buildings and streets around rural Brownfield, Maine are named for Farnsworth as he lived there for some time.^[16]

• The West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin has written a screenplay about Farnsworth's and RCA's conflict, The Farnsworth Invention. It was originally to be produced as a film, however production was abruptly cancelled in 2005 with no explanation. The play was first produced at the La Jolla Playhouse, in California; and it can now be seen on Broadway in New York at the Music Box Theater featuring Jimmi Simpson as Farnsworth and Hank Azaria as Farnsworth's nemesis Sarnoff. Sorkin's earlier work, Sports Night, features William H. Macy telling a fictionalized anecdote about Farnsworth.

• The character Professor Farnsworth on the popular animated series Futurama was named after him. The character Philo from UHF was also named after him, as he works in a television station. Oliver Farnsworth, a character in the Walter Tevis novel The Man Who Fell to Earth was also named after him.

• Farnsworth appears as a fictionalized character in Glen David Gold's novel Carter Beats the Devil, in which television gets its first application as part of a magician's stage show.

Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 545 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Philo Farnsworth Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 545 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Philo Farnsworth Categories: GFDL images ... An Eagle Scout is a Scout with the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). ... Part of the National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. ... The United States Capitol is the capitol building that serves as the location for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. ... The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvanias historic heritage. ... Wyndmoor is a census-designated place located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Nickname: Motto: Room for Dreams Location in the state of Indiana, USA Coordinates: , Country State County Allen Founded October 22, 1794 Incorporated February 22, 1840 Government  - Mayor Tom Henry (D)  - City Clerk Sandra Kennedy (D)  - City Council Marty Bender (R) Liz Brown (R) John Shoaff (D) Tom Smith (R) Karen... Frys Electronics is a specialty retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley. ... Location in Santa Clara County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Clara Government  - Mayor Otto Lee Area  - Total 22. ... For the Nintendo 64 game, see Space Station Silicon Valley. ... Look up public access television in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Brownfield is a town located in Oxford County, Maine. ... “The West Wing” redirects here. ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... The Farnsworth Invention is a screenplay (re-written as a stage play) by Aaron Sorkin. ... Jimmi Simpson (born 1975) is an American actor of television and film. ... Hank Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964 in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, United States) is an American actor, director, comedian and voice artist. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Not to be confused with Bill Macy. ... An anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. ... Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth (born April 9, 2841) is the extremely elderly proprietor of the Planet Express delivery service in the fictional animated television series Futurama. ... This article is about the television series. ... UHF (also known as The Vidiot from UHF in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, and Los Telelocos in Mexico) is a comedy film made in 1989. ... A French poster for the film The Man Who Fell to Earth is a novel by Walter Tevis about an extraterrestrial who crashlands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. ... Glen David Gold is best known as the author of Carter Beats the Devil (Hyperion, 2001). ... Carter Beats the Devil is a 2001 novel by Glen David Gold that tells the fictionalized biography of early 20th Century stage magician Charles Joseph Carter. ...

Patents

• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,773,980 : Television system (filed 7 January 1927, issued 26 August 1930)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,773,981 : Television receiving system (filed 7 January 1927, issued 26 August 1930)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,758,359 : Electric oscillator system (filed 7 January 1927, issued May 13, 1930)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,806,935 : Light valve (filed 7 January 1927, issued 26 May 1931)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,168,768 : Television method (filed 9 January 1928, issued 8 August 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,970,036 : Photoelectric apparatus (filed 9 January 1928, issued 14 August 1934)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,246,625 : Television scanning and synchronization system (filed May 5, 1930, issued June 24, 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 1,941,344 : Dissector target (filed 7 July 1930, issued 26 December 1933)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,140,284 : Projecting oscillight (filed 14 July 1931, issued 13 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,059,683 : Scanning oscillator (filed 3 April 1933, issued 3 November 1936)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,087,683 : Image dissector (filed 26 April 1933, issued 20 July 1937)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,071,516 : Oscillation generator (filed 5 July 1934, issued 23 February 1937)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,143,145 : Projection means (filed 6 November 1934, issued 10 January 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,233,887 : Image projector (filed 6 February 1935, issued 4 March 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,143,262 : Means of electron multipaction (filed 12 March 1935, issued 10 January 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,174,488 : Oscillator (filed 12 March 1935, issued 26 September 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,221,473 : Amplifier (filed 12 March 1935, issued 12 November 1940)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,155,478 : Means for producing incandescent images (filed 7 May 1935, issued 25 April 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,140,695 : Charge storage dissector (filed 6 July 1935, issued 20 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,228,388 : Cathode ray amplifier (filed 6 July 1935, issued 14 January 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,233,888 : Charge storage amplifier (filed 6 July 1935, issued 4 March 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,251,124 : Cathode ray amplifying tube (filed 10 August 1935, issued 29 July 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,100,842 : Charge storage tube (filed 14 September 1935, issued 30 November 1937)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,137,528 : Multipactor oscillator (filed 27 January 1936, issued 22 November 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,214,077 : Scanning current generator (filed 10 February 1936, issued 10 September 1940)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,089,054 : Incandescent light source (filed 9 March 1936, issued 3 August 1937)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,159,521 : Absorption oscillator (filed 9 March 1936, issued 23 May 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,139,813 : Secondary emission electrode (filed 24 March 1936, issued 13 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,204,479 : Means and method for producing electronic multiplication (filed 16 May 1936, issued 11 June 1940)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,140,832 : Means and method of controlling electron multipliers (filed 16 May 1936, issued 20 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,260,613 : Electron multiplier (filed 18 May 1936, issued 28 October 1941)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,141,837 : Multistage multipactor (filed 1 June 1936, issued 27 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,216,265 : Image dissector (filed 18 August 1936, issued 1 October 1940)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,128,580 : Means and method of operating electron multipliers (filed 18 August 1936, issued 30 August 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,143,146 : Repeater (filed 31 October 1936, issued 10 January 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,139,814 : Cathode ray tube (filed 2 November 1936, issued 13 December 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,109,289 : High power projection oscillograph (filed 2 November 1936, issued 22 February 1938)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,184,910 : Cold cathode electron discharge tube (filed 4 November 1936, issued 26 December 1939)
• Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,179,996 : Electron multiplier (filed 9 November 1936, issued 14 November 1939)
• P.T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,221,374 : X-ray projection device
• P.T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 2,263,032 : Cold cathode electron discharge tube
• P.T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 3,258,402 : Electric discharge device for producing interaction between nuclei
• P.T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 3,386,883 : Method and apparatus for producing nuclear fusion reactions
• P.T. Farnsworth, U.S. Patent 3,664,920 : Electrostatic containment in fusion reactors

is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Multipaction is a process in which a charged particle inside a gap in a vacuum environment (or low pressure), oscillates due to the influence of an externally applied oscillating electric field of large strength, and every time it hits the gap walls it causes other charged particles to be released. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Note: Principles are mostly the same for cold cathode ion sources as in particle accelerators to create electrons. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing sustainable fusion power. ... Electrostatics is the branch of physics that deals with the force exerted by a static (i. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Farnsworth, Elma Gardner. (1989). Distant Vision: Romance & Discovery on an Invisible Frontier. Salt Lake City, Utah: Pemberley Kent Publishers. ISBN 0962327603
• Farnsworth, Russell. (2002). Philo T. Farnsworth: The Life of Television's Forgotten Inventor. Hockessin, Deleware: Mitchell Lane Publishers. 10-ISBN 1-584-15176-5; ISBN: 13-ISBN 978-1-584-15176-0 (cloth)
• Fisher, David E. and Marshall J., 1996. Tube, the Invention of Television. Washington D.C.: Counterpoint. ISBN 1-887178-17-1
• Godfrey, D. G., 2001. Philo T. Farnsworth: The Father of Television. University of Utah Press. ISBN 0-87480-675-5
• Schatzkin, Paul, 2002. The Boy Who Invented Television. Silver Spring MD: Teamcom Books. ISBN 1-928791-30-1
• Schwartz, Evan I., 2002. The Last Lone Inventor: A Tale of Genius, Deceit & the Birth of Television. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-060935-59-6
• Stashower, Daniel, 2002. The Boy Genius and the Mogul: The Untold Story of Television. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0759-0

External links

• The Farnsworth Invention (Broadway Play) Fact -v- Fiction
• Official Homepage: “Philo. T Farnsworth Archives” (managed by Farnsworth heirs)
• National Inventors Hall of Fame profile
• Philo Farnsworth photo archive
• Rigby, Idaho: Birthplace of Television (Jefferson County Historical Society and Museum)
• The Boy Who Invented Television; by Paul Schatzkin
• Television Timeline
• 1939 Farnsworth Article (from the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
• Philo Farnsworth's Gravesite
• YouTube video of Farnsworth on Television's "I've Got a Secret"
• The Farnsworth Invention on Broadway
• Archive of American Television oral history interview with Philo Farnsworth's widow, Elma "Pem" Farnsworth
• Switching to digital television