- In full:
- Valerie LaVerne Thomas
- Born:
- February 8, 1943, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. (age 83)
- Inventions:
- illusion transmitter
Valerie Thomas
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Who is Valerie Thomas?
Valerie Thomas (born in 1943) is an American scientist and inventor. While working at NASA, she invented the illusion transmitter, which transmits three-dimensional images, or holograms, that appear to be real. She also helped develop processing software to convert scientific data captured by satellites into information that scientists could use.
Thomas's interest in electronics, mathematics, and physics started at an early age. She graduated from Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1964. In 1980, she received a patent for the illusion transmitter. NASA subsequently used the technology in some of its satellite applications.
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What is Valerie Thomas known for?
Valerie Thomas (born in 1943) is an American scientist and inventor. While working at NASA, she invented the illusion transmitter, which transmits three-dimensional images, or holograms, that appear real, receiving a patent for it in 1980. NASA has used this technology in its satellite applications. Thomas also helped develop processing software to convert scientific data captured by satellites into usable information. She encouraged African Americans and girls to pursue science and was active in STEM organizations.
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What important invention did Valerie Thomas create?
Valerie Thomas, an American scientist and inventor, is best known for inventing the illusion transmitter while working at NASA. Patented in 1980, this device transmits three-dimensional images, or holograms, that appear real by using concave mirrors to create an optical illusion. NASA has since utilized this technology in its satellite applications. Thomas also contributed to developing processing software that transforms satellite-captured scientific data into practical information for scientists.
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How did Valerie Thomas's invention impact science or technology?
Valerie Thomas, an American scientist and inventor, significantly impacted science and technology through her work at NASA. She invented the illusion transmitter, which transmits three-dimensional images, or holograms, that appear real. NASA has used this technology in its satellite applications. Additionally, Thomas helped develop processing software to convert scientific data captured by satellites into usable information for scientists. She also led the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment, which found ways to use satellite images to monitor wheat yields.
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Where did Valerie Thomas work during her career?
During her career, Valerie Thomas worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where she started as a data analyst. She analyzed data from the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory and helped develop the image-processing system for NASA’s Landsat program. Thomas invented the illusion transmitter, a system to transmit three-dimensional images, and NASA used this technology in its satellite applications. She also served as the computer facility manager for NASA’s National Space Science Data Center and project manager of the agency’s Space Physics Analysis Network. Thomas retired from NASA in 1995 as associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office.
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How has Valerie Thomas inspired others in science and technology fields?
Valerie Thomas has inspired many in science and technology, especially African Americans and girls, by actively encouraging them to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Despite facing challenges as an African American woman in a racially segregated society where girls were not encouraged to study electronics, mathematics, and physics, she achieved academic success and earned a bachelor's degree in physics in 1964. Thomas was also active in STEM organizations such as Women in Science and Engineering and Shades of Blue, which focuses on aviation and aerospace. She also worked as a substitute teacher.
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Valerie Thomas (born February 8, 1943, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.) is an American scientist and inventor who, while working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), invented a way to transmit three-dimensional images, or holograms, that appear to be real. In addition, she helped to develop processing software to convert scientific data captured by satellites into information that scientists could use.
From an early age, Thomas was interested in electronics, mathematics, and physics despite the fact that girls were not encouraged to study those subjects. Moreover, because she was an African American in a racially segregated society, she had fewer educational opportunities than white students. Nevertheless, she was academically successful in high school and attended Morgan State College (now Morgan State University), a historically Black college. In 1964 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics.
Thomas subsequently began working as a data analyst at NASA. One of her early roles was analyzing data from the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory, a series of scientific satellites that the United States launched in the 1960s. In the 1970s Thomas helped to develop the image-processing system for NASA’s Landsat, a program involving uncrewed scientific satellites designed to collect information about Earth’s natural resources. The satellites carried various types of cameras, including those with infrared sensors. Thomas served as leader of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment, a program that researched and developed ways to monitor wheat yields around the world by using Landsat images.
In 1976 Thomas became intrigued by 3D illusions after viewing a demonstration in which a light bulb seemed to stay lit even after being removed from a lamp. The illusion was created by means of a concave mirror reflecting a second light bulb. Thomas began experimenting, and she soon invented the illusion transmitter, for which she received a patent in 1980. The transmission system uses a video recorder to take a picture of a floating image in front of a concave mirror. The video image is sent to a second camera, which projects the image in front of a second concave mirror. This process creates the optical illusion of a 3D image. NASA subsequently used the technology in some of its satellite applications.
Thomas continued to work at NASA throughout the 1980s. In 1985 she earned a master’s degree in engineering administration from George Washington University. That same year she served as the computer facility manager for NASA’s National Space Science Data Center. In 1986 she became project manager of the agency’s Space Physics Analysis Network, which was created to help scientists share data and collaborate on space-related topics. Before retiring from NASA in 1995, Thomas held the position of associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office.
In 2004 Thomas received a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. Throughout her life she encouraged young people, especially African Americans and girls, to pursue a science education. She was active in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) organizations such as Women in Science and Engineering and Shades of Blue, which focuses on aviation and aerospace. Thomas also worked as a substitute teacher.