Misplaced Pages

Robert O. Becker: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:16, 15 May 2012 editOlavN (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users731 edits Removed notability tag after having included notability info.← Previous edit Latest revision as of 00:15, 1 December 2024 edit undoLost in Quebec (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users9,426 edits added Category:Academics from Syracuse, New York using HotCat 
(129 intermediate revisions by 71 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American orthopedic surgeon and researcher}}
'''Robert Otto Becker''' (May 31, 1923 − May 14, 2008) was a U.S. ] ] and researcher in ]/]. He worked mainly as professor at Upstate Medical Center in ], ], and as Director of ] at the ], Syracuse, New York.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times">{{cite news |title=Dr. Robert O. Becker |url=http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080529/OBIT01/622148355/-1/obit |newspaper=Watertown Daily Times |location=Watertown, New York |date=May 29, 2008 |accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite news |title=Robert Becker, 84, Raised Concerns Over Power Lines |author=Stephen Miller |first=Stephen |last=Miller |authorlink= |url= http://www.nysun.com/obituaries/robert-becker-84-raised-concerns-over-power-lines/79741/ |newspaper=The New York Sun |location=New York |date=June 11, 2008 |accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref>
{{COI|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Robert O. Becker
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = <!--(filename only, i.e. without "File:" prefix)-->
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date |1923|05|31}}
| birth_place = ]
| death_date = {{death date and age |2008|05|14 |1923|05|31}}
| death_place = ]
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}-->
| other_names =
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| fields = ]<br>]
| workplaces = Upstate Medical Center at ]<br>]
| patrons =
| education =
| alma_mater = ]<br>]
| thesis_title = <!--(or | thesis1_title = and | thesis2_title = )-->
| thesis_url = <!--(or | thesis1_url = and | thesis2_url = )-->
| thesis_year = <!--(or | thesis1_year = and | thesis2_year = )-->
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for = Father of Electromedicine<br>Electrochemically induced cellular regeneration
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards =
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| spouse = Lillian Janet Moller
| partner = <!--(or | partners = )-->
| children = 3
| signature = <!--(filename only)-->
| signature_alt =
| website = <!--{{URL|www.example.com}}-->
| footnotes =
}}


'''Robert Otto Becker''' (May 31, 1923 − May 14, 2008) was a U.S. ] ] and researcher in ]/]. He worked mainly as professor at Upstate Medical Center in ], ], and as Director of ] at the ], Syracuse, New York.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times">{{cite news |title=Dr. Robert O. Becker |url=http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080529/OBIT01/622148355/-1/obit |newspaper=Watertown Daily Times |location=Watertown, New York |date=May 29, 2008 |access-date=May 12, 2012 |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215123122/http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080529/OBIT01/622148355/-1/obit |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite news |title=Robert Becker, 84, Raised Concerns Over Power Lines |first=Stephen |last=Miller |url= http://www.nysun.com/obituaries/robert-becker-84-raised-concerns-over-power-lines/79741/ |newspaper=The New York Sun |location=New York |date=June 11, 2008 |access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>
The official of the former states: “For his contributions, Robert O. Becker MD was awarded the Middleton Award in 1964 by the U.S. Veteran's Administration, the Nicholas Andry Award by the American Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons in 1979, and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize.”


Becker was known for his work in ] and leading the early opposition to ].<ref name="Miller"/> He has been named as one of the most influential figures in the area of anti-] activism.<ref name="Burgess">{{cite book |last1=Burgess |first1=Adam |authorlink1= |title=Cellular Phones, Public Fears, and a Culture of Precaution |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=O9eo4AxHayEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate= |type= |edition= |series= |volume= |date= |year=2004 |month= |origyear= |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=9780521520829 |page=146 |chapter=Radiating Uncertainty |chapterurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=O9eo4AxHayEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> Becker was known for his work in ] and leading the early opposition to ].<ref name="Miller"/> He has been named as one of the most influential figures in the area of anti-] activism.<ref name="Burgess">{{cite book |last1=Burgess |first1=Adam |title=Cellular Phones, Public Fears, and a Culture of Precaution |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9eo4AxHayEC |access-date=May 12, 2012 |year=2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=9780521520829 |page=146 |chapter=Radiating Uncertainty |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9eo4AxHayEC&pg=PA146}}</ref>


==Early life== ==Early life==
Becker was born May 31, 1923 in ] to Otto Julius Becker and Elizabeth Blanck.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> He earned a bachelor's degree from ] in 1946 and a medical degree from the ] in 1948.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> Becker was an ] at New York's ], then completed a residency ] in ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> Serving in the ] from 1942 to 1946, he was a veteran of ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> Becker also served from 1951 to 1953 in the ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> Becker was born May 31, 1923, in ] to Otto Julius Becker and Elizabeth Blanck.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> He earned a bachelor's degree from ] in 1946 and a medical degree from the ] in 1948.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> Becker was an ] at New York's ], then completed a residency ] in ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/> Serving in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, during World War II.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> Becker also served from 1951 to 1953 in the ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/><ref name="Miller"/>


On September 14, 1946, Becker married Lillian Janet Moller in ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> They resided in ] and ] before settling in Syracuse in the late 1950s.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> There, Becker joined the ].<ref name="Miller"/> On September 14, 1946, Becker married Lillian Janet Moller in ].<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> They resided in ] and ] before settling in Syracuse in the late 1950s.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> There, Becker joined the ].<ref name="Miller"/>


==His research== ==Research==
Becker has been credited with furthering the awareness of the scientific community to the study of ]s in organisms.<ref name="Bischof">{{cite book |last1=Bischof |first1=Marco |editor1-first=Mae-Wan |editor1-last=Ho |editor1-link=Mae-Wan Ho |editor2-first=Fritz-Albert |editor2-last=Popp |editor2-link=Fritz-Albert Popp |editor3-first=Ulrich |editor3-last=Warnke |title=Bioelectrodynamics and Biocommunication |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxAfnxKMdPcC |access-date=May 16, 2012 |year=1994 |publisher=World Scientific Publishing Co. |location=Singapore |isbn=9789810216658 |page=21 |chapter=The History of Bioelectromagnetism: The Instrument Era |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxAfnxKMdPcC&pg=PA21}}</ref> His work showed that living ] and animals show a ] of ] which is measurable from their body surface.<ref name="Bischof"/> In the 1960s Becker's research also showed that living bone can ] generate electric potentials,<ref name="Bischof"/> which led to work on using electricity in the treatment of ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peltier |first1=Leonard F. |title=Fractures: A History and Iconography of Their Treatment |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kdBfBd5BdEwC |access-date=May 16, 2012 |year=1999 |orig-year=1990 |publisher=Norman Publishing |location=San Francisco |isbn=9780930405168 |page=205 |chapter=The Treatment of Ununited Fractures |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kdBfBd5BdEwC&pg=PA205}}</ref><!-- Corresponding primary source: {{cite journal |last=Bassett |first=C. Andrew L. |coauthors=Robert O. Becker |date=September 28, 1962 |title=Generation of electric potentials by bone in response to mechanical stress. |journal=Science |volume=137 |issue=3535 |pages=1063-4 |pmid=13865637 |doi=10.1126/science.137.3535.1063}} --> Ultimately, however, the use of ] for increasing bone healing has not been shown to be effective.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mollon B, da Silva V, Busse JW, Einhorn TA, Bhandari M |title=Electrical stimulation for long-bone fracture-healing: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |journal=J Bone Joint Surg Am |volume=90 |issue=11 |pages=2322–30 |date=November 2008 |pmid=18978400 |doi=10.2106/JBJS.H.00111 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Kooistra BW, Jain A,1 and Hanson BP |title=Electrical stimulation: Nonunions |journal=Indian J Orthop |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=149–55 |date=April–June 2009 |doi=10.4103/0019-5413.50849 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024|doi-access=free|pmid=19838363 |pmc=2762246 }}</ref>
{{undue|section|date=May 2012}}


Becker believed that ] could occur from ] (ELF) waves.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Irwin|first1= Harvey J|last2= Watt|first2= Caroline|title= An introduction to parapsychology|date= 2007|location= ]|publisher= ]|edition= 5th|page= 125|isbn= 9780786430598|oclc= 76828975|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xmorAwAAQBAJ |access-date= 2017-01-19}}</ref>
The work of Becker has shown that living ] and animals show a ] of ] which is measurable from their body surface. In the 1960s his research also showed that living bone can ] generate electric potentials.<ref>Mae-Wan Ho, Fritz Albert Popp, Ulrich Warnke ''Bioelectrodynamics and biocommunication'' 1994, p. 21</ref>


===The Body Electric===
Becker believed that ] could occur from ] (ELF) waves.<ref>Harvey J. Irwin, Caroline Watt ''An Introduction to Parapsychology'' 2007, p. 125</ref>
{{for|other books|Body Electric (disambiguation)}}
'''''The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life''''' is a 1985 book by Becker and Gary Selden in which Becker, an orthopedic surgeon at ] working for the ], described his research into "our bioelectric selves".<ref>{{cite web | last=Howe | first=LM | title=British Cell Phone Safety Alert and An Interview with Robert O. Becker, M. D. | publisher=Council on Wireless Technology Impacts | date=2000-05-15 | url=http://www.wirelessimpacts.org/science/becker.html | accessdate=2012-04-06 }}</ref>

==Overview==
{{Fringe theories|section|date=May 2012|reason=This section uncritically paraphrases the beliefs of Becker.}}
The first part of the book discusses ], primarily in ]s and ]s. Becker studied regeneration after ]s such as limb ], and hypothesized that ]s played an important role in controlling the regeneration process. He mapped the ]s at various body parts during the regeneration, showing that the central part of the body normally was positive, and the limbs were negative. When a limb of a salamander or frog was amputated, the voltage at the cut (measured relative to the central part of the body) changed from about -10 mV (]s) to +20 mV or more the next day—a phenomenon called ''the ]''. In a frog, the voltage would simply change to the normal negative level in four weeks or so, and no limb regeneration would take place. In a salamander, however, the voltage would during the first two weeks change from the +20 mV to -30 mV, and then normalize (to -10 mV) during the next two weeks—and the limb would be regenerated.

Becker then found that regeneration could be improved by applying electricity at the wound when there was a negative potential outside the amputation stub. He also found that bone has ] properties which would cause an application of force to generate a healing current, which stimulated growth at stress locations in accordance with ].

In another part of the book Becker described potentials and ]s in the nervous system, taking into account external influences like ] and ]s. He measured the electrical properties along the skin surface, and concluded that at least the major parts of the ] charts had an objective basis in reality.

In the last chapters of the book, Becker recounts his experiences as a member of an expert committee evaluating the physiological hazards of various ]s. He presents research data which indicate that the deleterious effects are stronger than officially assumed. His contention is that the experts choosing the ] are strongly influenced by the polluting industry.

In 1998 Becker filed a patent for an ] system for stimulation of ] and ].<ref>{{Cite patent|title=Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration|pubdate=1998-09-29|country=US|number=5814094|inventor1-last=Becker|inventor1-first=Robert O.|inventor2-last=Flick|inventor2-first=A. Bartholomew|inventor3-last=Becker|inventor3-first=Adam J.}}</ref>

The title of the book is a reference to the fiction anthology ] by ], itself a reference to the ] of the same name by ].

=== Response ===
'']'' called it "a highly informative book ... for educated lay readers".<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Reiser F, Fletcher J, Fialkoff F, Schwarzer A, Sutton J, Cameron J |title=The Body Electric (Book) |journal=Library Journal |type=serial online |date=February 15, 1985 |issue=3 |volume=110 |page=174 |publisher=Academic Search Complete |location=Ipswich, MA <!-- access-date=28 May 2012 -->}}</ref> '']'' said that "speculative and heated" conclusions "vitiate much of the interesting, well-documented material".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/breyten-breytenbach-3/the-body-electric-electromagnetism-and-the-foun/ |title=The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life |date=19 February 1984 |website=] |access-date=2022-06-30}}</ref> '']'' found that it was superficially well-told but with basic scientific errors and showing a lack of knowledge about recent biology.<ref name="Adey">{{cite journal | last=Adey |first=W. Ross |author-link=:fr:W. Ross Adey | title=The Energy Around Us | journal=] | year=1986 | volume=26 | issue=1 | pages=52–58 | doi=10.1002/j.2326-1951.1986.tb02827.x}}</ref> A short-form review in '']'' said it "ends with a proposal for a new ]."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Science & Technology; Science in short |date=21 April 1985 |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/21/books/science-technology-science-in-short-179900.html |access-date=30 Jan 2013}}</ref>

==Awards==
In 1964, Becker received the ] from ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.research.va.gov/services/blrd/research-awards.cfm|title=VA BLR&D Research Awards |author=Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development |author-link=Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development |publisher=U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> The official research history of the SUNY Upstate Medical Center also states that Becker was awarded "the Nicolas Andry Award by the American Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons in 1979".<ref></ref>


==Later life== ==Later life==
In the years prior to his death, Becker lived in ].<ref name="Miller"/> He died in Lowville's Lewis County General Hospital due to complications of ] on May 14, 2008.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/> He was survived by his wife, three children, and two grandchildren.<ref name="Miller"/> In the years prior to his death, Becker lived in ].<ref name="Miller"/> He died in Lowville's Lewis County General Hospital due to complications of ] on May 14, 2008.<ref name="Watertown Daily Times"/>


==Published works== ==Published works==
;Books '''Books'''
* ''The Body Electric. Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life'' (with Gary Selden). Morrow, New York 1985, ISBN 0-688-06971-1 * ''Electromagnetism and Life.'' State University of New York Press, Albany 1982, {{ISBN|0-87395-560-9}}
* ''The Body Electric. Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life'' (with Gary Selden). Morrow, New York 1985, {{ISBN|0-688-06971-1}} <!-- | publisher = ] | release_date = 1985 | pages = 368 | isbn = 0-688-06971-1 | dewey= 591.19/127 19 | congress= QP82.2.E43 B4 1985 | oclc= 14273458 | image = The Body Electric (book).jpg | author = ] and ] -->
* ''Electromagnetism and Life.'' State University of New York Press, Albany 1982, ISBN 0-87395-560-9
* ''Cross Currents. The Promise of Electromedicine, the Perils of Electropollution.'' Torcher, Los Angeles 1990, ISBN 0-87477-536-1 * ''Cross Currents. The Promise of Electromedicine, the Perils of Electropollution.'' Torcher, Los Angeles 1990, {{ISBN|0-87477-536-1}}


;As publisher '''As publisher'''
* ''Mechanisms of Growth Control,'' edited by Robert O. Becker. Thomas, Springfield 1981, ISBN 0-398-04469-4 * ''Mechanisms of Growth Control,'' edited by Robert O. Becker. Thomas, Springfield 1981, {{ISBN|0-398-04469-4}}


;Selected papers '''Selected papers'''
] contains 91 listings for Becker RO. The listings below are those for which Becker is first author. ] contains 91 listings for Becker RO. The listings below are some of those for which Becker is first author.
*. Becker RO. Science. 1961 Jul 14;134(3472):101-2.
*The electrical response of human skeletal muscle to passive stretch. BECKER RO. Surg Forum. 1960;10:828-31.
*. Becker RO, Bachman CH, Slaughter WH. Nature. 1962 Nov 17;196:675-6.
*A modified coaxial electrode for electromyography. BECKER RO, CHAMBERLIN JT. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1960 Apr;41:149-51.
*. Becker RO. Nature. 14 January 1972;235(5333):109-11.
*The bioelectric field pattern in the salamander and its simulation by an electronic analog. BECKER RO. IRE Trans Med Electron. 1960 Jul;ME-7:202-7.
*. Becker RO. Nature. 1963 Sep 28;199:1304-5.
*The bioelectric factors in amphibian-limb regeneration. BECKER RO. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1961 Jul;43-A:643-56. No abstract available.
*. Becker RO, Brown FM. Nature. 1965 Jun 26;206(991):1325-8.
*. Becker RO. Science. 1961 Jul 14;134(3472):101-2.
*The direct current control system. A link between environment and organism. BECKER RO, BACHMAN CH, FRIEDMAN H. N Y State J Med. 1962 Apr 15;62:1169-76.
*. BECKER RO, BACHMAN CH, SLAUGHTER WH. Nature. 1962 Nov 17;196:675-6.
*Relationship of geomagnetic environment to human biology. BECKER RO. N Y State J Med. 1963 Aug 1;63:2215-9.
*. BECKER RO. Nature. 1963 Sep 28;199:1304-5.
*. Becker RO, Brown FM. Nature. 1965 Jun 26;206(991):1325-8.
*Bioelectric effects in tissue. Becker RO, Bachman CH. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1965 Nov-Dec;43:251-3.
*The control system governing bone growth in response to mechanical stress. Becker RO. J Ark Med Soc. 1966 Mar;62(10):404-6.
*. Becker RO, Marino AA. Nature. 1966 May 7;210(5036):583-8. *. Becker RO, Marino AA. Nature. 1966 May 7;210(5036):583-8.
*A method for producing cellular dedifferentiation by means of very small electrical currents. Becker RO, Murray DG. Trans N Y Acad Sci. 1967 Mar;29(5):606-15.
*The electrical control of growth processes. Becker RO. Med Times. 1967 Jun;95(6):657-69.
*The trace elements of human bone. Becker RO, Spadaro JA, Berg EW. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1968 Mar;50(2):326-34
*The electrical control system regulating fracture healing in amphibians. Becker RO, Murray DG. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1970 Nov-Dec;73:169-98
*. Becker RO. Nature. 1972 Jan 14;235(5333):109-11. *. Becker RO. Nature. 1972 Jan 14;235(5333):109-11.
*. Becker RO, Spadaro JA. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1972 May;48(4):627-41.
*Augmentation of regenerative healing in man. A possible alternative to prosthetic implantation. Becker RO. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1972 Mar-Apr;83:255-62.
*. Becker RO, Spadaro JA. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1972 May;48(4):627-41.
*The basic biological data transmission and control system influenced by electrical forces. Becker RO. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1974;238:236-41
*Panel discussion: The role of electrical potential at the cellular level in growth and development. Becker RO, Cone CD, Jaffe LF, Parsegian VA, Pohl HA, Weiss L. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1974;238:451-6
*. Becker RO, Chapin S, Sherry R. Nature. 1974 Mar 8;248(444):145-7. *. Becker RO, Chapin S, Sherry R. Nature. 1974 Mar 8;248(444):145-7.
*The current status of electrically stimulated bone growth. Becker RO. ONA J. 1975 Feb;2(2):35-6
*Clinical experiences with low intensity direct current stimulation of bone growth. Becker RO, Spadaro JA, Marino AA. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1977 May;(124):75-83.
*Treatment of orthopaedic infections with electrically generated silver ions. A preliminary report. Becker RO, Spadaro JA. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1978 Oct;60(7):871-81.
*Electrical osteogenesis--pro and con. Becker RO. Calcif Tissue Res. 1978 Dec 8;26(2):93-7.
*The significance of electrically stimulated osteogenesis: more questions than answers. Becker RO. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1979 Jun;(141):266-74.
*Electrostimulation and undetected malignant tumors. Becker RO, Esper C. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1981 Nov-Dec;(161):336-9
*Electromagnetism and the revolution in medicine. Becker RO. Acupunct Electrother Res. 1987;12(1):75-9.
*Silver ions in the treatment of local infections. Becker RO. Met Based Drugs. 1999;6(4-5):311-4.
*Induced dedifferentiation: a possible alternative to embryonic stem cell transplants. Becker RO. NeuroRehabilitation. 2002;17(1):23-31.
*Exploring new horizons in electromedicine. Becker RO. J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Feb;10(1):17-8.


==Patents==
Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration US 5814094 A 1998<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US5814094 | title=Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* {{section link|Electromagnetic radiation and health|Electric power transmission}}
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
Line 74: Line 118:
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


{{Authority control}}
==External links==
*
*


{{Persondata
| NAME = Becker, Robert Otto
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Researcher in electromedicine
| DATE OF BIRTH = May 31, 1923
| PLACE OF BIRTH = River Edge, New Jersey
| DATE OF DEATH = May 14, 2008
| PLACE OF DEATH = Lowville, New York
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Robert O.}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Robert O.}}

] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 00:15, 1 December 2024

American orthopedic surgeon and researcher
A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Misplaced Pages's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Robert O. Becker
Born(1923-05-31)May 31, 1923
River Edge, New Jersey
DiedMay 14, 2008(2008-05-14) (aged 84)
Lowville, New York
Alma materGettysburg College
New York University School of Medicine
Known forFather of Electromedicine
Electrochemically induced cellular regeneration
SpouseLillian Janet Moller
Children3
Scientific career
Fieldsbioelectricity
electromedicine
InstitutionsUpstate Medical Center at State University of New York
Veterans Administration Hospital

Robert Otto Becker (May 31, 1923 − May 14, 2008) was a U.S. orthopedic surgeon and researcher in electrophysiology/electromedicine. He worked mainly as professor at Upstate Medical Center in State University of New York, Syracuse, and as Director of Orthopedic Surgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Syracuse, New York.

Becker was known for his work in bioelectricity and leading the early opposition to high-voltage power lines. He has been named as one of the most influential figures in the area of anti-EMF activism.

Early life

Becker was born May 31, 1923, in River Edge, New Jersey to Otto Julius Becker and Elizabeth Blanck. He earned a bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College in 1946 and a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine in 1948. Becker was an intern at New York's Bellevue Hospital, then completed a residency Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire. Serving in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, during World War II. Becker also served from 1951 to 1953 in the United States Army Medical Corps.

On September 14, 1946, Becker married Lillian Janet Moller in New Canaan, Connecticut. They resided in New York City and Valley Stream, New York before settling in Syracuse in the late 1950s. There, Becker joined the SUNY Upstate Medical Center.

Research

Becker has been credited with furthering the awareness of the scientific community to the study of electric potentials in organisms. His work showed that living organisms and animals show a direct current of electric charge which is measurable from their body surface. In the 1960s Becker's research also showed that living bone can piezoelectrically generate electric potentials, which led to work on using electricity in the treatment of ununited fractures. Ultimately, however, the use of electrotherapy for increasing bone healing has not been shown to be effective.

Becker believed that extrasensory perception could occur from extremely low frequency (ELF) waves.

The Body Electric

For other books, see Body Electric (disambiguation).

The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life is a 1985 book by Becker and Gary Selden in which Becker, an orthopedic surgeon at SUNY Upstate working for the Veterans Administration, described his research into "our bioelectric selves".

Overview

This section may present fringe theories, without giving appropriate weight to the mainstream view and explaining the responses to the fringe theories. Please help improve it or discuss the issue on the talk page. (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The first part of the book discusses regeneration, primarily in salamanders and frogs. Becker studied regeneration after lesions such as limb amputation, and hypothesized that electric fields played an important role in controlling the regeneration process. He mapped the electric potentials at various body parts during the regeneration, showing that the central part of the body normally was positive, and the limbs were negative. When a limb of a salamander or frog was amputated, the voltage at the cut (measured relative to the central part of the body) changed from about -10 mV (millivolts) to +20 mV or more the next day—a phenomenon called the current of injury. In a frog, the voltage would simply change to the normal negative level in four weeks or so, and no limb regeneration would take place. In a salamander, however, the voltage would during the first two weeks change from the +20 mV to -30 mV, and then normalize (to -10 mV) during the next two weeks—and the limb would be regenerated.

Becker then found that regeneration could be improved by applying electricity at the wound when there was a negative potential outside the amputation stub. He also found that bone has piezoelectric properties which would cause an application of force to generate a healing current, which stimulated growth at stress locations in accordance with Wolff's law.

In another part of the book Becker described potentials and magnetic fields in the nervous system, taking into account external influences like earth magnetism and solar winds. He measured the electrical properties along the skin surface, and concluded that at least the major parts of the acupuncture charts had an objective basis in reality.

In the last chapters of the book, Becker recounts his experiences as a member of an expert committee evaluating the physiological hazards of various electromagnetic pollutions. He presents research data which indicate that the deleterious effects are stronger than officially assumed. His contention is that the experts choosing the pollution limits are strongly influenced by the polluting industry.

In 1998 Becker filed a patent for an iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration.

The title of the book is a reference to the fiction anthology I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury, itself a reference to the poem of the same name by Walt Whitman.

Response

Library Journal called it "a highly informative book ... for educated lay readers". Kirkus Reviews said that "speculative and heated" conclusions "vitiate much of the interesting, well-documented material". The Sciences found that it was superficially well-told but with basic scientific errors and showing a lack of knowledge about recent biology. A short-form review in The New York Times said it "ends with a proposal for a new vitalism."

Awards

In 1964, Becker received the William S. Middleton Award from the research and development agency of the United States Veterans Health Administration. The official research history of the SUNY Upstate Medical Center also states that Becker was awarded "the Nicolas Andry Award by the American Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons in 1979".

Later life

In the years prior to his death, Becker lived in Lowville, New York. He died in Lowville's Lewis County General Hospital due to complications of pneumonia on May 14, 2008.

Published works

Books

  • Electromagnetism and Life. State University of New York Press, Albany 1982, ISBN 0-87395-560-9
  • The Body Electric. Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life (with Gary Selden). Morrow, New York 1985, ISBN 0-688-06971-1
  • Cross Currents. The Promise of Electromedicine, the Perils of Electropollution. Torcher, Los Angeles 1990, ISBN 0-87477-536-1

As publisher

  • Mechanisms of Growth Control, edited by Robert O. Becker. Thomas, Springfield 1981, ISBN 0-398-04469-4

Selected papers PubMed contains 91 listings for Becker RO. The listings below are some of those for which Becker is first author.

Patents

Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration US 5814094 A 1998

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dr. Robert O. Becker". Watertown Daily Times. Watertown, New York. May 29, 2008. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  2. ^ Miller, Stephen (June 11, 2008). "Robert Becker, 84, Raised Concerns Over Power Lines". The New York Sun. New York. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  3. Burgess, Adam (2004). "Radiating Uncertainty". Cellular Phones, Public Fears, and a Culture of Precaution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 146. ISBN 9780521520829. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  4. ^ Bischof, Marco (1994). "The History of Bioelectromagnetism: The Instrument Era". In Ho, Mae-Wan; Popp, Fritz-Albert; Warnke, Ulrich (eds.). Bioelectrodynamics and Biocommunication. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. p. 21. ISBN 9789810216658. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  5. Peltier, Leonard F. (1999) . "The Treatment of Ununited Fractures". Fractures: A History and Iconography of Their Treatment. San Francisco: Norman Publishing. p. 205. ISBN 9780930405168. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  6. Mollon B, da Silva V, Busse JW, Einhorn TA, Bhandari M (November 2008). "Electrical stimulation for long-bone fracture-healing: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". J Bone Joint Surg Am. 90 (11): 2322–30. doi:10.2106/JBJS.H.00111. PMID 18978400.
  7. Kooistra BW, Jain A,1 and Hanson BP (April–June 2009). "Electrical stimulation: Nonunions". Indian J Orthop. 43 (2): 149–55. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.50849 (inactive 1 November 2024). PMC 2762246. PMID 19838363.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. Irwin, Harvey J; Watt, Caroline (2007). An introduction to parapsychology (5th ed.). Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Company. p. 125. ISBN 9780786430598. OCLC 76828975. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  9. Howe, LM (2000-05-15). "British Cell Phone Safety Alert and An Interview with Robert O. Becker, M. D." Council on Wireless Technology Impacts. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  10. US 5814094, Becker, Robert O.; Flick, A. Bartholomew & Becker, Adam J., "Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration", published 1998-09-29 
  11. Reiser F, Fletcher J, Fialkoff F, Schwarzer A, Sutton J, Cameron J (February 15, 1985). "The Body Electric (Book)". Library Journal (serial online). 110 (3). Ipswich, MA: Academic Search Complete: 174.
  12. "The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life". Kirkus Reviews. 19 February 1984. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  13. Adey, W. Ross (1986). "The Energy Around Us". The Sciences. 26 (1): 52–58. doi:10.1002/j.2326-1951.1986.tb02827.x.
  14. "Science & Technology; Science in short". The New York Times. 21 April 1985. Retrieved 30 Jan 2013.
  15. Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development. "VA BLR&D Research Awards". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  16. SUNY Upstate Department of Orthopedic Surgery Research History
  17. "Iontopheretic system for stimulation of tissue healing and regeneration".
Categories: