Full Spectrum Lighting

Noted for his development of this full spectrum lighting, Dr. Ott was originally a banker but his real love was time-lapse movie photography, of plants, which was his hobby.  He began to get more serious in 1930s when he built more and more time-lapse equipment, along with a greenhouse. He discovered that the movement of plants were able to be manipulated, when he found out that the water amount made the difference. He also discovered the sex of the plant could be changed also, by varying the light source color-temperature.  The film, “Dancing Flowers” was completed in 1950s with time-lapse plants dancing up and down to match pre-recorded music. This research was part of the studies being done on full spectrum lighting.

While Dr. Ott studied the full spectrum lighting research, he began to identify the effects that artificial light had on the animals and plants, and their need for natural light in their growth. In the next 40 years, he continued his research into the effects that sunlight had on the learning and behavior of children, among many other similar researches.  His experiments with different colored lighting systems led him to many avenues. He found the full spectrum affected mental health and reduced negative behavior in prisons and mental health facilities.  He was an advocate for natural sunlight in our lives, and felt the need for full spectrum lighting sunlight for every one of us.

Sun is an important part of the full spectrum lighting process, and our bodies need a small amount of it to function properly every day without over-doing it. .  Dr. Ott found that the sun was a nutrient for the people and we needed to be out in it for about one hour per day with no sun blocker or sunglasses.  The full spectrum lighting study done by Dr. Ott demonstrates the importance of the sun and its effect on our body.