Nelson, John

views updated May 18 2018

Nelson, John

John Nelson, a radio engineer specializing in the study of shortwave radio propagation, made discoveries that have had a profound effect upon the study of contemporary astrology. As an employee of the Radio Corporation of America, he had the task of exploring the fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field that affected communications systems. If those fluctuations could be understood and predicted, then steps could be taken to diminish their effects.

Disturbances in the magnetic field were directly tied to the magnetic storms on the Sun. The one factor that correlated with magnetic disturbances on the Sun was the position of the planets relative to the Sun. When two planets were either lined up with the Sun (what in astrology is termed an opposition) or at a 90-degree angle (a square), there would be disturbances. However, when the planets were at 120 degrees (trine) or 60 degrees (sextile), disturbances were noticeably quiet. Nelson eventually found that he could predict the disturbances on the sun with better than 90 percent accuracy. His results were published in several scientific articles at the beginning of the 1950s.

Nelson's work, while not directly related to astrology, was soon recognized as supportive of some significant conclusions of astrology. Traditionally, astrologers had suggested that oppositions and squares in a horoscope represented more negative aspects while trines and sextiles were more favorable. Nelson's research became a major element in the current scientific argument for astrology, but more recent attempts to replicate it have proven unsuccessful. Although many of his specific findings have been discarded, his work provided the foundation upon which additional research has been conducted concerning the relationship between planetary configuration and sunspot activity.

Nelson's work (and the work that followed from it) concerned the relationship of planets to the Sun, not to the Earth, as in the average horoscope, which is drawn with the Earth in the center. Such work provided additional impetus to the creation of a heliocentric (or Sun-centered) astrology. With the development of the computer in the last generation, such a heliocentric horoscope has become as simple to draw as has the traditional horoscope, and several astrologers have begun creating such a system of planetary interpretation.

Sources:

Nelson, John H. "Planetary Position Effect on Short Wave Signal Quality." Electrical Engineering 71, no. 5 ((May 1952): 421-24.

. "Shortwave Radio Propagation Correlation with Planetary Positions." RCA Review 12 (March 1951): 26-34.

Seymour, Percy. The Scientific Basis of Astrology. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.

West, John Anthony, and Jan Gerhard Toonder. The Case for Astrology. New York: Coward-McCann, 1970.

Nelson, John

views updated May 29 2018

NELSON, JOHN

John Nelson was a prominent U.S. lawyer, congressman, and diplomat who served as attorney general of the United States under President john tyler.

Nelson was born on June 1, 1791 (some sources say 1794), in Frederick County, Maryland. As a young boy, he was educated by private tutors; subsequently, he entered the College of William and Mary at Williamsburg, Virginia. He graduated in 1811 and went on to study law with attorneys in both Virginia and Maryland. He was admitted to the bar in 1813 and established a practice in his hometown.

In 1820 Nelson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. He

took the oath of office on March 4, 1821, and served until March 3, 1823. He did not run for reelection but did support Andrew Jackson's presidential bid in 1828.

Over the next two decades, Nelson served the U.S. government in a number of unofficial capacities. He received the first of his official appointments from President Jackson in 1831, when he was named to a diplomatic post in Naples. He served as U.S. charge d'affaires (charge d'affaires is a title accorded lower-level diplomats) to Two Sicilies from October 24, 1831, to October 15, 1832. (The Two Sicilies was an independent Bourbon/Spanish-ruled kingdom located in southern Italy prior to that country's unification in the mid-1860s. The kingdom's capital was Naples.)

When Tyler assumed the presidency following the death of President william h. harrison, he named Nelson attorney general of the United States. Nelson held a cabinet post as secretary of state ad interim at the same time. (The position of attorney general was not a cabinet-level post at the time.) Nelson served in both capacities from 1843 to 1845.

In his later years, Nelson resumed the practice of law in Baltimore, Maryland. He died there on January 8, 1860 and is buried at Baltimore's Greenmount Cemetery.

further readings

Monroe, Dan. 2002. The Republican Vision of John Tyler. San Antonio: Texas A&M Univ. Press.

Peterson, Normal. 1989. The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. Lawrence: Univ. Press of Kansas.

Nelson, John 1968-

views updated May 29 2018

Nelson, John 1968-

PERSONAL

Birth name Johnollie Nelson; born May 29, 1968, in Harlem, NY.

Addresses:

Agent—Pacific West Artists, 12500 Riverside Dr., North Hollywood, CA 91607.

Career:

Actor.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Guy by window, Fall, MGM, 1997.

Dexter, Fat Chance, Twelve Point, 1999.

Tyrese, Circles (also known as Proof Positive), 2001.

Louis Rodriguez, Ali, Columbia, 2001.

Art curator, Sexgunsmoney@20, 2002.

Bailiff, Red Herring (video), 2002.

Bob, My Life with Morrissey (video), Pop Twist, 2003.

Thug number two, Compton Cowboy, Relish, 2004.

Statistician, Hitch, Columbia, 2005.

Wally, Secret Santa Deluxe, Big Film, 2005.

Warren, More Than a Woman, Cambria Park, 2005.

New World Order policeman number one, Heaven or Hell?: Heaven!-The Mark 666 & the New World Order (video), CustomFlix, 2005.

Dexter, Rapture, Katz, 2006.

Scorpio, The Legend of Simon Conjurer, Crystal Sky, 2006.

Oliver Samuels, Sides, 2007.

Joseph, Doing the L.A. Thing, JBOMeccations, 2007.

Schlock Master, The Final Song, Crystal Sky, 2008.

Dell, Surrender (video), Cinetic, 2008.

Film Work:

Automated dialogue replacement (ADR), The Final Song, Crystal Sky, 2008.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Street music producer, Off the Hook (also known as Bouncer), Starz, 1999.

Farmer, Their Eyes Were Watching God (also known as Oprah Winfrey Presents Their Eyes Were Watching God), ABC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Club owner, "All in the Family," New York Undercover (also known as Uptown Undercover), Fox, 1995.

Hat guy, "Ass Pants," Apt. 2F, MTV, 1997.

Vendor, "Pearce's New Buddy," LateLine, NBC, 1998.

SWAT team member, "Bomb Squad," Upright Citizens Brigade, Comedy Channel, 1999.

Lifeguard, "Supercool," Upright Citizens Brigade, Comedy Channel, 1999.

Boyfriend, "Playing Possum," One on One, UPN, 2001.

Black Panther, "House Arrest," The Orlando Jones Show, FX Channel, 2003.

Reunion member, "The One Where the Stripper Cries," Friends, NBC, 2004.

Prankster, "Sonasha and Keedar/Brandon and Sabrina," Hell Date, Black Entertainment Television, 2007.

Prankster, "Wandering Eye," Hell Date, Black Entertainment Television, 2007.

Nelson, John

views updated May 21 2018

Nelson, John (b San José, Costa Rica, 1941). Amer. conductor. Cond. NY concert perf. of Les Troyens 1972. Opera stage début NY City Opera 1972 (Carmen). NY Met début 1973. Cond. Amer. première of Owen Wingrave, Santa Fe 1973. Mus. dir. Indianapolis SO 1977–88, Opera Th. of St Louis 1985–92.