"The Isolator" helmet

The Isolator was a helmet created by Hugo Gernsback in 1925 to reduce distractions.[1][2]

The Isolator was first introduced in the July 1925 edition of the American Physical Society magazine, with which Gernsback was affiliated.[1][3] The helmet was first created using wood and felt.[4] The mouth of the helmet had a baffle for breathing and had three pieces of glass that so users could see outside.[5] It was deemed successful, but Gernsback had estimated that it was only "75%" efficient and said it did not keep out all sounds.[6] Gernsback re-designed the device without wood and cut white lines into the glass so users could see out of the helmet. Gernsback said that the new design was 90-95% efficient and kept out almost all sounds.[6][7] However, Gernsback also noted that the helmet could only be worn for about 15 minutes at a time as the user would become drowsy.[8][9] Gernsback then added an oxygen tank to assist the user with breathing while wearing the helmet.[6][10]

Gernsback later patented "The Isolator".[3] While he had deemed the item to be a "great investment", the item had disappeared by 1926 after only eleven helmets were created.[11]

The Isolator later inspired the Helmfon, another noise-blocking helmet.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 This Vintage Anti-Distraction Helmet Looks Like a Creepy Horror Show Prop, Interesting Engineering, 2017, retrieved 12 April 2023
  2. ↑ Poole, Steven (2017). Rethink: The Surprising History of New Ideas. Scribner. p. 106. ISBN 9781501145612.
  3. 1 2 Goran, David (2015), "The Isolator" – A bizarre helmet from 1925 designed to improve work productivity, The Vintage News, retrieved 12 April 2023
  4. ↑ Put on This "Thinking Cap" When You Want to Concentrate, Times Signal, 1925, retrieved 12 April 2023
  5. ↑ The Isolator: A 1925 Helmet Designed to Eliminate Distractions & Increase Productivity, Open Culture, 2021, retrieved 12 April 2023
  6. 1 2 3 Gernsback, Hugo (1925), The Isolator: Science and Invention, Vol. 13, No. 3, July 1925, Science and Invention, retrieved 12 April 2023
  7. ↑ Electrical Experimenter, Volume 13. Experimenter Publishing Company. 1925. pp. 214, 281.
  8. ↑ Gernsback, Hugo (2016). The Perversity of Things: Hugo Gernsback on Media, Tinkering and Scientifiction. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9781452953144.
  9. ↑ The Isolator helmet is what every writer needs, Vintage Everyday, 2017, retrieved 12 April 2023
  10. ↑ Nucilli, Ryleigh (2021), 'The Isolator' Was A Terrifying Helmet Invented To Help You Concentrate, Ranker, retrieved 12 April 2023
  11. ↑ Emmerling, John (2018), How They Fought Writer's Block In the Roaring Twenties, Publishers Weekly, retrieved 12 April 2023
  12. ↑ Corbin, Erica (2020), 31 Bizarre Products You Won't Believe Were Ever Sold, Yahoo, retrieved 12 April 2023
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