John Ott

Dr. John Nash Ott was a photographer and banker known for his work on time-lapse photography and the effects of light on health, for which the Loyola University of Chicago awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. He thought that sunlight is necessary for health, and that artificial (not full spectrum) light is harmful. These theories are supported by recent research on the subject. He gave lectures for the Cancer Control Society, and the group compiled a collection of articles on Ott's work in an edition of the Cancer Control Journal. Ott went to some lengths to avoid artificial light. According to his obituary: