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The use of the phrase "conspiracy theory" belies your ignorance. This term is too often effectively used against an inquisitive public, to shut down criticism

The use of the phrase "conspiracy theory" belies your ignorance. This term is too often effectively used against an inquisitive public, to shut down criticism of these agencies..

nl 7y ago
Au contraire! I've studied conspiracy theories a lot! This is a great example: take something that did happen (experiments 40+ years ago), combine it with something more recent people know about in passing ("Men who state at goats" - which I'd note was exactly about how it didn't work at all), and then use it to project into the idea that it must be more advanced today and mysterious forces are using it. Indeed, the idea of taking something that did happen, and then weaving it into lots of other random things to hide it in the noise (like this comment does) is a tactic often used by intelligence operatives. There's a conspiracy theory for you to think about! I'd note that there is no evidence given at all. The OP could have spoken about the recent IARPA SHARP brain stimulation program[1] which is probably the most advanced research in this area. But clearly they didn't know about that or they'd also know how hard it is to make work and how far away from mind control it is! [1] https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/sharp https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/sharp
- ncmncm 7y ago
  If you thought "Men Who Stare at Goats" was about something that didn't work, you completely missed the point. There is no reliable evidence that anyone tried to kill goats with their mind. What we do have reliable evidence of is that they want people to think they were trying. They succeeded at that. (Fooled you, anyway.) The fact that you think what they were doing didn't work demonstrates, itself, that in fact what they really were doing did work: they misled you about what they were doing, with complete success.
  - fit2rule 7y ago
    Indeed that was a mission in duplicity more than anything else.

The use of the phrase "conspiracy theory" belies your ignorance. This term is too often effectively used against an inquisitive public, to shut down criticism of these agencies..

nl 7y ago

Au contraire! I've studied conspiracy theories a lot! This is a great example: take something that did happen (experiments 40+ years ago), combine it with something more recent people know about in passing ("Men who state at goats" - which I'd note was exactly about how it didn't work at all), and then use it to project into the idea that it must be more advanced today and mysterious forces are using it. Indeed, the idea of taking something that did happen, and then weaving it into lots of other random things to hide it in the noise (like this comment does) is a tactic often used by intelligence operatives. There's a conspiracy theory for you to think about! I'd note that there is no evidence given at all. The OP could have spoken about the recent IARPA SHARP brain stimulation program[1] which is probably the most advanced research in this area. But clearly they didn't know about that or they'd also know how hard it is to make work and how far away from mind control it is! [1] https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/sharp https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/sharp

ncmncm 7y ago
If you thought "Men Who Stare at Goats" was about something that didn't work, you completely missed the point. There is no reliable evidence that anyone tried to kill goats with their mind. What we do have reliable evidence of is that they want people to think they were trying. They succeeded at that. (Fooled you, anyway.) The fact that you think what they were doing didn't work demonstrates, itself, that in fact what they really were doing did work: they misled you about what they were doing, with complete success.
- fit2rule 7y ago
  Indeed that was a mission in duplicity more than anything else.