4 ms·

Failed CIA Project "Acoustic Kitty"

19 points by frisco 17y ago

pronoiac 17y ago
This has to be a joke. There's no way that the CIA would expect a cat to do what they want.
- cstross 17y ago
  Two points: * This was from the same period in which the CIA attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro with exploding cigars, and administered a couple of grams (not micrograms or milligrams!) of LSD to an elephant, just to see what it did. They were, not to put too fine a point on it, thrashing around without oversight. (Ranelagh's book, cited in the Wikipedia references, is well worth reading for more on the subject.) * They had a real, perceived need to listen in on diplomats' conversations in noisy environments (Washington cocktail parties). Cats have very sensitive directional hearing and are less likely to attract suspicion than parabolic microphones. And the fifties and sixties were the heyday of interest in operant conditioning and brainwashing in humans -- and the use of techniques like Skinner boxes for training animals in quite complex behaviour patterns. In other words: we may point and laugh today, but at the time (a) the Company was so far adrift from reality that this wasn't particularly weird by CIA standards, and (b) it's a classic case of "we need to accomplish (a)", "(b) is a possible way of accomplishing (a)", "okay, let's throw all our resources at (b) (however outlandish and weird it might sound to a sane by-stander)".
  - Retric 17y ago
    WWII had some real interesting research into using animals as weapons. The "Bat bomb" (thermite + timers + bats) was far cheaper than the nuke but about as effective as a physical weapon vs a city. However, it would have been less effective as a psychological weapon and would not have killed as many people. The other notable use was using a homing pigeon to guide bombs. They would peck where the ship was.
    - frig 17y ago
      Post-WWII has trained dolphins, which're still used so far as I know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dolphin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dolphin
    - ComputerGuru 17y ago
      I think you mean "effective" and not "defective?"
  - pronoiac 17y ago
    Oh, hi, I didn't notice your username. I was making the obvious joke, but yeah, I trust your expertise here.
plaes 17y ago
Tax dollars at work ;)

19 points by frisco 17y ago

pronoiac 17y ago

This has to be a joke. There's no way that the CIA would expect a cat to do what they want.

cstross 17y ago
Two points: * This was from the same period in which the CIA attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro with exploding cigars, and administered a couple of grams (not micrograms or milligrams!) of LSD to an elephant, just to see what it did. They were, not to put too fine a point on it, thrashing around without oversight. (Ranelagh's book, cited in the Wikipedia references, is well worth reading for more on the subject.) * They had a real, perceived need to listen in on diplomats' conversations in noisy environments (Washington cocktail parties). Cats have very sensitive directional hearing and are less likely to attract suspicion than parabolic microphones. And the fifties and sixties were the heyday of interest in operant conditioning and brainwashing in humans -- and the use of techniques like Skinner boxes for training animals in quite complex behaviour patterns. In other words: we may point and laugh today, but at the time (a) the Company was so far adrift from reality that this wasn't particularly weird by CIA standards, and (b) it's a classic case of "we need to accomplish (a)", "(b) is a possible way of accomplishing (a)", "okay, let's throw all our resources at (b) (however outlandish and weird it might sound to a sane by-stander)".
- Retric 17y ago
  WWII had some real interesting research into using animals as weapons. The "Bat bomb" (thermite + timers + bats) was far cheaper than the nuke but about as effective as a physical weapon vs a city. However, it would have been less effective as a psychological weapon and would not have killed as many people. The other notable use was using a homing pigeon to guide bombs. They would peck where the ship was.
  - frig 17y ago
    Post-WWII has trained dolphins, which're still used so far as I know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dolphin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dolphin
  - ComputerGuru 17y ago
    I think you mean "effective" and not "defective?"
- pronoiac 17y ago
  Oh, hi, I didn't notice your username. I was making the obvious joke, but yeah, I trust your expertise here.

plaes 17y ago

Tax dollars at work ;)