| Reusable Pigeon Bomb | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Project Pigeon |
|
Type |
Bird Piloted Warhead |
|
Effects |
Landing on target releases a flock of disorienting pigeons that cloud the skies |
|
Downsides |
Increases object recognition until forces subject to be locked into viewing |
|
Activation |
Inserting a bird |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
March 26, 1987 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
During World War II, Project Pigeon (later Project Orcon, for "organic control") was American behaviorist B. F. Skinner's attempt to develop a pigeon-controlled guided bomb. Consisting of a small glider with wings and tail surfaces, an explosive warhead section in the center, and a "guidance section" in the nose cone, a pigeon would be placed inside the center to operate the controls. The intent was to train pigeons to act as "pilots" for the device, using their cognitive abilities to recognize the target. The guidance system consisted of three lenses mounted in the nose of the vehicle, which projected an image of the target on a screen mounted in a small compartment inside the nose cone. This screen was mounted on pivots and fitted with sensors that measured any angular movement. One to three pigeons, trained by operant conditioning to recognize the target, were stationed in front of the screen; when they saw the target, they would peck at the screen with their beaks.
Operant conditioning, also called instrumental conditioning, is a learning process where voluntary behaviors are modified by association with the addition (or removal) of reward or aversive stimuli. The frequency or duration of the behavior may increase through reinforcement or decrease through punishment or extinction. They were trained by being shown an image of the target and gradually more rapid pecks were required for a grain of food. As long as the target remained in the center of the screen, the screen would not move, but if the bomb began to go off track, the image would move towards the edge of the screen. The pigeons would follow the image, pecking at it, which would move the screen on its pivots. In the case where two possible targets were on the screen, Skinner noted that at least two of the birds would be in agreement and the third would be "punished for his minority opinion" to encourage it to steer towards the target preferred by the majority of the pigeons.
The National Defense Research Committee saw the idea to use pigeons in glide bombs as very eccentric and impractical, but still contributed $25,000 to the research. Skinner, who had some success with the training, complained: "our problem was no one would take us seriously". The program was canceled on October 8, 1944, because the military believed that "further prosecution of this project would seriously delay others which in the minds of the Division have more immediate promise of combat application". Project Pigeon was briefly revived by the Navy in 1948 as "Project Orcon," but it was again cancelled in 1953 when the reliability of electronic guidance systems was proven.
Effects[]
Touchdown of the missile requires a bird to peck at the screen after launch, not merely throwing the empty missile from height. A flock of pigeons will be released from nowhere out of the nose cone, enough to blot out the skies for several minutes. All will mass around together in a cacophony of screeching coos and kerfuffled feathers without any overseeing instincts. They fade away after the elapsed time like a flash.
Causes those in the direct release radius to have their ability for functional fixedness skyrocket to intense, almost meditative focus. They are able to maintain a task without distractions of any sort no matter how tiresome or tedious. However, they eventually fixate on some image in the field of view and find their whole world becomes that. All attention is devoted to observing in a tense, locked up state until shaken out by another. During this period they neglect all self-care for completely staring at the subject. The pattern will keep repeating until they interact with another pigeon from hearing a bird call or seeing even a blink of one.