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New CIA Tech Museum: Spy Scat and Robo-Fish
PSaltyDS writes "According to this AP story, the CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology is celebrating its 40th anniversary by revealing a few dozen of its secrets for a new museum inside its headquarters near Washington.
When the CIA's secret gadget-makers invented a listening device for the Asian jungles, they disguised it so the enemy wouldn't be tempted to pick it up and examine it: The device looked like tiger droppings. Besides the jungle transmitter, the exhibits include a robotic catfish, a remote-controlled dragonfly and a camera strapped to the chests of pigeons and released over enemy targets in the 1970s.
There is also an International Spy Museum in D.C. with more pics, including an early version of the Pigeon-Cam."
Wouldn't it find its way into traditional Chinese medicine or something?
By the way, is that limited to tiger scat? Are there acceptable scats to pick up, paw through, wear at a business casual dinner party?
And we mustnt forget that famous cat that they stuffed full of wires and gadgets for spying on and spent millions of dollars developing only to have the cat run over before it got to where it was supposed to go.
Be you Admins? nay, we are but lusers!
...and in a related story, video proof of the existence of yeti's was found today by a camera carrying pigeon. Sources say that the owner of the pigeon was tipped off that there may be a yeti in the area due to the eaves dropping tiger dung that he had accidently dropped in the area.
This sig was generated by a barrel of trained kittens for SeXy_Red (550409).
Now that the restrictions on domestic spying have been reduced, the CIA probably has devices planted around Washington disguised as politician droppings.
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
I bet the reception was shitty....
In another news, the DARPA sponsored a secret project in TCPIP development to support the pigeon-cam early in the 90's. Due to its confidential nature, the details remain sketchy. To the best of my knowledge, it is the most comprehensive document leaked from the project so far. If you are onto spying technology, I recommend you to learn it by heart. It can be taken offline anytime....
I, for one, welcome our new pigeon overlords...
...secreted in an over-sized novelty hat. Could only be worn for 10 minutes at a time or the agent would suffer permanent neck damage. Don't know if it was ever used after the fall.
Lends a whole new meaning to the term "eavesdropping".
"The pigeons' missions remain classified, made possible only after the CIA secretly developed a camera weighing only as much as a few coins. An earlier test with a heavier camera in the skies over Washington failed after two days when the overburdened pigeon was forced to walk home."
"...when the overburdened pigeon was forced to walk home!!!!!" I can just picture it: A pidgeon walking down the sidewalk in front of the White House with a camera strapped to it's neck. Hell, it would fit right in. Just another strange tourist, right?
1. The CIA has never killed anyone - only in the movies.
2. The CIA never tested drugs on anyone - it was an Army doctor that did the testing (only once) on his own.
3. The CIA only asked the Mafia for help once - it didn't work out.
4. Operation Phoenix was operated *by South Vietnam agents* the CIA only offered intelligence.
I suggest you pick up a couple of good history books and turn off the TV.