10 Government Programs That Sound Fictional Now

Over the years, the U.S. government has launched some truly head-scratching initiatives. From mind control experiments to bat bombs, these programs once existed with real funding and serious intentions. This list explores the most outrageous government ventures that now read like science fiction or satire.

1. Project MKUltra

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The CIA once delved deep into mind control research, testing LSD and other psychoactive drugs on unknowing Americans. They aimed to develop interrogation and brainwashing techniques during the Cold War.

2. Acoustic Kitty

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This 1960s CIA project attempted to train cats as mobile listening devices. A microphone and antenna were surgically implanted into a cat, which was then released for espionage purposes.

3. The Pentagon’s Gay Bomb

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Proposed in the 1990s, this non-lethal weapon would release a chemical aphrodisiac to disrupt enemy morale by encouraging same-sex attraction. It was never developed, but the fact that it was seriously considered is wild enough.

4. Project Stargate

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This psychic espionage program used “remote viewing” to gather intelligence. Participants claimed they could mentally see places, people, and events far away. Funded by the CIA and the Army for decades, Stargate sought supernatural means to outwit Soviet threats.

5. Bat Bombs

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World War II saw the creation of incendiary bat bombs — tiny explosives attached to bats, meant to be released over Japanese cities. The idea was for bats to roost in buildings and then detonate.

6. Operation Northwoods

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This 1962 plan proposed faking terrorist attacks on American soil to justify war with Cuba. It included ideas like hijacking planes, sinking refugee boats, and even staging violent acts in U.S. cities.

7. Project A119 (A.K.A. “A Study of Lunar Research Flights”)

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In the late 1950s, the U.S. Air Force considered nuking the moon to show off American superiority during the space race. The explosion would be visible from Earth, intended as a Cold War flex.

8. Operation Plowshare

Federal Government of the United States on Wikimedia Commons

This initiative aimed to use nuclear explosions for peaceful civil engineering projects, like blasting highways through mountains. Over two dozen nuclear tests were carried out to gauge feasibility.

9. The “Pigeon-Guided Missile” Project (Project Orcon)

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During World War II, famed behaviorist B.F. Skinner proposed using trained pigeons to guide bombs. The birds were placed in the nose cone of a missile and pecked at a target image to adjust flight direction.

10. Operation Midnight Climax

Pi.1415926535 on Wikimedia Commons

In the 1950s, as part of the MKUltra program, the CIA set up fake brothels in San Francisco and New York. They secretly dosed unsuspecting men with LSD and observed their behavior through one-way mirrors.

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• government programs
• cold war experiments
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• military projects