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2007-10-05 Science & Technology

Military wins Ig Nobel peace prize for 'gay bomb'

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Posted by anonymous5089 2007-10-05 07:01|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 On a more practical note, I suspect the whole 'gay bomb' thing was just an extreme of what is a more practical weapon.

That is, if you could subtly attack enemy soldiers with tiny amounts of female hormones, like plant estrogens sprayed by farmers to increase crop yield, it could result in the loss of much of their will to fight. Not by turning them gay, but by altering their personal hormonal balance.

The emotional and psychological effects of hormones can be "drastic", if properly done, and they are not something that would be detected in routine tests looking for chemical agents.

Imagine if thousands of enemy soldiers suddenly lost a lot of their male aggression, became emotionally fragile or even timid. While it would probably not effect all of them, a large number might lose a lot of their battlefield effectiveness.

Importantly, you would need to include a second agent that would make the hormone less stable, so that it would dissipate in a few days. Since you don't want your troops being exposed to it.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-10-05 09:12|| 2007-10-05 09:12|| Front Page Top

#2 The Fab Five are moonlighting for DARPA?

Posted by Mike 2007-10-05 09:46|| 2007-10-05 09:46|| Front Page Top

#3 Anonymoose, if I were conspiratorial, I'd say that type of hormonal pollution is exactly what was designed and implemented in the developped countries, for that exact reason./paranoia mode.

More seriously, this is what may be happening right now in the said industrial countries, with the chemical & organic (soy)-based endocrinal disrupters released in the environment, and the subsequent loss of sperm count in western males?

Posted by anonymous5089 2007-10-05 09:50|| 2007-10-05 09:50|| Front Page Top

#4 This weapon would not be effective against jihadis.
Those who want to cover women up totally and prefer the close company of men are I suspect already gay, and their guilt is being channelled into aggression

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2007-10-05 10:14|| 2007-10-05 10:14|| Front Page Top

#5 Moose said:
"That is, if you could subtly attack enemy soldiers with tiny amounts of female hormones, ... it could result in the loss of much of their will to fight. Not by turning them gay, but by altering their personal hormonal balance."

Expect banzai charges when their cycles sync up.

Posted by Penguin 2007-10-05 11:59|| 2007-10-05 11:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Let the Iranians know we have it. And it works. And we're going to use it on them. Soon.

Posted by tu3031 2007-10-05 12:07|| 2007-10-05 12:07|| Front Page Top

#7 RE:the hormone bomb

I would think the effect would come primarily from the changing hormone balance. Once a new equilibrium is reached the individual can learn to handle it (are there many timid female Marines?), but the changeableness of the transition tend to interfere with clear thought and action. Hence the unmistakable warning signals from those who suffer regular PMS.

And anyway, the male system is set up so that a relative deficiency of androgens results in the release of more testosterone until the proper balance is re-achieved.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-10-05 14:06|| 2007-10-05 14:06|| Front Page Top

#8 And the gay bomb was successfully tested in San Francisco as well as a certain airport bathroom.....
vanila from cow crap, now there is an idea i don't even want to think about. but since i did, if white milk comes from white cows and choclate milk comes from brown cows, does it take more work to turn brown cow dung into vanilla????????

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-10-05 14:38|| 2007-10-05 14:38|| Front Page Top

#9 Wanna impress me?

Drop a STRAIGHT Bomb on San Fran. And watch the ensuing chaos.

Posted by OldSpook 2007-10-05 16:28|| 2007-10-05 16:28|| Front Page Top

#10 I picture ...

"Prepare for the charge!"
"affix bayonets!"
"Right, back into the bunker with you."

Posted by flash91 2007-10-05 17:37|| 2007-10-05 17:37|| Front Page Top

#11 More seriously, this is what may be happening right now in the said industrial countries, with the chemical & organic (soy)-based endocrinal disrupters released in the environment, and the subsequent loss of sperm count in western males?

One of the biggest culprits are thalates, a powerful endocrine disruptor that is used as a plasticizer in almost all flexible polymers. Think cling wrap, liners for canned foods, baggies, etc. This is one chemical that needs to be eliminated pronto.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-05 20:04|| 2007-10-05 20:04|| Front Page Top

#12 Linguistics - I remember when a friends girlfriend tried to set me up with her best friend. Both of them could speak backwards together at reading rate. Had practiced it since kindergarten. Really was too strange. I never did date her.

Posted by 3dc 2007-10-05 21:21|| 2007-10-05 21:21|| Front Page Top

#13 "One of the biggest culprits are thalates..."

Zen - I think you meant 'phthalates'.

Note the p is silent - just like in swimming.

Posted by WTF 2007-10-05 22:13|| 2007-10-05 22:13|| Front Page Top

#14 Yes, thank you, WTF. The "p" is also silent as in "antidisestablishmentarianism".

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-05 22:17|| 2007-10-05 22:17|| Front Page Top

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