Fun Documents

From time to time I come across fun or interesting archival documents. I’ve started collecting them here.

Panda Diplomacy

Pandas are adorable. Did you know they helped thaw U.S.-China relations in the 1950s? DCI Dulles passion for pandas triggered a sequence of curious events that led pandas to fill our zoos and bring the US and China closer together. Read the document

Telekinesis

A CIA-led experiment reporting that one subject displayed paranormal abilities of telekinesis — in particular, that he could heat objects by touching them. Read the document

Remote Viewing

The Federation of American Scientists review CIA/military programs testing whether humans can perceive distant objects — a little like Professor X in X-Men. The report says—probably. Some subjects’ estimates were accurate beyond what chance would predict. Read the document

UFOs

Before Trump’s recent military declassification, the CIA had given us a glimpse into their own rearch. Interestingly, the Soviets and the PRC ran dedicated UFO programs of their own — and the CIA worked hard to spy on them. Read the document

$22 Million Underpants

This year, the IARPA program “Smart e-Pants” awarded $22 million to build underwear.

The CIA’s hedge fund.

Did you know that the CIA runs In-Q-tel an angel investor for cutting edge tech? They fund a Jurrasic Park firm that creates extinct animals; and The Cowboy Space Co. that can power objects on earth from outerspace.

Fun facts about me

I like woodworking, making ice cream, taking my daughter to the zoo and stand-up comedy.

My favorite comedy video about foreign policy is this classic by Eddie Izzard: