In the first half, Harvard University science historian Rebecca Lemov discussed her research into brainwashing and mind control, drawing on historical cases like that of Korean War POWs, MK Ultra, and Patricia Hearst. She noted that the brainwashing experienced by individuals, while not permanent, can be highly effective. "Even Mao Zedong himself said, what I do will work on something like 93% of human beings," she remarked. Lemov connected Hearst's experience to the psychological manipulation seen in cults, noting that you can be brainwashed and not be in captivity. Hearst, she explained, was subjected to extreme psychological pressure, leading her to align her thoughts with her captors to survive. She also touched on the tactics of master manipulators like cult leader Charles Manson.
Lemov delved into the story of Leonard Kille, a brilliant engineer who suffered from psychiatric issues. He underwent experimental treatment at a Massachusetts hospital affiliated with Harvard that involved the implantation of electrodes in his brain, which could be remote-controlled and create different emotional responses and behaviors. Eventually, the doctors were sued and went on trial, though they were not convicted, and Michael Crichton based his book "The Terminal Man" on the case.
She also discussed the complex relationship between social media and emotional manipulation, highlighting a controversial 2012 Facebook experiment involving 693,000 users. The study, which altered users' news feeds to either a positive or negative emotional tone, revealed that "people whose feed was altered in a more negative direction also posted or responded in a more negative way."
---------------
In the latter half, author and researcher RL Poole discussed his work and research on the amazing modern megalith known as Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida, built by Latvian immigrant Ed Leedskalnin over a century ago (view related photos). Initially thought to be a romantic gesture for a lost love, Poole posits that the castle's true significance lies in its astronomical and physical mysteries. He described the castle's features, including a 30-ton block moved with "frightening accuracy," likening Leedskalnin's methods to those used in constructing the Egyptian pyramids.
Poole's discoveries include the alignment of the castle's structures with celestial objects. "He left many clues in plain sight," he stated, with 16 celestial objects carved on the east wall, which align with the star map and point to a specific time-- September 10, 1923, which is the year he built Coral Castle, and the date of a solar eclipse and various celestial objects being in alignment. Leedskalnin also constructed what he called the Polaris telescope, which exactingly marks the position of true north, and a sundial that accurately tracks star or sidereal time.
Ultimately, Leedskalnin, who died in 1951, aimed to revive ancient astronomical knowledge and challenge contemporary scientific beliefs, Poole proposed. "He was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow." Poole suggested that Leedskalnin was "using the cosmos itself...using our solar system like a giant magnetic device," waiting for the right time of alignment, perhaps employing sound resonance or generating a magnetic field to temporarily bend the laws of physics to lift and place the massive, precisely cut stones.
News segment guests: Mish Shedlock, Howard Bloom