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By William Van Zyl

Published on 14 September 2024

A trained pigeon is guiding a WW2 missile and is on its way to take out the enemy. The missile is gliding towards a giant battleship in the ocean. 

Sounds far-fetched? Read on; it’s a true story. 

“Tap-tap-tap” sounds the copper-covered beak as it touches the glass screen in front of the pigeon. A tiny electrical current flows through a thin copper wire attached to the metal beak of the pigeon.  Microscopic little sparks fly as the beak makes contact with the screen. It completes the low-voltage electrical circuit. The rudder and elevators of the glider respond to the input – “Trim-trim-trim, squeak-squeak-squeak.” 

Outside is a “swoosh-swoosh-swoosh” sound as the control surfaces of the glider push and pull to keep the guided missile on track. The aim is to destroy the battleship. Tons of explosives are packed in behind the pigeon. Loads of TNT are waiting to tear apart the huge floating metal target. The missile is hurtling towards the ship; it wants to open up its belly and send the enemy straight down to Davy Jone’s Locker.

The sound of the control surface cables inside the copper sheaths squeals and groans. The pigeon pecks relentlessly at the ship’s silhouette. A small pellet is released every five times the beak taps the ship on the screen. The pigeon-guided glider flies straight to the centre of the warship. The pigeon is at war—unknowingly. The pigeon is having its last meal—gourmet pellets.  

IMAGE: A pigeon is learning to identify the shape of a World War 2 warship on a circular shaped screen. AI-generated image (Sept 2024 – Midjourney). Prompt: ‘B F Skinner’s pigeon project: A pigeon pecks at a solid circle on a screen. The beak of the pigeon is covered in copper. An electrical wire is attached to the copper beak. A World War 2 warship is shown in the circle.’

AI-generated image – MIDJOURNEY: Prompt: B F Skinner’s pigeon project: A pigeon pecks at a solid circle on a screen. The beak of the pigeon is covered in copper. An electrical wire is attached to the copper beak. A World War 2 warship is shown in the circle.

Please continue to read. I make an extraordinary inference about the pigeon-guided missile story and forgiveness. It could save your life. I am sure you will love it. Your past could ‘incarcerate’ you, destroy your reputation, end your career, and sink you with all your savings. You could end up at the bottom of the ocean – Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Destroyed. Irretrievable.

Let’s prepare the canvas with the background of this true story.

Project Pigeon: An Uncommon Idea to Take Out World War 2 Warships

During World War II, B.F. Skinner embarked on what he later described as a “crackpot idea”, born on the wrong side of the fence intellectually, but eventually vindicated in middle-class respectability.” His plan, Project Pigeon, aimed to use trained pigeons to guide armed missiles to their targets. 

Skinner began the training by showing the pigeons a dot projected on a translucent screen. Using shaping, he rewarded the birds with food whenever they pecked at the dot. Shaping, or successive approximation, is a process Skinner developed to encourage specific behaviours by rewarding small steps toward the desired action. First, the pigeons play ping pong with a round-shaped table tennis ball. They are rewarded with food when they peck the table tennis ball. Then, a screen with a round shape followed (again, the reward is food). Eventually, the warship followed; yes, you have guessed it, the pigeons peck the centre of the ship and get rewarded with food. The next step is fitting a metal upper beak (the longest of the upper and lower beak) over the beak; a wire is then attached to the conductive beak. A low-voltage current would flow through the wire to the metal beak. As the pigeon pecks the screen (probably covered with a conductive film), the electronics in the system would trim the control surfaces of the glider bomb. In other words, the bomb is a flying-missile-glider. Very clever indeed. The glider is attached to the bottom of a warplane and is released at the opportune moment as the warplane dives towards the enemy battleship. The pigeon is tucked into the missile, and the food is ready. The bomb and the pigeon’s screen and food are activated. The warship comes onto the screen, and the pigeon ‘salivates.’

In the same way that dogs are trained. The pigeon pecks the centre of the warship and gets rewarded with food (probably special bird pellets), and the rudder and elevators are steered electronically. The glider-bomber stays on track and hits the target: BOOM! 

The pigeon’s loss is slight compared to saving hundreds of people and the tremendous damage a warship can do. Ethically, the reasoning is that the lives of humans are more valuable than the lives of a single pigeon. One can sacrifice a pigeon for hundreds of humans. Animal activists, during WW2 and after, disagreed with the idea. They protested vehemently. They reasoned, “Where could this lead to? Will animals be exploited in future?” The Project Pigeon was shelved —the people have spoken. 

B F Skinner, the Behaviourist (American Psychologist). Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/b-f-skinner-biography-1904-1990-2795543

What was Skinner’s response? While some questioned the ethics of involving innocent animals in such a deadly mission, Skinner justified it by considering their sacrifice minimal compared to the devastation caused by Hitler’s relentless bombing of Europe. At that time, radar had not yet been invented, and the complex servo-mechanical equipment needed to guide a missile would have left little room for explosives.

The straightforward title for this article could be “Innocent as a Dove and Wise as a Serpent.” 

Actual still pictures from the Project Orcon Video. The first picture (top middle) shows a metal (probably copper) covering the upper part of the pigeon’s beak. A wire was then attached to the “copper beak.” The circuit was completed when the copper beak touched the “metal-covered” screen. Skinner’s concept was a “WW2 pigeon-guided missile.” The bottom middle picture shows the silhouette of a WW2 warship on a circular screen. This is what the pigeon would see while sitting inside the missile—travelling towards the warship. Source: https://elearningindustry.com/skinners-project-pigeon-first-teaching-machines

Surprisingly, this article will now take a different turn. Please wait for it.

My Inference: In this ‘world’, if you are FORGIVEN by God, it does not necessarily mean you are forgiven by the ‘world’.

While watching and discussing the pigeon project, from a Christian perspective, someone mentioned how Bible-believing (radically converted/born-again) Christians got into trouble decades after God had forgiven them for the things they had done in the past. 

I am thinking of an innocent pigeon who is rewarded for its innocence. Just doing what is right – peck the shape and be rewarded. For example, people will praise a person who has been changed by accepting Christ as his or her saviour. A person whose life has been touched by God – and dramatically changed for the good (adhering to the Scriptures – obeying all laws) and who is also transparent and innocent could crash into a giant warship and lose his/her life as the ship blows up. Could this happen in real life? Yes, it can, and it sadly has happened many times over. 

Sometimes, these past events (fully forgiven sins) are addressed, and the person is wholly transparent.  The wife/family/church/friends are all informed. In some situations, the converted person visited the person who was wronged, and forgiveness was given. 

A clean slate? 

A caveat here: Sometimes, the wronged person changes their mind over time and opens up. That person will go to the police or see a lawyer, and as you have guessed, the whole remarkable story of the power of the Word, life-changing power of the Holy Spirit blew up in the face of the now innocent, forgiven, and converted person. He or she could have been on the straight and narrow for 40 years or more. 

What do we make of this? 

The World (uncircumcised non-believers) don’t have a clue about forgiveness and salvation. They only know the dog-eat-dog world we all live in. But we, as redeemed and changed Christians through the blood of Christ, what do we make of it?  We have compassion for them because we have been forgiven of all our sins. 

When Jesus commands His disciples to go to the people of Israel, announcing that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7), He gives them a warning and some sound advice:

 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).

The massive dilemma is: Should the converted person have consulted a lawyer before seeing the wronged person? Should they have signed a legal document to safeguard the now-converted person? Are there other methods to protect the converted person? Indeed, there must be a reward for being honest, transparent, and having lived a changed life for 40 years. 

There is an expiry date on past sins. Or is there no expiry date? Think about that from a worldly system.

How could people who find themselves in such situations be safeguarded? There are many who have been redeemed and changed their ways. Maybe you are one of them. People should be cautious when telling stories about how God changed their lives. It could come back and bite them! We live in a cruel world. Do you agree? 

How can a changed person take control after his sins are brought up by people? Jesus said:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

Micah 7:19 King James Version (KJV) also states: 

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Remember, “We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

By the way, the enemy wants to steal from you and then kill and destroy you.

If you are a born-again Christian, remember we live in an unforgiving world. Yes, Christ has forgiven you. Yes, you are free from all your sins. However, the many people in the world (the unrighteous), are ready to take you out. They don’t know the meaning of mercy and forgiveness. The judge or the jury could be unjust and unrighteous. They will show no mercy. Do everything you can not to fall into their hands.  

Some sound advice from Proverbs.

Debate your case with your neighbour, And do not disclose the secret to another, Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined. Proverbs 25:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

We who have been forgiven much—washed by the precious blood of Christ—have to be very careful what we reveal about our past. How you say it is critical. Stay away from details as far as possible. If you need council, discuss it with your Heavenly Father privately. Let the Holy Spirit be your counsellor if very sensitive information is involved. 

If you need to establish and put legal documentation in place, do not hesitate to do so. Protect yourself as far as you can. Decades later, it could come and haunt you—you don’t deserve it. 

Many people in our world have no compassion. If your enemies are driven by money and power, they will kill you. 

My born-again spirit-filled friend, you have been forgiven much. However, be very careful what you say. Some things must only be mentioned between you and your ‘Heavenly Father.’ Be wise.

I repeat. Yes, be innocent as doves. And, remember:

“ …be wise as serpents.”

Link to the Pigeon and Glider-bomb video. 

As I promised, here is the link to the fantastic video. Watch it at the 8-minute mark to see the pigeon pecking the warship. 

See the warship shape on the round screen – moving out of sight (far left). The silhouette of the pigeon with a metal beak and wire attached to the beak is shown in this still image from the video. The screen and pigeon would look like this, as seen from inside the glider-bomb. The food – which would probably pop out below the screen – to reward the pigeon – is not shown here. Link to the video: https://youtu.be/lG-ZqO734tM?si=_sKG4ijOiEk8-anQ

Here is an additional video which includes Project Pigeon.

Link: https://youtu.be/V4PTK9bkmLo?si=3Cx_apsEE8Im_Kue

Copyright © 2024 by William Van Zyl

Peck and Hide. Hide and Peck.

All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion

thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner

without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.

Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)

First Publishing, September 2024

More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/

More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/

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