Photo/Illutration North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks on during a test of what the Korean Central News Agency described as a new tactical ballistic missile, in this picture obtained by Reuters on Sept. 19, 2024. (KCNA via REUTERS)

One of this year’s Ig Nobel prizes was awarded posthumously to Burrhus F. Skinner (1904-1990), a well-known American psychologist, for what he himself called a “crackpot” project in 1960 to explore whether pigeons could be trained to guide missiles.

Skinner trained his pigeons to recognize images of enemy ships and other objects. Every time they pecked the right images, they were rewarded with food.

He then designed a missile that could accommodate those thoroughly-trained birds inside, where they would be shown images of the approaching target. The pecking would activate a mechanism that determined the position of the target, so the missile’s course could be calibrated.

Skinner gave his approval to this setup, which was simple, cheap and unaffected by radio interference.

Almost all Ig Nobel research projects make me chuckle. However, I find the black humor of this one a bit too “dark.” I mean, pigeons--or doves, really--are symbols of peace, but to use them to guide missiles, of all things?

North Korea on Oct. 31 launched a huge new intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed Hwasong-19. Was this done out of Kim Jong Un’s fanatical determination to maintain his administration, or meant just to flaunt his presence ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5?

With its altitude of over 7,000 kilometers and flight time of 86 minutes, this missile set a new record.

It also violated a U.N. Security Council resolution. But Kim, who attended the launch, reportedly vowed to “never change” his hardline nuclear capabilities policy. Now that Russia has his back, he is stirring up a global crisis as he pleases.

Learning was the keyword of Skinner’s pigeon project. Kim’s best chance of ending his country’s isolation and saving his people from dire poverty lies in changing his nuclear development policy.

I just wish there could be some way to make this “supreme leader” learn.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 2

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.