The Weirdest Experiments of All Time

Injecting drugs into elephants, sexually stimulating turkeys, and resurrecting corpses—these are just a few of the craziest experiments ever chosen and published by New Scientist.

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1. Drugging Elephants

In 1962, American researchers were curious about what would happen to an elephant injected with a type of powerful hallucinogenic drug (LSD). They injected an elephant with a syringe full of the drug, at a dosage 3,000 times the maximum dose for humans.

The elephant trumpeted violently, collapsed, and died within an hour, despite efforts to save it with anti-seizure drugs. “It is clear that elephants are very sensitive to the effects of LSD,” the researchers cautiously concluded.

2. Resurrecting Corpses

In the 1930s, in a quest to bring the deceased back to life, Robert Cornish, a scientist at the University of California, performed a bizarre experiment by rocking a corpse up and down to circulate blood, while injecting adrenaline and anticoagulants.

After being expelled from school for this horrific experiment, Cornish continued his work at home. He set up a laboratory equipped with a heart-lung machine created from a vacuum cleaner and cooling materials.

Thomas McMonigle, a death-row inmate, volunteered to be a test subject for Cornish, but the state of California opposed this, fearing that if McMonigle were to come back to life, he could be released and pose a threat to society.

3. Sleeping with Eyes Open

In 1960, researcher Ian Oswald at the University of Edinburgh, UK, wondered if someone could sleep with their eyes open. He had volunteers lie on a couch, fixed their eyes in an open position, placed a row of white lights in front of them, attached electrodes to their legs to deliver painful shocks, and blasted loud music into their ears.

Three brave volunteers agreed to participate in the experiment. Despite all the barriers to sleep, the EEG monitors showed that all of them dozed off within 12 minutes.

4. Sexually Stimulating Turkeys

Researchers Martin Schein and Edgar Hale at Pennsylvania State University discovered that male turkeys, when placed in a room with a lifelike model of a female turkey, would immediately engage in mating behaviors with the model, showing excitement comparable to that with a real female.

Male turkeys are very eager. (Photo: in.gov)

Schein and Hale experimented to find the minimum level of sexual stimulation by gradually removing parts of the model until the male lost all interest.

“The tail, feet, and wings—scientists had removed them, yet the foolish bird continued to rush toward the model, emitting passionate calls and attempting to copulate,” wrote Alex Boese, author for New Scientist.

“In the end, only the head remained. The male turkey was still eager. In fact, it preferred a head attached to a stick over a headless body,” Boese noted.

5. Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a social psychology study conducted in 1971. In this experiment, a group of students acted as prisoners, while the other group took on the roles of guards.

This bizarre experiment aimed to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power, focusing on the struggle between prisoners and guards.

As the guards displayed their love for power, the prisoners became increasingly anxious, even rebellious. Some guards employed authoritarian measures and psychological torture on certain prisoners, prompting legal intervention.

Ultimately, the findings of the experiment raised many questions, and the experiment itself was criticized for its lack of scientific methodology.

The experiment took place at Stanford Prison.

Concerned that the situation would escalate, psychologist Philip Zimbardo—the initiator of the experiment—declared it concluded earlier than planned.

6. The Monster Experiment

The experiment was conducted on 22 orphans, divided into two groups. (illustration).

In 1939, Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa conducted a mad experiment. He divided 22 orphaned children into two groups. The first group was consistently praised and encouraged in their speeches. Conversely, the second group was harshly criticized for their mistakes.

At the end of the experiment, the children in the second group exhibited severe psychological effects, becoming timid and fearful. The experiment was hidden due to concerns about its impact on reputation, especially in the context of human experiments conducted by the Nazi regime that were condemned worldwide.

By 2001, the experiment was exposed. The University of Iowa had to issue an apology for the incident.

7. Project 4.1

Project 4.1 was a medical study conducted by the United States on residents of the Marshall Islands who were exposed to radioactive fallout from the Castle Bravo nuclear test on March 1, 1954.

Subsequent reports revealed that the incidence of miscarriages and stillbirths among the radiation-exposed women doubled in the first five years but later returned to normal. Children on the island experienced some developmental issues, but they were not prevalent.

Image of a tumor from a radiation victim.

However, in the following decades, undeniable effects of radiation exposure emerged. Children began to show signs of glandular cancer, and one-third of those exposed exhibited signs of tumors.

The report from the American Energy Commission indicated that the experimental group was aware of the health risks but did not implement any medical treatments. The report also accused the dual purpose of the program of using Marshall residents as “guinea pigs” for experiments.

8. MKULTRA Project

The MKULTRA project was conducted by the CIA from the early 1950s to the late 1960s. Victims were injected with various drugs that caused hallucinations and altered brain function.

Victims injected with various drugs causing hallucinations.

These drugs were administered to CIA personnel, military personnel, doctors, government employees, sex workers, psychiatric patients, and other ordinary individuals. These individuals were later taken to brothels to be observed through a one-way mirror.

In 1973, then-CIA Director Richard Helms ordered the destruction of all documents related to the project. As a result, not much specific information about MKULTRA is known today.

8. Project Aversion

Aversion was a project implemented by the South African military during the 1970s and 1980s aimed at conducting “gender conversion” on white homosexual soldiers. Most of them were males aged between 16 and 24.

Dr. Aubrey Levin, the experimenter.

After detecting homosexual behavior, priests would order these soldiers to be taken to the base military unit. They would be tied to wooden posts outdoors, mocked, beaten, and confined to isolation cells.

If they still did not “heal,” the soldiers would be transferred to military hospitals. Here, doctors would treat them with medication, induce hallucinations, and administer hormonal treatments by injecting sex hormones.

It is known that this project was conducted by Dr. Aubrey Levin, who is currently a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta.

9. Tuskegee Study

Tuskegee was a clinical study involving approximately 399 poor African American patients who were unable to receive treatment, conducted from 1932 to 1972 in Alabama, USA.

One part of the initial goal of the study was to determine whether patients fared better when treated with harmful remedies. However, this study became infamous because doctors did not treat those with syphilis but only observed how the disease progressed.

These individuals received no treatment but were provided free meals and burial insurance in case of death. By the end of the study, only 74 participants remained alive.

10. Hanging Research

In the early 20th century, forensic scientist Nicolas Minovici conducted one of the most horrific studies in human history, requesting his assistants to hang him and others to see what happens when someone dies from hanging.

He placed a noose around his neck and signaled his assistants to pull the other end of the rope with all their strength. As a result, the rope tightened, lifting the daring professor several meters off the ground.

During these experiments, he experienced asphyxiation, loss of consciousness, and neck injuries due to misjudging the situation. However, he was fortunate to survive.

The results of his study, comprising 200 pages, were published in 1904 in Romania under the title Study on Hanging. It detailed all the processes and phenomena related to the death of hangings. Much of the information from this study has been cited in significant legal works.

11. Nail Research

Similar to the hanging study but even more horrific was the nail research conducted by pathologist Frederick Zugibe. This experiment actually attracted a large number of volunteers who wished to experience what it was like to be crucified (when being nailed to a cross).

12. One-Year Bed Experiment

Astronaut Boris Morukov. (Photo: Space).

In 1986, astronaut Boris Morukov conducted an experiment requiring 11 healthy individuals to lie in bed for 370 days without being allowed to get up. During this time, each subject had to maintain a sleeping position and perform all their daily activities, including eating, watching TV, or bathing, in the same position.

Ultimately, none of the participants could withstand this seemingly simple experiment. Physically, most people’s muscles and bones would deteriorate within about 6 months to a year. The outer body would also suffer from painful sores known as bedsores.

In addition, mental health would be impacted, with an increased risk of anxiety and depression.

13. Jumping Out of a Plane

Paul Stapp agreed to jump out of a supersonic jet for scientific purposes. (Photo: Spectator).

In 1946, several experiments in the form of human endurance tests were conducted at Wright Field Air Force Base, USA. One of the experiments required pilots to exit a supersonic jet while flying at high speed.

Paul Stapp volunteered for these experiments. Over 7 years, he participated in a total of 29 trials, being ejected from the plane at speeds of up to 322 km/h.

These experiments contributed to the U.S. military designing safer ejection seats for pilots in case of escape at high speeds.

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