QuoteOrdinary soldiers have sometimes shown a battlefield sixth sense that has saved lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the U.S. military wants to better understand that "spidey sense" and train troops to tap their inner superhero instincts.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/06/us-military-seeks-spidey-sense-training/
If not done properly I could see this not ending well, like Army LSD experiments from the 50s.
they've been working on this since at least 2008. Smuck was involved w/ an outfit in Cleveland doing CTAs on Marines that were downrange trying to ID what subliminal cues guys were picking up to make decisions.
There was also an article in the NYT (IIRC) about 3 years ago that covered much of the same ground. I think we discussed it a bunch in the olde countrie.
Gunny AND Cleveland?? Oh dear.
I love this kind of stuff, but have to wonder how much is just the "old pro" lat work.
Knew a really gnarly old PO1 who worked the boilers on the oiler USS Truckee.
He bunked over the number two fireroom, and one night bolted out of his rack and hightailed it below.
He got to the bottom of the ladder and just listened for a minute, shushing the watch.
Then he ran over to the feedwater controls and started opening the mains.
After a minute or so, he set them back and gave the senior watchstander a hard time.
Turned out that a new fireman had retarded the feed without knowing he had to check it constantly. It hadn't reached the point that the boilers were going to explode, but it was headed that way.
Next day, the XO asked Gonzalez how he had known. All he could say was that the steam "sounded funny."
Listen, in the 80s I played around in radioactive ooze to be a ninja turtle, and you know what happened?
I had to pay medical and trespassing bills.
^ :o
^^^
Ees a yoke, I theenk.
Quote from: besilarius on March 13, 2012, 06:16:18 PM
I love this kind of stuff, but have to wonder how much is just the "old pro" lat work.
I was wondering that as well.
Some of this has to come by simple experience. Others just seem to have a stronger "sixth sense" than others. I don't know that it's something that can really be learned.
Quote from: besilarius on March 13, 2012, 06:16:18 PM
Knew a really gnarly old PO1 who worked the boilers on the oiler USS Truckee.
He bunked over the number two fireroom, and one night bolted out of his rack and hightailed it below.
He got to the bottom of the ladder and just listened for a minute, shushing the watch.
Then he ran over to the feedwater controls and started opening the mains.
After a minute or so, he set them back and gave the senior watchstander a hard time.
Turned out that a new fireman had retarded the feed without knowing he had to check it constantly. It hadn't reached the point that the boilers were going to explode, but it was headed that way.
Next day, the XO asked Gonzalez how he had known. All he could say was that the steam "sounded funny."
Cool story,
besilarius. Thank goodness for Mr. Gonzalez!
"spidey sense" and "inner superhero instincts" are misleading expressions >:(
(...that's more like Sheldon is able to sense Mandarine from Orange flavored chicken while Lenard is even just about unpacking the paperbag from their local takeout ;) )
spraying a young tadpole with salt doesn't make hims a salty Sarge
i think those stuff came only with real experiences or exercises that are as close to reality as it get.
simulations are better then none, but the tiny -noises, -airpressure changes, -smells, the total exhaustion, hours of watchfull boredom interupted by splitsecond firefight and the 'restrained mortal fear' (the later three heavily individual altering the soldiers biochemistry in his unique brain, while the developing situation is sucked in) cant be wargamed ... yet!
INHO: we get close to a time, were its better start investing more in AI and semi-autonomic robots and send them in first through the door will be more effective, then trying to develop a 5-sense-VR-simulator, which - may or may not - be able to hone a 'sixth sense'. ...better call it Subliminal Situation Awareness
(first step wold be kind of 'Walking Predator' drones ... steered from a local FOB ...early models maybe not on two legs so, who will get more and more SA for autonomic-self preservation like seeking cover&concealment...and picking out target... while weapon safety on/off switch will stay human remote control" ...well, 'Clones' are not an option ;) ...and personaly i would trust an "Eichelhäher"-Rheinmetall SentryBot more then an ANA-guy guarding a mixed encampment in Stan these days)
We don't need a "spidey sense" we need SUPER SOLDIER SERUM!!!
And a shield made of Vibranium! :)
Lots of people can develop their 6th sense with years of training. They have trained themselves for years to ignore the primitive parts of their brain. It must be undone.
Black belts go from being a couple yards away to slamming a fist (or whatever) into an opponent in about 2/10ths of a second. Basically twitch speed. If you wait to see or hear it you get a massive bruise for your foolishness. You will never be able to accelerate away in time after see, move. It must be feel the decision to strike, move. Both movements are twitch speed at the same time. Even blindfolded, with a strike from behind, its the same thing. You do this 1000s of times for years and it is instinct. It will save your ass when others will be seriously injured trying to think about it.
I often wondered why Peter Parker didn't join the Marines ? Is Captain America the only superhero with time in the services ? What about Bucky ? I remember reading an issue of Iron Man ( I think I was 7) where he was fighting in either Vietnam or Korea with the military....
Superheros and military service...where do you stand on the issue ?
Quote from: MIGMaster on March 28, 2012, 09:34:25 PM
Superheros and military service...where do you stand on the issue ?
It's difficult to slip into a secret identity to go fight crime when you're supposed to be in the field training.
I wonder how often a sixth sense turns out to be a false positive. In other words, is a sixth sense essentially just a heightened state of awareness that is identified as a sixth sense when the patrol is ambushed, but isn't if the patrol ends without incident.
I'm not dismissing the phenomena at all.