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In a war with tanks, missiles, fighter jets, and guns, Russia is scared of birds.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has sparked many conspiracy theories. But this is one which has been propagated by the highest levels of the Russian government.
In a bewildering statement after the war broke out, Moscow claimed that the American military was training migratory birds as bio-weapon carriers in Ukraine. The birds were being trained to fly to Russia and spread diseases.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | How CIA used drugs, torture in mind control experiments; the Stranger Things link: MK-Ultra
The Russian defence ministry claimed that some infected birds had been caught from the Kherson Reserve. Moscow also said that US was researching the use of bats and reptiles as bio-weapon carriers. Russia called this a biological danger to people all across Europe.
What exactly are bio-weapons? The United Nations defines bio-weapons as arms which disseminate disease-causing germs or toxins. Their aim is to harm or kill humans, animals, or plants. These weapons are not restricted by political borders, and so can cause huge damage. Bio-weapons can lead to food shortages, environmental disasters, and even economic crises.
Russia has even named multiple diseases that US allegedly wants to use as weapons. These include a variant of H5N1, or bird flu, which can easily spread among humans. Moscow claimed that the strain developed by USA has a mortality rate of 50%. The second is Newcastle disease which is a contagious, fatal bird illness that affects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems. The third is the dreaded anthrax. It's a serious illness which affects livestock and wild game, and can infect humans through direct or indirect contact. Another is the African swine fever which is a contagious and deadly disease affecting pigs, but cannot be transmitted to humans.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | Planes spray dangerous chemicals to cause illness, influence stocks? Chemtrails claim decoded
Western media has claimed that documents produced by Russia in support of the conspiracy theory are not convincing, and do not contain any proof.
But, Russia's bird bio-weapon allegation could have been inspired by an actual American experiment dating back to World War II. In the 1940s, missile accuracy was low, and computers were too bulky to be used on projectiles. But US psychologist and inventor BF Skinner had a unique idea - to use pigeons as pilots for missiles.
Skinner built a contraption with pigeon cockpits which would sit in the nose of the missile. There were 3 cockpits with 3 electronic screens, and the pigeons were trained to identify and peck at the target appearing on the screen. There were cables attached to the pigeons' heads and these steered the missile towards the target. Skinner successfully demonstrated the pigeon-guided missile idea, but a sceptical defence research committee terminated the project.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | USA's earthquake weapon; Nikola Tesla's design; HAARP truth: conspiracy theory decoded
While question marks remain on Russia's claims, it does not mean that bio-weapons are not very real threats.
Some dangerous incidents took place during World War II when Germany tried to spread plague in St Petersburg, Russia, and Japan dropped fleas carrying bubonic plague on Ningbo, China.
In 1984, followers of cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh spread salmonella bacteria in the US town of The Dalles, and over 700 people fell ill. Between 1990 and 1995, the AUM Shinrikyo cult in Japan attempts attacks using anthrax and botulinum toxin. In the 2001, the US had a big anthrax scare when its spores were spread using the postal system. Over 20 people were infected, and 5 died.
Due to the massive threat posed by biological weapons, an international treaty was signed through the United Nations platform.
The UN Convention prohibits development, production, and acquisition of bio-weapons. It also prohibits the transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons. The convention mandates the destruction of existing bio-weapons or their diversion to peaceful aims. It has nearly global approval with 184 State Parties, and 4 Signatory States. The convention entered into force in 1975, supplementing the 1925 Geneva Protocol.
But the treaty has not been enough for enemy nations to trust each other to not use bio-weapons.
Russia has often raised allegations of biological weapon conspiracies against America. In 2018, Moscow claimed that Washington had conducted secret bio-weapon tests in Georgia which had killed over 70 people. Russia has also accused USA and Ukraine of developing ethnically-targeted diseases which would affect Russians and other Slavs. Putin's government has also alleged that there are at least 30 America-supported labs in Ukraine which work on dangerous pathogens.
On Russia's bird bio-weapon allegation, America has said that it is absurd and laughable propaganda. Instead, Russia is probably planning a bio-attack of its own, and will blame USA and Ukraine later, Washington has claimed. USA has also clarified that it helps Ukrainian labs under the Bio Threat Reduction Program, and also helps Kyiv improve public health labs.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that an infectious disease can wreak havoc across the entire globe, irrespective of where it first began spreading. In such a situation, it might be time for the United Nations to make enforcement of the ban on bio-weapons stricter with greater scrutiny and penalties.

Doom Tech | Why Vladimir Putin is scared of birds; USA's pigeon-guided missile project: bio-weapon claim decoded

Doom Tech | Why Putin is scared of birds; USA's pigeon-guided missile project: bio-weapon claim decoded

Russia has claimed that the American military was training migratory birds in Ukraine as bio-weapon carriers, and the birds were being trained to fly to Russia and spread diseases.

In a war with tanks, missiles, fighter jets, and guns, Russia is scared of birds.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has sparked many conspiracy theories. But this is one which has been propagated by the highest levels of the Russian government.
In a bewildering statement after the war broke out, Moscow claimed that the American military was training migratory birds as bio-weapon carriers in Ukraine. The birds were being trained to fly to Russia and spread diseases.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/doom-tech-how-cia-used-drugs-torture-in-mind-control-experiments-the-stranger-things-link-mk-ultra-1659009474237">Doom Tech | How CIA used drugs, torture in mind control experiments; the Stranger Things link: MK-Ultra</a>
The Russian defence ministry claimed that some infected birds had been caught from the Kherson Reserve. Moscow also said that US was researching the use of bats and reptiles as bio-weapon carriers. Russia called this a biological danger to people all across Europe.
What exactly are bio-weapons? The United Nations defines bio-weapons as arms which disseminate disease-causing germs or toxins. Their aim is to harm or kill humans, animals, or plants. These weapons are not restricted by political borders, and so can cause huge damage. Bio-weapons can lead to food shortages, environmental disasters, and even economic crises.
Russia has even named multiple diseases that US allegedly wants to use as weapons. These include a variant of H5N1, or bird flu, which can easily spread among humans. Moscow claimed that the strain developed by USA has a mortality rate of 50%. The second is Newcastle disease which is a contagious, fatal bird illness that affects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems. The third is the dreaded anthrax. It's a serious illness which affects livestock and wild game, and can infect humans through direct or indirect contact. Another is the African swine fever which is a contagious and deadly disease affecting pigs, but cannot be transmitted to humans.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/doom-tech-planes-spray-dangerous-chemicals-to-cause-illness-influence-stocks-chemtrails-claim-decoded-1658847316276">Doom Tech | Planes spray dangerous chemicals to cause illness, influence stocks? Chemtrails claim decoded</a>
Western media has claimed that documents produced by Russia in support of the conspiracy theory are not convincing, and do not contain any proof.
But, Russia's bird bio-weapon allegation could have been inspired by an actual American experiment dating back to World War II. In the 1940s, missile accuracy was low, and computers were too bulky to be used on projectiles. But US psychologist and inventor BF Skinner had a unique idea - to use pigeons as pilots for missiles.
Skinner built a contraption with pigeon cockpits which would sit in the nose of the missile. There were 3 cockpits with 3 electronic screens, and the pigeons were trained to identify and peck at the target appearing on the screen. There were cables attached to the pigeons' heads and these steered the missile towards the target. Skinner successfully demonstrated the pigeon-guided missile idea, but a sceptical defence research committee terminated the project.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/doom-tech-usa-s-earthquake-weapon-nikola-tesla-s-design-haarp-truth-conspiracy-theory-decoded-1658517563354">Doom Tech | USA's earthquake weapon; Nikola Tesla's design; HAARP truth: conspiracy theory decoded</a>
While question marks remain on Russia's claims, it does not mean that bio-weapons are not very real threats.
Some dangerous incidents took place during World War II when Germany tried to spread plague in St Petersburg, Russia, and Japan dropped fleas carrying bubonic plague on Ningbo, China.
In 1984, followers of cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh spread salmonella bacteria in the US town of The Dalles, and over 700 people fell ill. Between 1990 and 1995, the AUM Shinrikyo cult in Japan attempts attacks using anthrax and botulinum toxin. In the 2001, the US had a big anthrax scare when its spores were spread using the postal system. Over 20 people were infected, and 5 died.
Due to the massive threat posed by biological weapons, an international treaty was signed through the United Nations platform.
The UN Convention prohibits development, production, and acquisition of bio-weapons. It also prohibits the transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons. The convention mandates the destruction of existing bio-weapons or their diversion to peaceful aims. It has nearly global approval with 184 State Parties, and 4 Signatory States. The convention entered into force in 1975, supplementing the 1925 Geneva Protocol.
But the treaty has not been enough for enemy nations to trust each other to not use bio-weapons.
Russia has often raised allegations of biological weapon conspiracies against America. In 2018, Moscow claimed that Washington had conducted secret bio-weapon tests in Georgia which had killed over 70 people. Russia has also accused USA and Ukraine of developing ethnically-targeted diseases which would affect Russians and other Slavs. Putin's government has also alleged that there are at least 30 America-supported labs in Ukraine which work on dangerous pathogens.
On Russia's bird bio-weapon allegation, America has said that it is absurd and laughable propaganda. Instead, Russia is probably planning a bio-attack of its own, and will blame USA and Ukraine later, Washington has claimed. USA has also clarified that it helps Ukrainian labs under the Bio Threat Reduction Program, and also helps Kyiv improve public health labs.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that an infectious disease can wreak havoc across the entire globe, irrespective of where it first began spreading. In such a situation, it might be time for the United Nations to make enforcement of the ban on bio-weapons stricter with greater scrutiny and penalties.

In this edition of Doom Tech, we are exploring the chemtrails conspiracy theory. Believers claim that airplanes have been used for decades to secretly spray dangerous chemicals on people.
These conspiracy theorists cite as proof vapour clouds made by jets. They say that these chemtrails - short for chemical trails - last longer than normal vapour trails made by planes do.
Subscribers to this conspiracy theory blame governments, and shadowy corporations for these projects. Conspiracy theorists claim that the objectives of spraying chemicals from planes are wide-ranging.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | USA's earthquake weapon; Nikola Tesla's design; HAARP truth: conspiracy theory decoded
These include causing widespread illnesses so that pharma companies can reap profits, sterilisation for population control, and testing of chemical and biological weapons. Other alleged objectives include damaging crops to manipulate stock markets, and even modifying the weather.
The ongoing heatwave in the United Kingdom has handed ammo to chemtrail believers. Claims recently emerged on social that the heatwave was engineered to "restrict public rights and freedoms in the future" in the name of climate change.
The origins of the chemtrails conspiracy theory are rooted in some fact, as most conspiracy theories are. One of the inspirations for the theory is the secret germ warfare tests conducted in the 1950s and 1960s by the UK in which many areas were sprayed with airborne chemicals. 1950 also saw San Francisco in the US being sprayed with chemical agents to see the effects of a possible bioweapon attack.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | Machine that causes cloudburst, floods: fact or fiction? Decoding KCR's conspiracy theory
Another source of the chemtrails theory is the US Air Force's 1996 paper in which weather modification is suggested as a future weapon. Another fact cited by conspiracy theorists in a 1991 patent application on injecting particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere to reflect some sunlight to reduce global warming.
The theory has received another boost in recent times with the discovery of a new class of chemical compounds in the atmosphere. When scientists detected hydrotrioxides and said that they might possibly lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, conspiracy theorists had another weapon.
Reacting to the fresh surge in conspiracy claims, scientists have said the research so far has not highlighted any link to airplane discharges.
Chemtrail believers also share old videos as proof of the conspiracy. Fact-checkers claim that such videos are old recordings of military planes creating "smoke screens" to hide ships from enemies.
Chemtrail claimers also share photos of pilots wearing badges exposing the disastrous project. fullfact.org says that these are part of a running joke among pilots making fun of the conspiracy theory.
The chemtrails conspiracy theory is unlikely to be correct due to a host of reasons. First, scientists say that the alleged chemicals cannot reach the ground from high altitudes.
Second, a conspiracy at such a large scale would involve thousands of people. If it has been carried out for decades, at least a few whistle-blowers would've emerged to expose a project which is hurting their own friends and families.
But all this still doesn't explain what exactly those thin clouds left behind by airplanes are. Experts say that the clouds are contrails, which is short for condensation trails. They are created by water vapour and exhaust fumes from plane engines.
This vapour is emitted at high altitudes at freezing temperatures, and freezes into ice crystals. If air humidity is low, the ice crystals dissipate quickly. But in areas with high humidity, the ice crystals persist, creating visible trails.
This does not mean that airplanes never spray chemicals from the air. Aircraft are routinely used to sprinkle pesticides and herbicides on fields. They also scatter chemicals to disperse oil spills. Chemicals to kill mosquitos and other bugs, and fire retardants to fight blazes are also sprayed from planes.
However, all is not alright. Experts say that chemtrails might be fake, but that doesn't mean that contrails are harmless.
There are growing concerns that high-altitude jets are contributing to climate change. Plane contrails may be hurting the environment through radiative forcing which refers to solar energy Earth absorbs versus what it radiates back to space. Some groups are pushing for more research on contrails' environmental effects.
In a bid to destroy conspiracy theories, authorities must not brush genuine concerns under the carpet.

Doom Tech | Planes spray dangerous chemicals to cause illness, influence stocks? Chemtrails claim decoded

Chemtrails conspiracy theorists claim that airplanes have been used for decades to secretly spray dangerous chemicals on unaware people, and cite as proof vapour clouds made by jets.

In this edition of Doom Tech, we are exploring the chemtrails conspiracy theory. Believers claim that airplanes have been used for decades to secretly spray dangerous chemicals on people.
These conspiracy theorists cite as proof vapour clouds made by jets. They say that these chemtrails - short for chemical trails - last longer than normal vapour trails made by planes do.
Subscribers to this conspiracy theory blame governments, and shadowy corporations for these projects. Conspiracy theorists claim that the objectives of spraying chemicals from planes are wide-ranging.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/in-depth/the-hook/doom-tech-usa-s-earthquake-weapon-nikola-tesla-s-design-haarp-truth-conspiracy-theory-decoded-1658517563354" target="_blank">Doom Tech | USA's earthquake weapon; Nikola Tesla's design; HAARP truth: conspiracy theory decoded</a>
These include causing widespread illnesses so that pharma companies can reap profits, sterilisation for population control, and testing of chemical and biological weapons. Other alleged objectives include damaging crops to manipulate stock markets, and even modifying the weather.
The ongoing heatwave in the United Kingdom has handed ammo to chemtrail believers. Claims recently emerged on social that the heatwave was engineered to "restrict public rights and freedoms in the future" in the name of climate change.
The origins of the chemtrails conspiracy theory are rooted in some fact, as most conspiracy theories are. One of the inspirations for the theory is the secret germ warfare tests conducted in the 1950s and 1960s by the UK in which many areas were sprayed with airborne chemicals. 1950 also saw San Francisco in the US being sprayed with chemical agents to see the effects of a possible bioweapon attack.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/doom-tech-machine-that-causes-cloudburst-floods-fact-or-fiction-decoding-kcr-s-conspiracy-theory-1658421317168" target="_blank">Doom Tech | Machine that causes cloudburst, floods: fact or fiction? Decoding KCR's conspiracy theory</a>
Another source of the chemtrails theory is the US Air Force's 1996 paper in which weather modification is suggested as a future weapon. Another fact cited by conspiracy theorists in a 1991 patent application on injecting particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere to reflect some sunlight to reduce global warming.
The theory has received another boost in recent times with the discovery of a new class of chemical compounds in the atmosphere. When scientists detected hydrotrioxides and said that they might possibly lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, conspiracy theorists had another weapon.
Reacting to the fresh surge in conspiracy claims, scientists have said the research so far has not highlighted any link to airplane discharges.
Chemtrail believers also share old videos as proof of the conspiracy. Fact-checkers claim that such videos are old recordings of military planes creating "smoke screens" to hide ships from enemies.
Chemtrail claimers also share photos of pilots wearing badges exposing the disastrous project. fullfact.org says that these are part of a running joke among pilots making fun of the conspiracy theory.
The chemtrails conspiracy theory is unlikely to be correct due to a host of reasons. First, scientists say that the alleged chemicals cannot reach the ground from high altitudes.
Second, a conspiracy at such a large scale would involve thousands of people. If it has been carried out for decades, at least a few whistle-blowers would've emerged to expose a project which is hurting their own friends and families.
But all this still doesn't explain what exactly those thin clouds left behind by airplanes are. Experts say that the clouds are contrails, which is short for condensation trails. They are created by water vapour and exhaust fumes from plane engines.
This vapour is emitted at high altitudes at freezing temperatures, and freezes into ice crystals. If air humidity is low, the ice crystals dissipate quickly. But in areas with high humidity, the ice crystals persist, creating visible trails.
This does not mean that airplanes never spray chemicals from the air. Aircraft are routinely used to sprinkle pesticides and herbicides on fields. They also scatter chemicals to disperse oil spills. Chemicals to kill mosquitos and other bugs, and fire retardants to fight blazes are also sprayed from planes.
However, all is not alright. Experts say that chemtrails might be fake, but that doesn't mean that contrails are harmless.
There are growing concerns that high-altitude jets are contributing to climate change. Plane contrails may be hurting the environment through radiative forcing which refers to solar energy Earth absorbs versus what it radiates back to space. Some groups are pushing for more research on contrails' environmental effects.
In a bid to destroy conspiracy theories, authorities must not brush genuine concerns under the carpet.

Out in the middle of nowhere, sits a forest of antennae, causing earthquakes and tsunamis - unimaginable chaos and ruin. Or so, the conspiracy theory goes.
In the second edition of Doom Tech, we are looking at the HAARP research facility situated in Alaska, USA. Conspiracy theorists have linked the HAARP project to earthquakes and tsunamis all over the globe.
Calamities blamed on HAARP by conspiracy theorists include the Haiti earthquake which struck on 12 January 2010. The Magnitude-7 earthquake killed over 3 lakh people. The Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 have also been linked to HAARP. The Magnitude-9 quake killed over 18,000 people.
ALSO WATCH | Doom Tech | Machine that causes cloudburst, floods: fact or fiction? Decoding KCR's conspiracy theory
The Chile earthquake and tsunami of February 2010 were also caused by HAARP, according to some accounts. The 8.8-magnitude temblor caused over 500 deaths. A massive landslide in Philippines in 2006 has also been linked to HAARP. It had killed more than a thousand people.
These conspiracy theories are not limited to some sections of the internet. Even some world leaders have openly propagated these claims.
In 2010, then President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said recent floods in Pakistan had been caused by HAARP project's electromagnetic waves. He also accused European nations of draining rainclouds before they could reach Iran, causing water shortages in the Asian country.
In the same year, then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez said a tectonic weapon being tested by America had caused the deadly Haiti earthquake. Chavez claimed that it was just a test-run before America uses the weapon on Iran.
Despite such loud proclamations, conspiracy theorists don't explain how some antennae in the US could cause quakes thousands of kilometres away. Instead, they claim that the details are closely guarded by the American government.
So, what exactly is the HAARP project? HAARP is an acronym for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Its objective is to study the highest portions of Earth's atmosphere.
HAARP sends high-frequency radio waves to the ionosphere. These radio waves heat electrons at altitudes above 60 km. Then, scientists study the resulting perturbations in the ionosphere. The aim is to improve communication, and navigation systems.
HAARP was managed by the US Air Force, and Navy from 1990 to 2014. In 2015, the facility was handed over to University of Alaska Fairbanks.
While HAARP has not responded specifically to earthquake claims, it has responded to weather manipulation theories. HAARP scientists have stated that the facility cannot control weather. Earth's weather is produced in the troposphere and stratosphere. HAARP's radio waves don't interact with these lower layers of the atmosphere. Scientists have said that if ionospheric storms caused by the Sun can't affect Earth's weather, then HAARP definitely cannot.
But this does not mean that artificial earthquakes are impossible. There are at least two ways that humans can cause earthquakes.
The first is fracking or hydraulic fracturing which is used to extract oil and natural gas. Wastewater produced by fracking is pumped into deep, underground wells, and this can cause temblors.
The second way to create a quake is through nuclear explosions. Quakes caused by nuclear blasts are much smaller than the explosion, and not all blasts cause quakes. The range of these is a few tens of kilometres, as per the USGS.
A fabled earthquake machine has also been linked to the enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla. Some accounts say that in the 1980s, Tesla built a steam-powered oscillator which was designed to vibrate at various frequencies.
The machine reportedly caused violent vibrations in a New York building, causing panic among people in the area who thought it was an earthquake. Tesla wanted to use the machine to transmit electricity via vibrations in the ground.
The genius inventor believed that a powerful-enough machine could even cause earthquakes. However, the idea didn't progress beyond the prototype stage.
Although conspiracy theorists obsess over HAARP, it is not the only project of its kind. There is the Ionospheric Research Facility at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Then there is the defunct Ionospheric Research Station in Kharkiv, Ukraine. There is also an Ionospheric Heating &amp; Short-wave Radar Facility in Tromso, Norway.
With social media's reach continuing to grow, and scientific projects becoming more and more complex, authorities need to improve their communication so that conspiracy theories don't go from being internet conversations to ignitors of mass panic.

Doom Tech | USA's earthquake weapon; Nikola Tesla's design; HAARP truth: conspiracy theory decoded

Calamities blamed on HAARP by conspiracy theorists include the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2010 Chile earthquake and tsunami, and the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Out in the middle of nowhere, sits a forest of antennae, causing earthquakes and tsunamis - unimaginable chaos and ruin. Or so, the conspiracy theory goes.
In the second edition of Doom Tech, we are looking at the HAARP research facility situated in Alaska, USA. Conspiracy theorists have linked the HAARP project to earthquakes and tsunamis all over the globe.
Calamities blamed on HAARP by conspiracy theorists include the Haiti earthquake which struck on 12 January 2010. The Magnitude-7 earthquake killed over 3 lakh people. The Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 have also been linked to HAARP. The Magnitude-9 quake killed over 18,000 people.
ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/doom-tech-machine-that-causes-cloudburst-floods-fact-or-fiction-decoding-kcr-s-conspiracy-theory-1658421317168" target="_blank">Doom Tech | Machine that causes cloudburst, floods: fact or fiction? Decoding KCR's conspiracy theory</a>
The Chile earthquake and tsunami of February 2010 were also caused by HAARP, according to some accounts. The 8.8-magnitude temblor caused over 500 deaths. A massive landslide in Philippines in 2006 has also been linked to HAARP. It had killed more than a thousand people.
These conspiracy theories are not limited to some sections of the internet. Even some world leaders have openly propagated these claims.
In 2010, then President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said recent floods in Pakistan had been caused by HAARP project's electromagnetic waves. He also accused European nations of draining rainclouds before they could reach Iran, causing water shortages in the Asian country.
In the same year, then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez said a tectonic weapon being tested by America had caused the deadly Haiti earthquake. Chavez claimed that it was just a test-run before America uses the weapon on Iran.
Despite such loud proclamations, conspiracy theorists don't explain how some antennae in the US could cause quakes thousands of kilometres away. Instead, they claim that the details are closely guarded by the American government.
So, what exactly is the HAARP project? HAARP is an acronym for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Its objective is to study the highest portions of Earth's atmosphere.
HAARP sends high-frequency radio waves to the ionosphere. These radio waves heat electrons at altitudes above 60 km. Then, scientists study the resulting perturbations in the ionosphere. The aim is to improve communication, and navigation systems.
HAARP was managed by the US Air Force, and Navy from 1990 to 2014. In 2015, the facility was handed over to University of Alaska Fairbanks.
While HAARP has not responded specifically to earthquake claims, it has responded to weather manipulation theories. HAARP scientists have stated that the facility cannot control weather. Earth's weather is produced in the troposphere and stratosphere. HAARP's radio waves don't interact with these lower layers of the atmosphere. Scientists have said that if ionospheric storms caused by the Sun can't affect Earth's weather, then HAARP definitely cannot.
But this does not mean that artificial earthquakes are impossible. There are at least two ways that humans can cause earthquakes.
The first is fracking or hydraulic fracturing which is used to extract oil and natural gas. Wastewater produced by fracking is pumped into deep, underground wells, and this can cause temblors.
The second way to create a quake is through nuclear explosions. Quakes caused by nuclear blasts are much smaller than the explosion, and not all blasts cause quakes. The range of these is a few tens of kilometres, as per the USGS.
A fabled earthquake machine has also been linked to the enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla. Some accounts say that in the 1980s, Tesla built a steam-powered oscillator which was designed to vibrate at various frequencies.
The machine reportedly caused violent vibrations in a New York building, causing panic among people in the area who thought it was an earthquake. Tesla wanted to use the machine to transmit electricity via vibrations in the ground.
The genius inventor believed that a powerful-enough machine could even cause earthquakes. However, the idea didn't progress beyond the prototype stage.
Although conspiracy theorists obsess over HAARP, it is not the only project of its kind. There is the Ionospheric Research Facility at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Then there is the defunct Ionospheric Research Station in Kharkiv, Ukraine. There is also an Ionospheric Heating &amp; Short-wave Radar Facility in Tromso, Norway.
With social media's reach continuing to grow, and scientific projects becoming more and more complex, authorities need to improve their communication so that conspiracy theories don't go from being internet conversations to ignitors of mass panic.

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