Take a closer look at the picture above. A pigeon is gently tied to a bracket with a rubber band, and only its head can rotate freely. The pigeon's beak is fitted with a special device that, through regular pecking of the pattern on the black screen in front of it, appears to be conducting an experiment. What the hell is going on here? This is an early research project awarded the "Ig Nobel Prize" in 2024, which mainly explores the feasibility of placing live pigeons inside missiles to guide their flight paths. This yellowed black and white photo was one of the experimental scenes at that time. Before the emergence of laser and GPS guidance technology, it was very difficult for missiles to accurately hit their targets. During World War I, pilots flying biplanes attacked ground targets by dropping bombs from their aircraft. By the time of World War II, with the increasing speed and altitude of fighter jets, this approach was no longer feasible. Scientists are racking their brains on how to improve the high-altitude bombing accuracy of bombers. At that time, the US Navy proposed a solution to equip bombs with movable tail fins. After the bomb leaves the plane, adjust its tail wing to correct the trajectory and improve the hit rate. The question is, in the era before the birth of chips, how to correct the trajectory of a bomb during flight? At this point, an American psychologist proposed a solution: train pigeons to complete this task. The psychologist named Skinner claimed that he could train pigeons to peck at moving target patterns on a screen with their beaks, and after completing the training, place them into small compartments modified inside bombs. After the bomb is dropped by the bomber, the pigeon can see the target through the electronic screen in the cabin. At this time, it will repeatedly peck at the target on the electronic screen as it did during training, controlling the strength of the current signal and affecting the airflow acting on the bomb's tail wing, thereby controlling the direction of the bomb's flight. Although this plan may sound fanciful, the US military actually agreed and allocated funds specifically to verify its feasibility. Skinner, who received the funding, quickly trained pigeons to chase after electronic screen pecking patterns. In order to improve reliability, he plans to place three pigeons inside each bomb, each with an electronic screen in front of them. The pecking results of the three pigeons can be mutually verified to avoid missing the target due to one pigeon performing abnormally. After a year of training, Skinner demonstrated to the military how simulated bombs could accurately hit targets guided by pigeons. Unfortunately, due to the emergence of more reliable radar guidance technology at the time, the military ultimately abandoned this plan. After World War II, the US military briefly restarted this plan, but ultimately abandoned it. Afterwards, this project was shelved for a long time until it was discovered by the organizing committee of the "Ig Nobel Prize". Will this seemingly absurd experiment, which lacks practical significance, make you laugh knowingly and also give you some thought? (New Society)