16 Forgotten Public Experiments That Would Never Be Allowed Today
While science advanced quickly in the 20th century, research ethics guidelines were still developing at the same time. Numerous open trials on gullible communities would offend contemporary sensibilities and go against current scientific ethics.
These studies, which were carried out by government organizations, academic institutions, and businesses, demonstrate how drastically our conception of human rights and consent has evolved. Here is a list of 16 forgotten public experiments that modern ethics boards and regulatory agencies would immediately shut down.
Project SUNSHINE
Without parental consent, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission gathered human tissue in the 1950s, especially from dead newborns and children. In order to investigate strontium-90 absorption from nuclear fallout, researchers collected more than 1,500 samples. Funeral homes and hospitals unknowingly provided specimens for the program, which was kept under wraps until the 1990s.
San Francisco Bay Bacteria Release
The U.S. military sprayed Serratia marcescens bacteria over San Francisco Bay in 1950 to track how biological warfare might spread. The supposedly harmless bacteria caused pneumonia-like infections in at least eleven people, with one death documented. Military officials didn’t inform residents they were being used as test subjects for simulated biological attacks.
The Montreal Experiment
From 1957 to 1964, patients at McGill University’s Allan Memorial Institute became unwilling participants in mind-control experiments. Dr. Ewen Cameron, funded by the CIA, subjected patients to drug-induced comas lasting weeks, intensive electroshock therapy, and repetitive audio recordings. Many suffered permanent damage, including memory loss and regression to infantile states.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Perhaps the most infamous American medical experiment ran from 1932 to 1972. U.S. Public Health Service researchers tracked the progression of untreated syphilis in 399 African American men. Even after penicillin became the standard treatment in 1947, researchers withheld medication and information. The study continued until a whistleblower exposed it, leading to major reforms in research ethics.
Willowbrook Hepatitis Experiments
From 1955 to 1970, children with intellectual disabilities at Willowbrook State School in New York were deliberately infected with hepatitis. Researchers justified this by claiming the facility had such high infection rates that most children would contract it anyway. Parents often had to consent to the experiments to secure admission for their children in the overcrowded institution.
Operation LAC
Between 1957 and 1958, the U.S. Army dispersed zinc cadmium sulfide particles over vast areas including St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Corpus Christi. The chemical clouds, released from planes and rooftops, were designed to simulate biological agent dispersion. Residents were told the government was testing ‘smoke screens’ to protect cities when they were actually being exposed to toxic compounds.
Operation Midnight Climax
From 1954 to 1963, the CIA operated brothels in San Francisco and New York where unwitting clients were given LSD and other mind-altering substances. Hidden behind two-way mirrors, researchers observed the drugs’ effects while prostitutes collected information. This operation was part of the notorious MK-ULTRA program which tested mind control and behavior modification techniques.
Fernald School Radiation Experiments
At Massachusetts’ Fernald State School during the 1940s-50s, researchers from MIT and Harvard fed radioactive calcium and iron to developmentally disabled boys through their breakfast cereal. Parents were told their children were joining a ‘science club’ without any mention of radiation. The experiments were designed to track nutrient absorption, with some boys receiving radiation doses 30 times the normal amount.
Guatemala STD Experiments
From 1946 to 1948, U.S. researchers deliberately infected Guatemalan prisoners, soldiers, and mental patients with syphilis and other diseases to test penicillin treatments. Researchers paid infected prostitutes to sleep with prisoners and sometimes directly injected bacteria into subjects. The experiments remained hidden until 2010 when historical documents were discovered, prompting a formal apology from the U.S. government.
Project 4.1
After the 1954 Castle Bravo nuclear test in the Marshall Islands, researchers studied radiation sickness in exposed Marshallese people without obtaining consent or providing full treatment. The 67-megaton blast, far more powerful than anticipated, covered nearby islands with radioactive fallout. Rather than evacuating immediately, researchers documented the progression of radiation symptoms in islanders for years afterward.
The Holmesburg Prison Experiments
From the 1950s to the 1970s, inmates at Holmesburg Prison in Pennsylvania were paid to participate in hundreds of experiments involving dangerous chemicals, dioxin, and even mind-altering drugs. Pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. Army commissioned dermatologist Albert Kligman to test substances that caused painful blisters, scarring, and long-term health issues for minimal compensation.
The Monster Study
In 1939, University of Iowa researcher Wendell Johnson conducted an experiment on orphans to test his theory about stuttering. He told children who spoke normally that they showed signs of stuttering and subjected them to harsh criticism for any speech imperfections.
Many developed severe speech problems and psychological issues that persisted throughout their lives. The study remained hidden for decades due to its clearly unethical methods.
UK Common Cold Unit
From 1946 to 1989, thousands of volunteers at Britain’s Common Cold Unit were purposely infected with cold viruses through nose drops. While participants did volunteer, many weren’t fully informed about experimental treatments that included isolation techniques and psychological manipulations. Some trials tested substances that caused significant discomfort far beyond typical cold symptoms.
Operation Whitecoat
Between 1954 and 1973, the U.S. Army recruited 2,300 Seventh-day Adventist military personnel for biological warfare defense research. While technically voluntary, these conscientious objectors faced intense pressure to participate in tests involving Q fever, tularemia, and other dangerous pathogens. Participants were exposed to aerosolized bacteria in sealed chambers with minimal protective equipment.
Human Radiation Experiments
Throughout the Cold War, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission sponsored radiation experiments on thousands of Americans. Cancer patients received whole-body radiation doses without being told they were part of military research. In Washington and Oregon, 829 pregnant women were given radioactive iron without true informed consent, leading to increased childhood cancer rates.
Project MKULTRA Subproject 68
From 1957 to 1964, the CIA funded Dr. Donald Cameron at McGill University to develop ‘psychic driving’ techniques. Patients seeking treatment for minor conditions like anxiety were subjected to drug-induced comas for weeks, intensive electroshocks, and continuous audio playback to ‘rewire’ their thinking. Many victims experience permanent memory loss and cognitive damage, with some requiring care for the remainder of their lives.
Ethical Safeguards as Scientific Progress
These tests’ alarming nature served as a catalyst for the creation of thorough ethical research standards that currently safeguard human participants. These days, international norms, informed consent laws, and institutional review boards serve as safeguards against abuse in the name of science.
These long-forgotten experiments are potent reminders that unbridled scientific progress comes at an unacceptable human cost.
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