Ep. 85 Spy Cats & Bomb Bats: Secret Government Experiments w/ Dark Docent

In this episode, we’re joined by the crew from Dark Docent as we dive into some of the strangest secret projects ever attempted by the United States government—experiments where animals were considered as tools of espionage and warfare.

To kick things off, we crack open Penguins in Space Hazy Pale Ale from KCBC (Kings County Brewers Collective) in Brooklyn, New York. The can artwork features penguins suited up with futuristic weapons and spacecraft—an absurd concept at first glance, but one that oddly mirrors the kinds of ideas we explore in today’s episode.

From there, Corey presents two bizarre and very real government experiments that attempted to use animals in unconventional ways.

First, we look at Project Acoustic Kitty, a Cold War–era CIA operation that tried to turn a house cat into a mobile listening device for espionage purposes.

Next, we examine Project X-Ray, a World War II plan that involved attaching incendiary devices to bats with the idea of releasing them over enemy territory.

As Corey walks through each project, the conversation turns into a lively discussion about the creativity, desperation, and sometimes unbelievable thinking behind these secret government programs. What sounds like satire or science fiction turns out to be real history.