Project Sunshine
Project Sunshine was an American medical research program that was active from the 1950s to the 1970s. The primary purpose of the project was to analyze the effects of nuclear fallout on human health, as it involved the examination of human tissues from children who died from cancer. The project was carried out by doctors from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and other government agencies. The research results provided important insights into the health risks associated with nuclear fallout and helped inform public health policy and radiation safety measures.
What is Project Sunshine?
Project Sunshine was a medical research program active from the 50s until the 70s. It was founded in The United States by Dr. Willard Libby.
Imagine this: it's time after the second world war. The cold war has just started. Nuclear weapons are fairly new and terrifyingly often used. Nobody knows what the aftermath of nuclear weapons can cause, what the radiation can cause.
Dr. Willard Libby, the commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission decides to investigate the effects of nuclear radiation, especially on children.
Due to the unethics of human experimentation, he needs to do this in secret and without consent. He deems body snatching to be the solution.
"I don't know how to get them, but I do say that it is a matter of prime importance to get them, and particularly in the young age group. So, human samples are often of prime importance, and if anybody knows how to do a good job of body snatching, they will really be serving their country
-Dr. Willard Libby
The first extensive study of radioactive isotope release began in 1949 with a project called GABRIEL, conducted by Nicholas M. Smith Jr.
Project GABRIEL was revived in mid-1951 because bombs that were dropped had brought up concerns people had about the dangers of strontium-90 (SR90). The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was interested in GABRIEL's report, although they said it was lacking in hard data and needed independent confirmation of the tests.
In 1953 a nuclear bomb was tested at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. This test was called Castle Bravo. It was the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon design tests conducted by the United States. The bomb was meant to have a force of 5-6 megatons. After the bomb exploded, it was over twice in size, almost 15 megatons. Even as far as 20 miles away the scientists got radiation readings. A lot of people got sick and hurt in the testing of the bomb.
SR90 was spread as a result of nuclear testing. It advanced the state of understanding of radionuclides and potential treatments and preventative measures.
This inspired Dr. Libby to experiment more on SR90. How does SR90 travel? How far? How does it affect the world and the air?
How would SR90 affect a human? It settles into teeth and bones while decaying them, even leading to cancer.
Dr. Libby stayed focused on his mission of experimenting on infants and the cause of radiation. He and his associates hired an expensive law firm to look into the laws of body snatching. The results indicated it would be difficult but not illegal.
At first, the researchers claimed to have been looking for Radium instead of SR90. This is how they got bodies without causing too much alarm with authorities, the government and other people who might've banned this experiment from happening.
The documents are still available, albeit they have been pretty profoundly sealed and covered, not allowing us to see much.
The reason as to why Dr. Libby was so interested in infants was their ability to grow and adapt. Would a child be able to grow up "normal" while under the influence of nuclear radiation?
As Dr Libby's experiment grew, he needed more infant bodies, and quickly. He found a loophole. In the state of Texas, it was not illegal to body snatch. The easiest bodies to snatch would be homeless people, orphans and children whose parents couldn't afford a proper burial, as almost all of these would be cremated and "wasted".
"We were fortunate, as you know, to obtain a large number of stillborns as material. This supply, however, has now been cut off, and shows no signs, I think, of being rejuvenated."
- Dr. Willard Libby
Project Sunshine continued to expand at a larger scale. Dr Libby was interested in expanding to Australia, South America, the Near East and Scandinavia. The project had already spread to the United Kingdom.
The New York Times reported that over 1500 samples had been taken, only 500 of them actually being used. Despite the large amount of presumed samples, only 500 were redcorded.
In the United Kingdom nearly 6000 samples had been reported to have been taken. Some of the parts were distributed in the UK, some had been sent into the United States. The amount of samples being this high is due to the fact there were (are?) no laws against body snatching dead infants, such as stillborns.
Pregnant women were also injected with radioactive iodine to cause stillborns and/or evolve the experiment. The women were not informed of side effects.
"I asked if i could put her christening robe on her, but i wasn't allowed to and that upset me terribly because she wasn't christened. No one asked me about things like that, taking bits and pieces from her"
-Jean Pritchard, a mother of a stillborn daughter whose body had been snatched
What makes this a conspiracy?
Multiple people believe Project Sunshine never came to an end, despite the claims.
Despite the immorality of the project, Dr Willard Libby went on to win the Chemistry Nobel Prize in 1960.
The project continued in Poland with livestock after the project had concluded.