# Skinner reference

**URL:** <http://discourse.iapct.org/t/skinner-reference/10535>\
**Category:** CSG1996\
**Created:** [August 9, 1996, 8:29pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/skinner-reference/10535 "1996-08-09T20:29:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CCHERPAS](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@CCHERPAS](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/CCHERPAS)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 1996, 8:29pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/skinner-reference/10535/1 "1996-08-09T20:29:26Z")

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[From Chris Cherpas (960809.1117 PT)]  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[re: Bruce Abbott (960809.0820 EST)]

Just to add to the answer already given about Skinner's pigeons...  
here's a bit of reference information:

The technical details were reported by the Naval Research Laboratory  
post-war project called, "ORCON" -- which stands for "ORganic CONtrol."

Also, see Skinner, B.F. (1960) "Pigeons in a Pelican" from \_American  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psychologist\_, January, Reprinted in Skinner's \_Cumulative  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Record\_ (1972, pp574-591). Here are some excerpts:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1939 the city of Warsaw was laid waste in an unprovoked bombing  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...Project Pigeon was conceived against that background...the system  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;was to be tested first in an air-to-ground missile called the  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pelican." Its name is a useful reminder of the state of the  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;missile art in America at that time. Its detecting and servo-  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;mechanisms took up so much space that there was no room for  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;explosive: hence the resemblance to the pelican "whose beak can  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;hold more than its belly can." (p575)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Small cutouts of ships and other objects were placed on the field.  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The field was constantly in motion, and a target would go out of  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;range unless the pigeon continued to control it...We found the pigeon  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;could hold the missile on a particular street intersection in an aerial  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;map of a city. (p578)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We...multiplied the probability of success by designing a multiple-  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;bird unit. (p581)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like the wing-steered Pelican, the simulator tilted and turned from  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;side to side. When the three-bird nose was attached to it, the pigeons  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;could be put in full control -- the "loop could be closed" -- and  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;the adequacy of the signal tested under pursuit conditions. (p582)