The Loud Speaker Trivia Quiz

Answer: Korean War

The Korean War, lasting from 1950-1953, provided additional ammunition for the funding of MKUltra due to the reported treatment of prisoners of war by the Communist state. Tactics forced upon the prisoners were much the same as those utilized within MKUltra, to include drug use and light or sound torture.

Photo clue: Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish.

Answer: Canada

Canada used its own citizens, institutionalized in asylums and re-education camps (primarily Indigenous peoples), as test subjects. One such facility was the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal, where patients were subjected to loudspeaker brainwashing and/or received numerous electroshock treatments under the direction of Dr. Donald Cameron, in an attempt to program or deprogram them.

Photo clue: This is the famous Notre Dame church in Montreal and includes a Canadian flag waving.

Answer: 1950s

After the conclusion of World War II, the United States analyzed the types of research conducted in Nazi concentration camps, as well as reports of the same type of research being conducted in enemy regimes and POW camps. Similar to the space race, those behind MKUltra were determined to match or exceed any quantifiable psychological benefit their methods produced. MKUltra was green-lighted in 1953, operating in secret for twenty years.

Photo clue: This is a 1956 Chevy, introduced a couple years after the start of the MKUltra program.

Answer: CIA

The CIA (or "Central Intelligence Agency"), often involved in espionage, counterespionage and black operations ("ops") was also the entity responsible for driving the MKUltra program. Green-lighted by then CIA director, Allen Dulles, CIA operatives were also present in Canada, meeting with the Canadian government as both countries organized, funded and negotiated the involvement of state-run facilities for testing and research purposes.

Photo clue: This is Kryptos, a famous cypher sculpture located on the grounds of the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Answer: Allen Dulles

Allen Dulles, one of the longest directors of the CIA, was involved in several highly scandalous situations. With his Cold War paranoia at a high, Dulles sat at the helm of MKUltra until his death in 1969. Not the only Dulles to make a mark on history, Allen's brother John Foster Dulles was President Eisenhower's Secretary of State and the namesake for Dulles International Airport.

Photo clue: This is the control tower and terminal at Dulles International Airport at night.

Answer: Lysergic acid diethylamide

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was a favorite tool administered to unwitting participants, attempting to unlock or enhance mental performance. As a hallucinogenic drug, LSD affected people differently, sometimes a short-term effect but others could result in permanent damage (and sometimes even death). One such incident, a scientist surreptitiously given LSD by MKUltra researcher, Sidney Gottlieb, resulted in the man's mental collapse and eventual suicide.

Photo clue: This fabulous image looked like a really bad acid trip or hallucination, perhaps something the MKUltra participants would have envisioned.

Answer: Cointreau

Cointreau is a French liqueur with a strong orange or citrus flavor. The party at Deep Creek Lake enjoyed cocktails containing the liqueur that had been dosed with LSD by one of the leads of the MKUltra program, Sidney Gottlieb. Gottlieb then observed the effects which primarily were event-ending as the individuals dissolved into laughter, unable to continue with the serious conversations at hand.

Photo clue: These are oranges as Cointreau is orange flavored.

Answer: Richard Helms

Richard Helms, a government staple throughout World War II, becoming one of the highest officials in the CIA at the conclusion of the war. With the Watergate scandal front page news in 1973, Helms decided the MKUltra records would add fuel to the fire and ordered their destruction. It was done, however a batch of about 20,000 records was found in 1977. Helms actions was heavily scrutinized by the government investigations into the scandals, ultimately leading to his conviction for his role.

Photo clue: This boat image has two helms.

Answer: Frank Church

A Democratic senator from Idaho, Frank Church was a protégé of Lyndon Johnson and was influential in foreign relations in the 1970s. MKUltra was one of the topics of discussion during the Church Commissions, an investigation hampered by the destruction of many of the MKUltra records in 1973 by then CIA director, Richard Helms. Due to the lack of remaining evidence, the Church Commission led to few criminal charges, but it did find that the CIA violated its own charter. As a result, the House and Senate established intelligence committees to monitor the future conduct of entities such as the CIA and hold them accountable.

Photo clue: This is a country church, common throughout the east coast countryside.

Answer: informed

MKUltra was one of the catalysts driving a move to informed consent in programming and pharmaceutical test programs. This type of consent involves a thorough address of the methods, reasons, and potential outcomes of what is being tested for willing participants, detailed in print and authorized by all participants.

Photo clue: This is an executed contract agreeing to a thing. Informed consent would include written agreements the participant would have to review and acknowledge as read before execution.