================================================================ MindNet Journal - Vol. 1, No. 87 ================================================================ V E R I C O M M sm "Quid veritas est?" ================================================================ The views and opinions expressed below are not necessarily the views and opinions of VERICOMM or the editors, unless otherwise noted. The following is reproduced here with the express permission of the author. Permission is given to reproduce and redistribute, for non-commercial purposes only, provided this information and the copy remain intact and unaltered. Copy formatted in ASCII. Netscape mail reader format: "Options/Mail & News Preferences/Appearance" = Fixed Width Font. ================================================================ "SOUL CATCHER" UNVEILED BY TELECOM GIANT By David Guyatt September 1996 ---------------------------------------------------------------- British Telecom, Britain's giant telecommunications enterprise, has a long history of involvement with the intelligence services. "Tinkerbell" is the name given to a secret unit of official phone-tappers who once roamed the nation searching for a socket in which to place a black jack-plug. Targeted were wicked state enemies: the Gay Rights Movement, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Green activists, the liberal Church and other equally dangerous undesirables. Now privatized and generating a massive revenue stream of 33 billion a year, things at BT have changed. Exchange digitilization and computerization has reduced Tinkerbell "tappers" to a manageable and profitable number. But links to the intelligence services are still an integral part of the structure, and employees still sign the all encompassing "Official Secrets Act," designed to muzzle their every word. The mere mention to a friend of the colour of the office carpet is still, technically, punishable by an extended term in prison. In a recent announcement, BT outlined it's commitment to leading-edge communications developments, that it believes will shoe-horn it into the new millennium. The state-controlled-private-sector giant no longer just want your every last penny. They now have plans to grab your Soul, too. QUOTE: SOUL CATCHER IMPLANTS Nexus Magazine, Oct/Nov 96. British scientists are developing a concept for a computer chip which, when implanted into the skull behind the eye, will be able to record a person's every life time thought ands sensation. "This is the end of death," said Dr. Chris Winter of British Telecom's artificial-life team. He predicts that within thirty years it will be possible to relive other people's lives by playing back their experiences on a computer. "By combining this information with a record of a person's genes, we could recreate a person physically, emotionally and spiritually." Dr Winter and his team of scientists at BT's Martlesham Heath Laboratories, near Ipswich, call the chip "the Soul Catcher." British Telecom would not divulge how much money it is investing in the project, but Dr. Winter said it was taking "Soul Catcher 2025" very seriously. He confessed there were profound ethical considerations, but emphasized that BT was embarking on this line of research so it could keep at the forefront of communications technology. Dr. Winter said "an implanted chip would be like an aircraft's black box, and would enhance communications beyond current concepts." For example, police would be able to use it to relive an attack, rape or murder from the victims viewpoint, to help catch the criminal... I could even play back the smells, sounds and sights of my holidays to friends. Other more frightening applications include downloading an older person's experiences into a newborn baby by transplanting the chip. Sources: The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, 18 July 1996 UNQUOTE The ability to remotely interrogate audio and video signals suggests that future "implantee's" could also be remotely interrogated. The miniaturization of implants remains at the forefront of technological innovation. I have seen an implant the size of a grain of rice. I understand this is large compared to current technology; that implants the size of a human hair exist -- that they are injectable. The ancillary volume of the USAF's "New World Vistas," and Metz & Kievit's "Revolution in Military Affairs," both outline futuristic scenario's not dissimilar -- at heart -- to BT's plans. Then recall that advanced military technology has a lead-time of 20-30 years. Lastly, remember that BT remains a willing servant of the British secret state. You figure it out.