Screaming babies were used to motivate ancient warriors during battle?

by Staff writer

If you have ever seen, spent time with or (Blood of God!) live with a colicky baby, this will make perfect sense to you.

When a baby is crying around you you don’t think very straight.

Speaking at the first BAHFest in 2013 [a satirical conference where researchers offer fake theories supported by real scientific evidence], MIT grad student Tomer Ullman proposes that in ancient times, screaming babies were used to motivate armies to fight.

Howling infants, he suggests, were probably attached in baby carriers to the backs of warriors to give the combatants “a natural adrenalin boost” as they surged into battle.

In this way, he proposes, “infant stress vocalizations” became a weapon of war.

The BAHFest is an annual gathering of science lovers, where totally absurd ideas are proposed and defended.

Mr. Ullman’s screaming baby hypothesis was voted best that year.

Watch his presentation below and see if you can relate:


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