SRL Bits and Pieces
Yesterday I got two emails, one right after another, from two completely different people, both about Survival Research Laboratories.
Paul Komoda shares a link to a YouTube video entitled Weird Weapons of WW2, which aired on the History Channel. The video discusses psychoacoustics, air cannons and other unusual Nazi attempts at weaponry from WW2. All of these machines were abandoned or dismantled, but Mark Pauline appears to demonstrate how some of them worked using SRL recreations. It’s funny to hear the History Channel people describe SRL in that gee-whiz History Channel voice. Also from Paul, a link to A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief, “an almost Quay-like film” featuing SRL machines.
Mark Jennings sends along news of the approaching Blue + Green Ball, a Todd Blair benefit happening this Saturday in San Francisco. Todd Blair is a member of SRL who suffered a head injury during a recent SRL performance in Amsterdam. Todd has a long road of medical bills, living and rehab expenses, and a community of artists and performers has joined to help him by putting together this show. Activities include music, belly dancing, dada percussion, art auction peices by Stelarc, SRL, Lynn Hershman, Eduardo Kac and others, hot dogs steamed by the Neverwas Steam Car, and more.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Cool and good to hear…I honestly wasn’t quite sure if SRL was even doing performances anymore. When I first heard of them back in the day, I remember there being a lot of outrage that what they were doing was too dangerous and needed to be scaled back. Now that we have all these shows about military technology and “Mythbusters” n’ shit…I can imagine SRL catching on. How cool would it be if the History channel gave Mark Pauline a shitload of money to brainstorm and create massively destructive scenarios? I’d be all for it :)
November 29th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Ooooooh, just fell in love with ‘A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief’. Danke, danke.
November 29th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
I actually like Paul’s link better than the one I sent.
–Mike Jennings
December 1st, 2007 at 1:28 pm
The vortex cannon was also being researched by the U.S. military for riot control. According to this article, it “hits its target with the force of a rubber blanket”.
…a “rubber blanket”.
The same article also reveals why the same technology is impractical as a nonlethal weapon. As if we needed any more convincing after watching that video of Pauline’s cannon. As demonstrated, sound is apparently great for blowing things apart.
Another article on acoustic weapons research:
link