Prankster tricks Russian teachers into using aluminum hats against satellites

There is a deeply rooted myth that aluminum hats help people stay under the radar. satelliteAnd it was this misconception that prompted a Belarusian artist and activist named Vladislav Bokhan, who posed as an official from the ruling United Russia party, sending out to schools what appeared to be a government directive ordering teachers to make a “protective” hat, dubbed the “helmet of the fatherland.” and hold them with the Russian flag safe from NATO satellites.

According to the Polish TV channel TVP World, in July the activist took to Telegram calling on teachers to send photos of their work. Teachers at seven schools complied with instructions and provided evidence of tinfoil hats.

In one of them, the teacher wears a hat and says: “Let the helmet that you make with your own hands become a means of protection against foreign enemies of our wonderful country.”

A local education ministry official praised the teachers for their national pride, saying they were “the butt of an inappropriate joke” but “demonstrated a patriotic spirit, strong dedication and creativity in any task,” Radio Free Europe reported. .

Aluminum myth

The myth of the tinfoil hat dates back to science fiction narratives of the early 20th century and has persisted in popular culture as a symbol of paranoia and conspiracy theories. The idea suggests that wearing an aluminum foil hat can protect the brain from external influences such as mind control or mind reading. Although this concept has been scientifically disproven, it remains a stereotype denoting distrust of authority or concern for privacy. In fact, the effectiveness of a material in blocking electromagnetic radiation depends on its thickness and wave frequency; Regular aluminum foil does not provide the protection that some people believe.