Sometimes, as a scientist, a system I'm building needs to be tested by humans. If so my proposed test/experiment is reviewed by an Institutional Review Board to make sure it isn't unethical.

Every once in a while I complain to myself because doing IRB review is kind of a hassle, but then I remember that there are fucking monsters like this guy around, so it's a good idea.

Harlow devised what he called a "rape rack",...

And done, can't read past that.. I am not only disgusted by this fucking psychopath but every one around him who enabled this shit. How many goddamned people thought themselves as normal, upstanding people and helped this fucking guy?

These experiments showed Harlow what total and partial isolation did to developing monkeys, but he felt he had not captured the essence of depression, which he believed was characterized by feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and a sense of being trapped, or being "sunk in a well of despair", he said.

Jesus Christ, take up painting or start a band.

This was horrifying by ‘70s standards, a time when animal welfare wasn’t a major issue. But other than suggestions to tone down his naming no one tried to stop him.

Jesus Christ. I came for the Princess Bride references and left with yet another example of how horrific human beings can act when it's "for reasons".

Jesus fucking christ. That dude needed a little less grant money and a lot more therapy.

why are humans such shit, how can you do this shit

I read an article on this experiment earlier today but it didn't mention the rape racks. I wonder how much that contributed to the female isolates hating their children compared to just the lack of social adaptation.

I should have guessed with a title like "Pit of Despair" but still I was unprepared for that rough read. God damn, humans find some extraordinary ways to suck.

That whole article is horrifying

Horrifying, yet, I remember learning about how ethical standards developed because of researchers like this. In a way, if no one ever went that far, would we ever know how evil humans could be, and how to protect against it?

People that had clear psychological issues, and authority!

Sound familiar? Putin? Trump? The Taliban?

How do we protect against it?