The Rationalist Conspiracy

The Wikipedia article on radar detector detectors used to say:

“In 1982 the US military funded a project, codenamed R4D (radar detector-detector-detector-detector), in order to develop a device capable of detecting radar detector-detector-detectors.”

This has been widely shared online, by (among others) the rationalist blog Slate Star Codex, and the /r/wikipedia and /r/TIL subreddits. However, it’s almost certainly a hoax. The evidence:

– First, this “fact” was added to Wikipedia by an unregistered, anonymous IP address. No source was provided.

– Second, similar sentences have been added to this article before. These edits are always anonymous, always unsourced, and tell contradictory stories:

“In response, a few people also employ the use of a radar detector detector detector to detect the detection of their radar protector, but that is rare. At this time, the police are developing a radar detector detector detector detector to counter-act this.” (Aug. 2008)

“Furthermore, it is now known that a radar detector detector detector detector detector is being developed by military organizations in many countries.” (Sep. 2008)

“Scientists are currently working on a radar detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector which is in the early stages of prototyping. There were plans to create a radar detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector, but these were scrapped due to gross stupidity.” (Sep. 2008)

“Scientists at Cambridge University are currently working on a radar detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector which is in the early stages of prototyping. There were plans to create a radar detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector detector, but these were scrapped due to gross stupidity.” (May 2009)

“This technology was countered with the invention of the radar-detector-detector-detector-detector. However, due to escalation, the development of the radar-detector-detector-detector-detector-detector was deemed necessary.” (Feb. 2011)

– Third, there seem to be no real sources for a radar detector-detector-detector-detector, or for an “R4D” project. All the Google hits for this supposed “military project” trace back to Wikipedia. Google Books, Google News, and Google Scholar turn up nothing, except for some references to the Douglas R4D cargo plane. There are a few posts on forums, but they’re obvious jokes. Eg.:

“More importantly.. Are there radar detector detector detector detectors? That Meanz we Need 2 Stay 1 Step Ahead of the Game. Some1, Quick, Create a Radar Detector Detector Detector Detector Detector *Head Explodes*” (link)

– Fourth, the military doesn’t seem that interested in radar detectors, never mind radar detector-detector-detector-detectors. Military radar towers are generally large, powerful, and obvious (see eg. this Distant Early Warning station); a radar system weak enough to avoid detection wouldn’t be very useful against stealth planes at long ranges, or against jamming devices. The Wikipedia article on radar detectors is exclusively about civilian use. There’s plenty of military interest in radar jamming, or electronic countermeasures, but that’s a different thing. (Radar jammers are illegal for civilians under FCC rules.)

– Fifth, there’s really no reason to build a radar detector-detector-detector-detector. A radar detector-detector-detector is useful if you have a radar detector, because it lets you distinguish between radar (which the detector can ignore) and radar detector detectors (which mean the detector has to shut down, in places where detectors are illegal). However, the only reason someone would have a radar detector detector detector is if they also had a radar detector. Hence, it’s easier and equally useful to simply detect the original radar detector.