Samuel Koslov

Samuel Koslov was a top scientist for the U.S. Navy and the scientific assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. He became a central figure in the debate surrounding the Moscow Signal and its potential health effects, often publicly downplaying its dangers despite his involvement in classified research related to it¹.

Koslov led the charge of those who insisted that the Moscow Signal was harmless, arguing that any reported issues were psychological trauma rather than physical effects. He stated, "The actual physical results were nonexistent, but the real psychological trauma (in this case in a group of well-educated and dedicated people) was sad and startling"¹. This view was in direct opposition to Richard S. Cesaro of ARPA, who believed the beams were harmful and could penetrate the human nervous system¹.

As a lead scientist on Project Pandora, a classified, multiservice effort to duplicate the electromagnetic weapon of the Moscow Signal, Koslov was deeply engaged in research involving microwave beams. This project involved exposing primates and later unwitting sailors to microwave radiation¹.

In 1977, when a Washington Post article by John L. Wilhelm exposed the U.S. Navy's involvement in ESP research, Koslov publicly expressed outrage. He claimed he had demanded the SRI project stop at once and had canceled Navy funds for remote viewing work. He publicly stated, "If you ask me, ‘Do you think it’s a pile of crap?’ I do, and you can quote me," and assured Wilhelm that the Navy "is simply out of this business. I don’t believe it’s the function of the military to support parapsychology research"¹. His public stance was seen by some as a semantic maneuver to conceal the truth and distance the Navy from controversial parapsychology research, especially given his direct involvement in related classified programs¹.