In February 2005, a group of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted rigorous scientific tests on the mind-ray blocking powers of the tinfoil hat. Using a sophisticated network analyser to measure the strength of the radio signal penetrating three different models of aluminium head gear – the Classical, the Fez and the Centurion – they found that, while the hats mostly had a modest attenuating effect, they in fact amplified signals on certain frequencies, namely 1.2 – 1.4 Ghz – the range allocated to the US government. This led to their conclusion, in a paper entitled “On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets: An Empirical Study” that “the curr ent helmet craze is likely to have been propagated by the government, possibly with the involvement of the FCC [Federal Communications Commission]”.