For the paranoids, tinfoil hats serve the purpose of protecting them from "invasive radio signals." It turns out, as discovered by a group of MIT students, that tinfoil hats -- regardless of the design -- not only are useless at protecting the user but "may in fact enhance the government's invasive abilities. We speculate that the government may in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason."

Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminium helmets serve as the protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We investigate the efficacy of three aluminium helmet designs on a sample group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain frequencies are in fact greatly amplified. These amplified frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Statistical evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the government's invasive abilities. We speculate that the government may in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.