Buzz
Many who lived through the 20 years following the first Unabomber attack in 1978 recall the escalating fear that gripped America during that time. On May 25, 1978, Buckley Crist, a materials engineering professor at Northwestern University, received a strange package in the mail.
Upon opening it, he suffered permanent injuries from the explosive device inside. It was a letter bomb, sent by someone with the intent to kill him. But the question remained: Who was behind it, and why? The investigation aimed to uncover these answers.
As the FBI worked tirelessly to track down the perpetrator, they gave him the name 'Unabomber.' Eventually, they tracked him to a remote cabin where he had been constructing bombs and keeping detailed journals of his activities. His identity? Theodore Kaczynski.
Here are 10 fascinating facts about the Unabomber.
10. He Was Strongly Anti-Industrialism
In September 1995, a cryptic letter arrived at The Washington Post, containing a 35,000-word manifesto where Kaczynski outlined his criticisms of society and posited that the industrial revolution was the root cause of many of the issues we face. He described our increasingly automated, fast-paced culture as one where the challenges of life are fewer than those encountered by earlier generations.
For Kaczynski, this system represented a dystopian future in which people become progressively lazy and lose the ability to experience life in its most genuine form. Tasks that would have been seen as insurmountable 50 years ago are now easily completed with the help of technology, making us less equipped to tackle situations that require genuine effort from us.
He argued that this evolution leads to a profound sense of dissatisfaction and prevents us from truly living. Given that our brains are biologically wired for activities like berry picking and avoiding predators, it’s hard to deny the plausibility of his viewpoint. However, critics point to the difficulty in defining the moment when we should scale back technological progress and suggest that for many, comfort often outweighs the need for nature in the pursuit of happiness.
9. The Unabomber Was Identified By His Own Brother
David Kaczynski, Ted's younger sibling, admired his older brother’s intellectual brilliance and saw him as a source of inspiration during their childhood. Ted graduated early from high school and started attending Harvard University at just 16 years old in 1958.
For some time, the brothers had minimal contact, but they eventually reconnected after Ted completed his college education. However, by this point, Ted had begun to show more antisocial behaviors. In 1978, David was forced to fire Ted from a job due to a disagreement with a coworker. Shortly afterward, Ted mostly withdrew from his family’s life.
At one point, Ted sent David a 23-page essay outlining his wish to disconnect from industrial society. This essay became a crucial piece of evidence after the manifesto was published, as both documents conveyed nearly identical ideas and were written in the same style.
In an interview with Investigation Discovery, David spoke about the emotional turmoil he faced knowing he had to report his brother to the authorities.
8. Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, was an outsider during his school years.
Having skipped multiple grades, Ted often found himself out of place, struggling to fit in with his older classmates. His peers were not only much older but also bullied him relentlessly, making him feel isolated.
Despite this, Ted found a sense of belonging among a small group of fellow social misfits, whom he considered 'nerds.' These students shared his passion for learning and had quirky interests of their own. Interestingly, even within this group, Ted stood out as somewhat eccentric.
7. Ted Kaczynski Was Subjected to Psychological Testing Against His Will
A year after Ted Kaczynski, as a teenager, enrolled at Harvard, he was chosen to participate in a disturbing three-year psychological experiment, which he later described as the most traumatic experience of his life. The experiment, led by Henry Murray, aimed to study the psychological effects of stress.
Participants were asked to write about their personal beliefs and philosophies, only to be cruelly ridiculed in a setup designed to examine their reactions. The experiment was part of research into Cold War-era interrogation methods. Many believe this event significantly contributed to Ted's transformation into the Unabomber, though opinions on this remain divided.
6. Ted Kaczynski Continued to Struggle with Socializing in His Later Years
As previously mentioned, Ted had difficulty with socializing throughout his adolescence. However, the psychological experiments he underwent seemed to exacerbate his social challenges as he grew older.
Ted once attempted to pursue a relationship with a female supervisor, but she rejected him. In retaliation, he penned crude limericks, which eventually led to his dismissal by his own brother.
Ted's life, leading up to his arrest, was marked by extreme solitude. His cabin was tiny, barely sufficient to accommodate him. On occasion, neighbors would spot him cycling into town for supplies or library visits. They later recalled him as a deeply isolated figure.
5. Ted Kaczynski Was A Brilliant Math Prodigy And Even Taught At The College Level
During his time at college, Kaczynski stunned both professors and peers with his exceptional mathematical abilities. One instructor remembered him as 'a very serious student.' In fact, his thesis was so detailed that it far exceeded what was expected.
After earning his degree, Kaczynski took a job teaching math at the University of California, Berkeley. However, he soon grew disillusioned with his role as a professor and left the position. This shift marked the beginning of his growing disdain for modern society, eventually leading to his transformation into the Unabomber.
4. Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, Boasts an Astonishing IQ of 167
Given his exceptional mathematical abilities, it's no surprise that Kaczynski's IQ is off the charts—surpassing even that of Einstein. To put it into perspective, his IQ places him in the top 0.01 percent of the global population. We did the math.
This staggering IQ makes Kaczynski one of the most intellectually gifted serial killers in history. In one study, he was ranked second in terms of intelligence, only behind Nathan Leopold, whose IQ of 210 was ironically paired with a clumsy criminal scheme.
Such an extraordinary IQ is an anomaly among most criminals. Contrary to popular depictions in films, the majority of criminals are not particularly intelligent.
3. Some of the Unabomber's Theories Have Been Proven to Be True
Although Kaczynski’s actions are beyond justification, some of the points raised in his manifesto are hard to ignore. His broader philosophy remains divisive, yet it’s undeniable that technology dependency is a growing concern.
A clear example is the iPhone X from 2017. Beyond its many features, it has the alarming ability to use facial recognition. Face ID creates an intricate 3D map of your face, enabling your phone to unlock or authorize payments upon recognition. Many critics argue that this feels Orwellian in nature.
As a result, growing unease surrounds the rapid rise of technology and its quiet invasion into our lives, often eroding our privacy in the process. This concern was a key issue raised in the Unabomber Manifesto.
2. The Unabomber’s Views Are Gaining Support Among Some Groups
How effective has Ted Kaczynski been in spreading his ideas? If you’ve seen the title of this entry, you probably already know the answer. The Unabomber’s philosophy started gaining traction as early as the 2010s, when John Jacobi read the Unabomber Manifesto and later joined a group of eco-anarchists.
More recently, the infamous serial killer has made his way back into public consciousness with the rise of Internet humor. Specifically, among politically active groups, fringe beliefs have become common fodder for online jokes.
One such belief is “anarcho-primitivism,” a philosophy advocating for a return to preindustrial society, which is often linked to the Unabomber. As this new wave of Internet memes gains popularity, it inevitably introduces more people to anarcho-primitivism and Kaczynski’s ideas.
What’s most bizarre about this trend is that it’s entirely unintentional on Kaczynski’s part. If you’d like to see the surge in interest for yourself, just type “anarcho primitivism” into Google Trends!
1. The Unabomber Maintains Contact with the Public from His Prison Cell
At first, the idea may sound unsettling, but rest assured, it’s not as troubling as it seems. After being sentenced for his crimes, Kaczynski was granted the ability to have pen pals while incarcerated at ADX Florence, a high-security prison located in Florence, Colorado.
He fully utilizes this privilege, connecting with thousands of people on the outside. Kaczynski even occasionally grants interviews to the media.
This shift in behavior is striking, especially considering his previous years of voluntary isolation. Still, it’s reminiscent of someone determined to advocate for their own beliefs and ideas.
There is much debate surrounding whether Kaczynski should be allowed this privilege. Critics argue that it could lead to dangerous political influence, while supporters assert that freedom of speech is crucial, even for individuals like Kaczynski, who have ideas to share.
