SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Spooky Theory on Ills of U.S. Diplomats in Cuba (archive)
During the Cold War, Washington feared that Moscow was seeking to turn microwave radiation into covert weapons of mind control. More recently, the American military itself sought to develop microwave arms that could invisibly beam painfully loud booms and even spoken words into people's heads. The aims were to disable attackers and wage psychological warfare.
Now, doctors and scientists say such unconventional weapons may have caused the baffling symptoms and ailments that, starting in late 2016, hit more than three dozen American diplomats and family members in Cuba and China. The Cuban incidents resulted in a diplomatic rupture between Havana and Washington.
The medical team that examined 21 affected diplomats from Cuba made no mention of microwaves in its detailed report [open, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.1742] [DX] published in JAMA in March. But Douglas H. Smith, the study's lead author and director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a recent interview that microwaves were now considered a main suspect and that the team was increasingly sure the diplomats had suffered brain injury. "Everybody was relatively skeptical at first," he said, "and everyone now agrees there's something there." Dr. Smith remarked that the diplomats and doctors jokingly refer to the trauma as the immaculate concussion.
Strikes with microwaves, some experts now argue, more plausibly explain reports of painful sounds, ills and traumas than do other possible culprits — sonic attacks, viral infections and contagious anxiety. In particular, a growing number of analysts cite an eerie phenomenon known as the Frey effect, named after Allan H. Frey, an American scientist. Long ago, he found that microwaves can trick the brain into perceiving what seem to be ordinary sounds.
Mentioned in the article: JASON, which is also investigating the attacks and considering the possibility of microwaves causing the symptoms.
Previously: US Embassy Employees in Cuba Possibly Subjected to 'Acoustic Attack'
U.S. State Department Pulls Employees From Cuba, Issues Travel Warning Due to "Sonic Attacks"
A 'Sonic Attack' on Diplomats in Cuba? These Scientists Doubt It
Cuban Embassy Victims Experiencing Neurological Symptoms
Computer Scientists May Have Solved the Mystery Behind the 'Sonic Attacks' in Cuban Embassy
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 02 2018, @08:39AM (3 children)
Why is every idiot and his mother in this thread claiming that this has only ever affected Americans? That is completely untrue and if you don't know that from all the articles published regarding this then you aren't qualified to even make a comment about it...
(Score: 4, Informative) by khallow on Sunday September 02 2018, @11:43AM (2 children)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 02 2018, @04:37PM (1 child)
Assuming the Canadians will hang out at US parties, they can easily catch mass hysteria. And since the Canadians have had long term relations with Cuba, while the current US administration wants to delegitimize the previous administration's opening to Cuba, they won't entertain any bullshit.
The Epoch Times? Mouthpiece of China's Scientology, Falun Gong? Definitely in the Guangzhou example they would have an interest in not being truthful.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday September 03 2018, @12:46AM
Or it might be some other explanation. I didn't expect my linked story to explain everything.
Didn't care enough to find a prettier source. Still don't care. I figure they're good enough to say what country an embassy belongs to.