Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by chromas on Friday February 04 2022, @09:21PM   Printer-friendly

Havana Syndrome could be caused by pulsed energy devices – US expert report

A US intelligence report by a panel of expert scientists has named pulsed electromagnetic energy and ultrasound as plausible causes for the mystery Havana Syndrome symptoms suffered by US diplomats and spies in recent years.

The report found that a group of cases could not be explained by health or environmental factors or by psychosomatic illness. It also said that devices exist with “modest energy requirements” which were concealable and could produce the observed symptoms and be effective over hundreds of meters or through walls.

The panel, established last year by the director of national security, Avril Haines, and the CIA director, William Burns, said the investigation was not tasked to identify a culprit, but in a statement accompanying the report, Haines and Burns said it would help sharpen the search for the origins of they mysterious ailments.

“We will stay at it, with continued rigor, for however long it takes,” they said.

Also at BBC and CNN.

Previously:
"Havana Syndrome": U.S. Baffled After New Cases in Europe
CIA Finds No Evidence of a Foreign Adversary Causing "Havana Syndrome"


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:27AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:27AM (#1218933)

    It could just as easily be acoustic, as mentioned in the summary. There are certain ultrasonic frequencies that can cause symptoms like that and the required equipment is both cheap and easy to conceal. Detection is also difficult because common audio recording equipment can't hear it.

  • (Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Sunday February 06 2022, @08:37AM

    by Dr Spin (5239) on Sunday February 06 2022, @08:37AM (#1219221)

    Both audio and radio frequency spectrum analysers are readily available, and have been for at least 30 years.

    3 inches of wire makes a good aerial for high power microwaves. A tin-foil hat makes quite a good Faraday cage.

    An app in your iPhone could probably sense acoustic stuff well beyond what your ears would sense. If not,
    a cheap piezo tweeter connected to an Arduino would be enough to indicate suspicious acoustic activity.

    If they can't find it, either they are not looking, or its not there.

    --
    Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!