Sound of mystery attacks in Cuba released. It’s as obnoxious as you’d expect

S_T_R

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,790
What an incredibly odd situation. Scientists seem to be baffled by this. I'm really looking forward to someone discovering what the real cause is. Hopefully it's not some new sort of weapon that will be widespread.

Probably because whatever this sound is, it has nothing to do with whatever ailed the embassy workers. Think cheap Chinese drywall outgassing toxins.
 
Upvote
38 (72 / -34)

Nalyd

Ars Praefectus
3,057
Subscriptor
The noise is comprised of 20 or more different frequencies, all around about 7,000 kHz and 8,000 kHz.

And since EagerEyes took my first nitpick, the second is that that the correct usage is "The noise comprises 20 or more different frequencies".

Having used that wrong myself for many years, I finally looked it up :)
 
Upvote
32 (45 / -13)
Upvote
15 (15 / 0)
What an incredibly odd situation. Scientists seem to be baffled by this. I'm really looking forward to someone discovering what the real cause is. Hopefully it's not some new sort of weapon that will be widespread.

Probably because whatever this sound is, it has nothing to do with whatever ailed the embassy workers. Think cheap Chinese drywall outgassing toxins.

I mean I'm skeptical that the attack was actually carried out by these sounds, but the people that suffered were almost all diplomats. These were targeted attacks, not simply a bad building.
 
Upvote
81 (89 / -8)
D

Deleted member 485025

Guest
Upvote
12 (13 / -1)

siliconaddict

Ars Legatus Legionis
13,075
Subscriptor++
I suspect my work headphones are too low quality to produce it. I'm not hearing anything and I can hear the high pitched whine of when a good o CRT TV was on upstairs.

All I'm hearing is what appears to be the same white noise I play to try and get to sleep at night.

UPDATE: Pulled it down to my S8+ with my earbuds.....Christ. That has to be a weapon. After a day of this I would have run out of the building screaming....hmm can we set this up in front of the White House?
 
Upvote
43 (61 / -18)
Has the exact nature of the "brain injuries" ever been described or investigated in detail? I'd think that it would at least offer some possible leads to try to walk back to possible causes beyond just "sound" -- perhaps more specific suspect wavelengths based on specific effects, and maybe intelligent speculation on how those wavelengths could be transmitted effectively to cause the kind of effects observed.
 
Upvote
23 (24 / -1)

ColinABQ

Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
6,368
Subscriptor++
I hope that they analyze any and all recordings not just for sonic elements, but for embedded data patterns, as might be present if someone is trying to penetrate air-gapped systems, or exfiltrate data from them, using (normally) inaudible sound. (Here's a link to an Ars search for the word, "inaudible": https://meincmagazine.com/search/?ie=UTF-8&q=inaudible.)

Edit: botched url
 
Upvote
27 (29 / -2)

khalathur

Ars Praetorian
524
Subscriptor
I also wonder if it's binaural (other frequencies encoded in the interference patterns - the "beat" frequencies - between the stereo channels) , which would produce a more physiological response than straight stereo sound.

That would seem to require the ability to separately target each ear. Difficult to weaponize if your target can turn his or her head.
 
Upvote
30 (31 / -1)

JDinKC

Smack-Fu Master, in training
87
This sounds similar to a shortwave radio as you are tuning across the channels. I would wonder if maybe there is an RF component being directed at the room or individual, and devices or metal objects in the room are resonating the RF (thus the sound) but the actual damage is the RF itself.

Back in the days of incandescent bulbs, certain dimmers would cause the bulbs to emit a noise also at certain settings. So maybe something in the realm of something affecting the electrical devices in the room and thus resonating the sound.
 
Upvote
46 (46 / 0)

dj__jg

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,685
This sound is actually a lot like the tinnitus that I get to enjoy 24/7 every freaking day -- just a bit lower frequency.

inb4 it turns out it was an attack by a militant anti-tinnitus group, wishing to call attention to the cases of tinnitus caused by the US Army whilst spreading freedom across the world ;P
 
Upvote
20 (26 / -6)

DCStone

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,816
This sounds similar to a shortwave radio as you are tuning across the channels. I would wonder if maybe there is an RF component being directed at the room or individual, and devices or metal objects in the room are resonating the RF (thus the sound) but the actual damage is the RF itself.

Back in the days of incandescent bulbs, certain dimmers would cause the bulbs to emit a noise also at certain settings. So maybe something in the realm of something affecting the electrical devices in the room and thus resonating the sound.

It certainly sounds familiar to me. A bit like when you're in a zone where two FM stations on very close frequencies overlap, or there's some sort of RF interference with a wireless mic or cordless phone.

Which really doesn't help much in understanding the source of the sound, just its aural quality.
 
Upvote
5 (5 / 0)
Post content hidden for low score. Show…

DCStone

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,816
Has the exact nature of the "brain injuries" ever been described or investigated in detail? I'd think that it would at least offer some possible leads to try to walk back to possible causes beyond just "sound" -- perhaps more specific suspect wavelengths based on specific effects, and maybe intelligent speculation on how those wavelengths could be transmitted effectively to cause the kind of effects observed.

The most I've been able to find is the following quote:

"Diagnoses include mild traumatic brain injury and permanent hearing loss, and symptoms include loss of balance, severe headaches, cognitive disruption and brain swelling, the American Foreign Service Association said."
 
Upvote
9 (9 / 0)
Post content hidden for low score. Show…