
Diplomats targeted in sonic weapon attacks in Cuba have suffered brain damage - sambeau
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/bizarre-sonic-weapon-attacks-story-just-took-an-extremely-dark-turn/
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dang
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14979979](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14979979)

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l5870uoo9y
Article with some motiv speculation:

> While I have not served in Cuba, my experience in a number of similar
> hostile, high counterintelligence threat countries suggests that this is
> more likely a surveillance effort gone wrong, than the use of an offensive
> sonic weapon.

> We have very little experience anywhere in the world with directed attacks
> designed to physically harm to our diplomats. However, the use of intrusive
> technical collection and surveillance which sometimes causes harm in its own
> right is consistent with past practice in Cuba and elsewhere.

Source: [http://www.newsweek.com/whos-making-our-diplomats-cuba-go-
de...](http://www.newsweek.com/whos-making-our-diplomats-cuba-go-deaf-655219)

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mhneu
> What type of sonic weapon could engender that kind of harm?

> Although low-frequency infrasound systems can “silently” cause a wide range
> of symptoms in human targets – including fairly severe inner ear and even
> hair cell damage – the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) doesn’t
> suggest that any brain damage can be caused.

> High-frequency microwaves, however, could certainly cause brain damage
> without making a sound. If targeted at a person, small bursts could induce
> “shockwaves” in brain tissue, as well as the inner ear. Prolonged exposures
> could cause permanent damage.

I'm not sure exactly what is being discussed by this article which is thinly
sourced.

However, it is true that _ultrasonic_ waves can change brain activity. It is
typically difficult to couple ultrasonic waves to the head. We hear up to
20kHz. 100kHz is marginally attenuated by air. 1Mhz and above are highly
attenuated by air, and that's why ultrasound imaging requires a gel to couple
the ultrasound generator to your skin.

 _IF_ the article is correct that some kind of sonic weapon caused low-grade
brain injury, perhaps it was a super-high-amplitude ultrasound in the
50-300kHz range?

~~~
mhneu
Update: from the justsecurity article: >The Russian security services were
also known to flood the U.S. embassy in Moscow with electromagnetic radiation.
They would beam concentrated microwaves and electronic pulses at the Embassy
in an attempt to eavesdrop on U.S. typewriters and conversations.

If very high levels of microwaves were used, perhaps this could explain the
injuries. Microwaves are electromagnetic, not acoustic, but they are absorbed
very weakly by water. It could be that people were injured by heating inside
their ears or brain.

~~~
toomuchtodo
I'm curious if the US embassy performs signal intelligence or other broad
spectrum EM monitoring of the embassy facility.

~~~
ju-st
Surely, considering they even listen to other communications from their own
embassies: [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-
brit...](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-britains-
secret-listening-post-in-the-heart-of-berlin-8921548.html)

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nonbel
Mild TBI:

"While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the individual has cognitive
problems such as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention
deficits, mood swings and frustration.

[...]

Common Symptoms of Mild TBI

    
    
        Fatigue
        Headaches
        Visual disturbances
        Memory loss
        Poor attention/concentration
        Sleep disturbances
        Dizziness/loss of balance
        Irritability-emotional disturbances
        Feelings of depression
        Seizures
    

[...]

These symptoms may not be present or noticed at the time of injury. They may
be delayed days or weeks before they appear. The symptoms are often subtle and
are often missed by the injured person, family and doctors."
[http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/symptoms-of-tbi/mild-
tbi...](http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/symptoms-of-tbi/mild-tbi-
symptoms/)

It doesn't really sound like a meaningful diagnosis to me.

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4rt
[https://www.justsecurity.org/44289/sonic-attacks-
diplomats-c...](https://www.justsecurity.org/44289/sonic-attacks-diplomats-
cuba-dont-rush-conclusions/)

this suggests it might be more of an accident than an intentional attack (ie.
weapon)

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fgGAMI
I read somewhere that it's much more likely they contracted neurosyphilis.

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transverse
I wouldn't be surprised if this was actually done by Russia to harm US-Cuba
relations.

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junkculture
Demonization of the enemy.

Cuba has this tech? Yeah, right.

~~~
mhneu
>Cuba has this tech? Yeah, right.

Cuba's got a fairly solid secret service. They're not the completely backward
nation you envision.

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la_fayette
this is fake news, isn't it?

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l5870uoo9y
I am not an intelligence expert but there are no obvious reason why Cuba (even
if it is a hostile country) would do this now. The article link I shared above
speculate if it is a intelligence gathering malfunction. Other theories also
exists, but seems more unlikely.

~~~
heroprotagonist
It probably isn't Cuba doing it, but rather some other country's invasive
spying tech that wasn't intended as a weapon.

~~~
transverse
cough Russia cough

