"Sonic Attack"

[cedd]

US reveals details of recent 'sonic attack' on Cuba diplomats

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41133855

 

At the risk of straying in to politics (please don't!) I spotted this on the BBC News website this morning and it got me thinking about the technicalities of such an attack. We're probably on the verges of this becoming a "how to" guide so maybe keep replies vague or use terminology that only folks in the know would understand to at least give an element of protection.

 

It talks about inaudible sound being played at people at levels able to cause hearing damage and brain injuries. Do we think this was LF or HF? I know some very low frequency sound can cause some interesting psychological effects. I read an article ages ago about some "haunted" castles actually having high levels of very low frequency sound caused by air movement, that was messing with people's heads and making them feel spooked.

There again, it'd require far less power to do this with HF if the results could still be achieved.

Do we think devices were hidden in the building, or is this something external somehow being directed at the building? If it was LF then there must be some hellish hardware somewhere!

[timsabre]

As this was supposedly covert, the whole thing sounds highly unlikely.

[themadhippy]

A public information announcement on how to survive sonic attack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go0JMX3zNeA

[IRW]

Sonic attack? Isn't that where you hold 'A' and 'Down' together, then release both to go spinning uncontrollably into the enemy? http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

[Jivemaster]

Well I've heard of infrasonics being considered to change emotion before, and it's well documented that several foreign embassies were subjected to microwave power during the "cold war" period, and it's documented that the Soviets included transmitting audio bugs which were powered by received microwave power into their spying tools. http://www.cryptomuseum.com/covert/bugs/thing/index.htm

I've also read that pregnant staff in embassies in Moscow were returned home because of extreme risk incurred there.

[timsabre]

Yes, but low freqs would need a load of big equipment. And microwave is lot more penetrating than hf audio which would have to be line of sight

[adam2]

I would presume HF was used, beyond the normal limit of human hearing. The equipment for LF would be far too bulky.

 

A similar technique was used to "nobble" a race horse in a major race. The HF transmitter was built into the case of a pair of binoculars and was directional enough to affect only the horse at which it was directed. The purpose was betting fraud.

 

 

 

 

I cant get a link a link to work, but the horse racing episode was well reported at the time.I suspect that the same technique has been used before and since for political ends and for normal crime.

 

 

[the kid]

Well the US has HF riot control trucks, I dont THINK they are in the uk.

 

 

[timsabre]

The strange thing about this story is that they apparently didn't notice anything at the time - only afterwards. All the hf weapon type things cited so far are very obvious visually and are instantly painful to the targets.

[sandall]

Wasn't (isn't?) HF used to drive teenagers out of shopping centres? Intended to cause discomfort rather than hearing damage though.

[adam2]

Wasn't (isn't?) HF used to drive teenagers out of shopping centres? Intended to cause discomfort rather than hearing damage though.

 

 

Yes, but it was only borderline HF as the frequency was within the range of normal teenage hearing but outside the range of anyone over about 20. True HF is inaudible to any human. It was not a total success as it deterred some well paid teenagers whose money was wanted, but was no deterrent to those with headphones or already poor hearing.

 

 

 

 

[gibbothegreat]

It did, however, have one of my favourite 'unintended consequences' outcomes, in that, wise to the rationale behind the tactic, teenagers started using it as their message tones, and were thus able to text & IM each other in class with any teacher older than about 30 likely to be completely oblivious to it...

[Jivemaster]

It was purported, in the 60's, that the Soviets used to radiate microwave RF at western embassies to enable covert interception devices. Also that these microwaves were considered a likely source of health defects among embassy staff. Whether the soviets allowed this technology to the Cubans....?

[Owain]

Well the US has HF riot control trucks, I dont THINK they are in the uk.

They are (at least the Army had one on standby)

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18042528

 

and a rather charming image:

 

 

http://cerberusblack.com/a-wasp/

 

I must confess I'd quite like on to play with.

 

 

[boatman]

Interesting in the latter one that the policeman appears to need Gaffa Tape crotch protection!

 

http://cerberusblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/police-user-y450.png