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Old 6th January 2018, 04:49 AM   #1
dann
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Cuban Attacks on US diplomats

Great podcast Dec. 26, 2017!
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"Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht
"The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx
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Old 3rd August 2020, 07:57 AM   #2
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"... there is a gimmicky system said to be able to discourage teenagers from loitering, by playing a high-pitched whistle that, supposedly, only the youngest, healthiest ears can hear. It's intended to annoy, not to harm, due to the unpleasant sound."

I find that playing Bach or Vivaldi music works wonders even at normal volumes.
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Old 3rd August 2020, 08:17 AM   #3
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Hasn't it now been shown that at least a portion of the affected diplomats really do have some kind of brain damage? Or is that misinformation? It's on the Wikipedia article, in any case.

Personally, I thought this whole event sounded like mass hysteria from the start. I was extremely surprised to discover these claims about brain damage.
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Old 3rd August 2020, 08:27 AM   #4
Clutch Cargo
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Originally Posted by Butter! View Post
Hasn't it now been shown that at least a portion of the affected diplomats really do have some kind of brain damage? Or is that misinformation? It's on the Wikipedia article, in any case.

Personally, I thought this whole event sounded like mass hysteria from the start. I was extremely surprised to discover these claims about brain damage.
An occupational hazard I expect.
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Old 4th August 2020, 06:52 AM   #5
dann
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Originally Posted by Butter! View Post
Hasn't it now been shown that at least a portion of the affected diplomats really do have some kind of brain damage? Or is that misinformation? It's on the Wikipedia article, in any case.

There is a very l-o-n-g thread about the whole thing in Social Issues and Current Events: US may close Cuba Embassy over 'health attacks'. (My title for it was, Alien Attack? Mass Hysteria? Conspiracy?, but that one disappeared when two threads were merged.)

Quote:
Personally, I thought this whole event sounded like mass hysteria from the start. I was extremely surprised to discover these claims about brain damage.

The consensus here pretty soon was mass hysteria/mass psychogenic illness, which I suspected from the very beginning, obviously, but last year a Canadian-Israeli study suggested an insecticide widely used against mosquitoes during the Zika-virus epidemic as the culprit, and the Cuban researchers did not dismiss that idea. See the last paragraph of the Wikipedia article: Havana syndrome: Theories regarding cause.

The discomfort caused by the (apparentlly temporary) brain damage in combination with the strange sounds, which posters in the ISF thread soon put down to crickets or cicadas, appears to have been what gave rise to the conspiracy theory of nefarious attacks with sci-fi weapons perpetrated by either Cubans, Russians or Chinese.

The American studies were intent on proving this idea, while the Canadians were doing actual research, not cold-war paranoia disguised as science.

After the Canadian-Israeli study last year, the Cuban researchers joined forces with the Canadians to get to the bottom of the whole thing. The Americans had refused to share their data, so no real cooperation with them was ever possible.* However, the Cubans did have one objection: No, Cubans were found with symptoms similar to the ones at the American and the Canadian embassies, but that might be due to these embassies having been sprayed abundantly at their own requests.

I google the story now and then to follow up on what has happened, but so far I don't think that results from the joint Canadian-Cuban research project have been published.

If you are interested in U.S.-Cuban relations in general, you should check out the new Netflix movie Wasp Network (BBC review, Sep. 2, 2019) about the so-called Cuban Five (Wikipedia).
YouTube Video This video is not hosted by the ISF. The ISF can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website.
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* There are honest exceptions in the USA: “Sonic Weapon Attacks” on U.S. Embassy Don’t Add Up—for Anyone (Scientific American, Feb. 16, 2018)
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"Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht
"The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx

Last edited by dann; 4th August 2020 at 06:56 AM.
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Old 6th December 2020, 07:04 AM   #6
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'Sonic attacks' suffered by US diplomats likely caused by microwave energy, government study says

I'm skeptical.

Quote:
(CNN)The mysterious head injuries suffered by US diplomatic staff in China and Cuba that had been described as "sonic attacks" are consistent with the use of directed microwave energy, according to a report published Saturday by the National Academy of Sciences.

"Overall, directed pulsed RF (radio frequency) energy, especially in those with the distinct early manifestations, appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases among those that the committee considered," the report said.
The report added that it considered possible incidents of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness as a possible secondary issue in some of those affected a contributing factor.

. . .
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Old 6th December 2020, 09:57 AM   #7
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I have one of those little ultrasonice mist makers for a fountain. When adjusting the placement in the water, my finger got close to the element and it generated some pain. Not heat, really -- I could feel it was something different. But very uncomfortable and I didn't keep my finger there for very long.
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Old 9th December 2020, 02:44 AM   #8
dann
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Originally Posted by Puppycow View Post
I'm skeptical.

So am I.

Originally Posted by alfaniner View Post
I have one of those little ultrasonice mist makers for a fountain. When adjusting the placement in the water, my finger got close to the element and it generated some pain. Not heat, really -- I could feel it was something different. But very uncomfortable and I didn't keep my finger there for very long.

I never heard of those! Interesting. And out in open for all terrorists to see and build! It should be illegal. Think of all the brains they can vaporize!
Make Your Own Super Simple Ultrasonic Mist Maker
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"Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht
"The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx
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Old 12th December 2020, 08:39 PM   #9
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It was the Russians.
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Old 12th December 2020, 09:21 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by alfaniner View Post
I have one of those little ultrasonice mist makers for a fountain. When adjusting the placement in the water, my finger got close to the element and it generated some pain. Not heat, really -- I could feel it was something different. But very uncomfortable and I didn't keep my finger there for very long.
If this is Cain competition, you can laugh at me for being satire challenged.

But if you are serious, no, just no.
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