# Sonic attack on US ambassadors in Cuba. WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216 "2017-08-10T01:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/1 "2017-08-10T01:58:28Z")
This sounds like something from a bad cold war drama. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-expels-2-cuban-diplomats-after-incidents-in-cuba/2017/08/09/21baff58-7d2e-11e7-b2b1-aeba62854dfa\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-expels-2-cuban-diplomats-after-incidents-in-cuba/2017/08/09/21baff58-7d2e-11e7-b2b1-aeba62854dfa_story.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — The two-year-old U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba was roiled Wednesday by what U.S. officials believe was a string of bizarre attacks on a group of American diplomats in Havana with a covert sonic weapon that left the victims with severe hearing loss. > > In the fall of 2016, a series of U.S. diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing, according to officials with knowledge of the investigation into the case. Several of the diplomats were recent arrivals at the embassy, which reopened in 2015 as part of former President Barack Obama’s reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba. > > Some of the diplomats’ symptoms were so severe that they were forced to cancel their tours early and return to the United States, officials said. After months of investigation, U.S. officials concluded that the diplomats had been attacked with an advanced sonic weapon that operated outside the range of audible sound and had been deployed either inside or outside their residences. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/2 "2017-08-10T14:20:47Z")
O [Garrett Morris]OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT…[/GM] ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/3 "2017-08-10T15:54:53Z")
The Washington Post seems to have changed their article to omit mention of hearing loss and sonic devices, but other outlets are still running that story. One example is time magazine. [http://time.com/4894747/us-diplomat-cuba-havana-sonic-weapon-hearing-loss/](http://time.com/4894747/us-diplomat-cuba-havana-sonic-weapon-hearing-loss/) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/4 "2017-08-10T16:23:46Z")
In case of Sonic Attack, do not panic. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/5 "2017-08-10T16:26:47Z")
Only minions of President Eggman need worry about Sonic attacks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/6 "2017-08-11T02:04:30Z")
I’m not sure why some people think that severe hearing loss is funny, but whatever. Canadian diplomats are apparently suffering from the same problem. [http://time.com/4896456/canada-diplomat-cuba-hearing-loss-sonic-device/](http://time.com/4896456/canada-diplomat-cuba-hearing-loss-sonic-device/) > [@](#): > > (WASHINGTON) — The Canadian government said Thursday that at least one Canadian diplomat in Cuba also has been treated for hearing loss following disclosures that a group of American diplomats in Havana suffered severe hearing loss that U.S. officials believe was caused by an advanced sonic device. > Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Brianne Maxwell said Canadian officials “are aware of unusual symptoms affecting Canadian and US diplomatic personnel and their families in Havana. The government is actively working — including with US and Cuban authorities - to ascertain the cause.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/7 "2017-08-11T02:31:37Z")
Apparently this was something that the victims didn’t notice at the time but was affecting their hearing after prolonged exposure. What sort of technology could that possibly be? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/8 "2017-08-11T02:33:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Apparently this was something that the victims didn’t notice at the time but was affecting their hearing after prolonged exposure. What sort of technology could that possibly be? High-powered ultrasonic emitter. Like a dog repeller, but even more powerful. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/9 "2017-08-11T03:02:44Z")
I wonder if whoever is responsible intended to cause deafness or if it was for some other purpose and the deafness was an unintended side effect. What possible reason would someone have for deafening these people? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/10 "2017-08-11T03:41:56Z")
And couldn’t the Americans (and now Canadians) have brought in sophisticated detection equipment to detect and measure all that Sonic disruption, if that’s what they suspected was happening? I have to assume they must have, but I’ve seen no mention of it. This is all being kept so hush-hush (all those leaky news reports notwithstanding). What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/11 "2017-08-11T04:40:50Z")
The Soviets were known for this kind of thing, there were even rumors of diplomatic personnel getting deadly cancers in certain embassies at a statistically improbable rate. “Even a Death Ray” as Gilligan pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/12 "2017-08-11T04:47:26Z")
I coulda swore this was in the game forum from the title. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/13 "2017-08-11T04:59:14Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And couldn’t the Americans (and now Canadians) have brought in sophisticated detection equipment to detect and measure all that Sonic disruption, if that’s what they suspected was happening? I have to assume they must have, but I’ve seen no mention of it. > > This is all being kept so hush-hush (all those leaky news reports notwithstanding). What gives? Apparently they didn’t realize what was happening until the damage was done. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/14 "2017-08-11T09:25:41Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > The Soviets were known for this kind of thing, there were even rumors of diplomatic personnel getting deadly cancers in certain embassies at a statistically improbable rate. “Even a Death Ray” as Gilligan pointed out. There are always people getting deadly cancers at a statistically improbable rate. It’s a statistical certainty. The Soviets were thought to be deliberately bathing some areas in Microwave Radiation. One reason that this was suspected to have been deliberate was that the Americans were familar with methods of evesdropping using microwave interference. The other reason was that in at least one case, there wasn’t an accepted alternative explanation for all the microwave radiation. Microwave radiation does not cause deadly cancers in any kind of statistically probable way. It causes Americans to be afraid of getting deadly cancers, but that’s not the same thing. Higher-frequency (ultrasonic) sounds attenuate rapidly with distance: I’m not familiar with any use in spying. Actually, the reverse: electronics equipment often emits tiny amounts of ultrasonic sound, which can be used to detect electronic bugs. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/15 "2017-08-11T12:03:26Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > High-powered ultrasonic emitter. > Like a dog repeller, but even more powerful. I thought loud sounds only caused hearing damage at the particular frequencies contained within the sounds, e.g. a loud sound at 100 Hz will damage your ability to hear 100Hz, but not your ability to hear 10,000 Hz. That being the case, I wouldn’t think ultrasound would cause hearing loss at audible frequencies. Am I wrong about that? ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/16 "2017-08-11T13:29:40Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > There are always people getting deadly cancers at a statistically improbable rate. It’s a statistical certainty. > > The Soviets were thought to be deliberately bathing some areas in Microwave Radiation. One reason that this was suspected to have been deliberate was that the Americans were familar with methods of evesdropping using microwave interference. The other reason was that in at least one case, there wasn’t an accepted alternative explanation for all the microwave radiation. > > Microwave radiation does not cause deadly cancers in any kind of statistically probable way. It causes Americans to be afraid of getting deadly cancers, but that’s not the same thing. > > Higher-frequency (ultrasonic) sounds attenuate rapidly with distance: I’m not familiar with any use in spying. Actually, the reverse: electronics equipment often emits tiny amounts of ultrasonic sound, which can be used to detect electronic bugs. Well OK if you say so. Point being they were zapping the embassies with something, it’s not good. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/17 "2017-08-11T13:36:00Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I thought loud sounds only caused hearing damage at the particular frequencies contained within the sounds, e.g. a loud sound at 100 Hz will damage your ability to hear 100Hz, but not your ability to hear 10,000 Hz. That being the case, I wouldn’t think ultrasound would cause hearing loss at audible frequencies. > > Am I wrong about that? Ultrasonic sound can cause hearing damage in the audible spectrum. [Here’s](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&ved=0ahUKEwj2-Mf9pM_VAhVT-lQKHUEYCmUQFghfMAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hse.gov.uk%2Fresearch%2Fcrr_pdf%2F2001%2Fcrr01343.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFGhDzaPyaPRB4vddPbHBJBnseZvg) a report. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/18 "2017-08-11T13:43:06Z")
One news report I saw on this said the devices might have been installed in the residences of the victims. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/19 "2017-08-11T13:57:52Z")
[Photo of the device](http://www.igcd.net/images/053/274.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216/20 "2017-08-12T03:06:58Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > In case of Sonic Attack, do not panic. Use your wheels; it’s what they are for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sonic-attack-on-us-ambassadors-in-cuba-wtf/793216.md?page=2)