# There is really a 'Brown Tone' weapon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839 "2000-11-05T20:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smartt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@smartt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartt)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/1 "2000-11-05T20:56:11Z")
I’ve heard a lot of theories about a ‘brown tune’, i.e., a certain sound that makes the listener soil its pants. I dunno if there are REALLY projects for bowel-disruptor, sonic-based guns. But too close to certain kinds of bass drums makes my stomach sorta kinda queasy. It doesn’t cause the nausea per se, but the feeling of nausea. It’s not comfortable, but not strong enough to make me puke or s#it me Calvin Kleins. And, it doesn’t work with recorded drums; I need to be near a REAL bass drum to feel my stomach doing cartwheels. ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/2 "2000-11-05T21:00:06Z")
Very low frequencies (a few Hertz or below) can trigger bowel movements, though it’s not a sure thing. For a demonstration, sit on a vibrating clothes dryer or washing machine for a few minutes. Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/3 "2000-11-05T21:22:56Z")
Yes smartt there _is_ a “brown tone” weapon. In fact there are several variants of this weapon in the infamous “brown tone” arsenal, however most are less dependent on specific low level sub-frequencies than on contextual placement of phonemes. Here are some examples. 1: “Honey… I’m late!” 2: " So pencil neck… you like whistling at my old lady… Huh? 3: “Hello this is the IRS Regional Office.” I sure others will have additional examples. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/4 "2000-11-06T03:10:35Z")
I refer you to my subsonics primer from the now (in)famous Evil Nazi Groundhog Thread: > [@](#): > > \*\*_Originally posted by Zenster_ > There have been numerous but incorrectly identified references to the use of infra-sound. This signal usually consists of a low frequency sine wave, below the threshold of human hearing. It is produced by drivers constructed from subsonic horns invented by the famous Mister Klipsch. It is well documented that a body of a given size responds to what is known as a “Resonant Frequency.” The human body resonates at around six to seven hertz (cycles per second), for instance. Prolonged exposure to this sort of acoustic waveform establishes sympathetic vibrations within the body in question. The subject then literally vibrates itself apart, with some organs turning into jelly. The varying size of your adult and juvenile rodent population would require a bandwidth scanning oscillator and might be defeated if the Ground Hogs got wise and set up negative phased sound canceling defense systems. A counter measure against this defense might include agile frequency hopping emission control systems, but by that time the project costs would have skyrocketed out of all control. As you can see, it would also be possible to specifically tune the infra-sound to selectively resonate certain body parts. Due to their length, the intestine and colon make a splendid acoustic “antenna”. Theoretically, you could scan a set of frequencies that would vibrate this region and produce the (desired?) results you mention. Supposedly there are also frequencies that vibrate the diaphragm and cause uncontrollable laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/5 "2000-11-06T08:42:00Z")
Ok, wild assed military legends of long ago: Special Forces instructor in a weapons class, mid sixties: Human anal sphincters resonate at between 30 and 50 something Hertz. If you set off a very loud siren that ululates over the range specified the targeted faction experiences high incidences of involuntary defecation. This has a strong disheartening effect on non-military forces, and makes dispersal of rioting civilians easier. Turns out in practice, according to the same source, that physical damage to the ear far outweighs the target effect at the power needed. In a non-lethal weapon system, maiming is an incompatible design flaw. Pass for use on non-military targets, and pass also on use against soldiers, since they can shoot fine with a load in their pants, and ear plugs are cheaper than big assed sirens. Tris ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-really-a-brown-tone-weapon/39839/6 "2000-11-06T13:15:02Z")
For further reading… [SDMB - Brown Note](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13203) [SDMB - The Brown Note](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=10755)