Strange Reports of Weaponized Sound in Cuba

■ James C. Lin

I
n late August 2017, The Potential for
­m ed ia out let s be- Weaponizing Sound
gan reporting on Audiologists, otologists,
the U.S. State Depart- and hearing scientists
ment’s disclosure that are aware that robust
H a v a n a - b a s e d U. S . audible (and, perhaps,
diplomats were expe- inaudible) sound may
riencing health issues damage hearing and
[1]–[5]. Their residences vestibular sensory sys-
©istockphoto.com/LembiBuchanan

were described as hav- tems, as well as alter

ing been targeted with
bursts of sound waves.
Diplomat ic staff and
family members have
repeatedly reported hear­­
ing loud buzzing or scrap­­
ing sounds. Symptoms include severe
hearing loss, headaches, ringing in the
ears, nausea, and problems with balance
or vertigo, which are suggestive of a con-
nection to the inner ear apparatus within
the human head.
While suspicious of a Cuban govern-
mental role in directing the “attack,”
U.S. officials have yet to pin down the
source or find any weapon that poten-
tial culprits might have used. Experts
James C. Lin (lin@uic.edu) is with
the University of Illinois at
Chicago, United States.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2017.2765778
Date of publication: 12 December 2017
consulted by media outlets and the U.S.
government appear baffled.
The Cuban government has denied
any involvement. U.S. State Department
officials have speculated that the dip-
lomats may have been attacked with
an advanced sonic weapon operating
outside the range of human audi-
tory response.
The reporting of health issues asso-
ciated with hearing loud buzzing, or
what was described as bursts of sound,
is mystifying and has caused consider-
able distress among embassy staff and
their families. In fact, the incidences
have caused some diplomats to return
home with their families.
human emotions and
moods. However, it is not
clear whether a weapon
that covertly uses sonic
energy to injure people
actually exists today.
Nevertheless, this event is calling at-
tention to the reality that sonic and
ultrasonic waves could potentially be
weaponized for health attacks.
The U.S. State Department has called
upon Cuban authorities to ferret out who
is making these health attacks. And,
apparently, the Cubans have of­­fered to
allow the U.S. Federal Bureau of In­­ves­­
tigation to come to Havana and look into
the incident, implying that they are coop-
erating with the investigation and so did
not deliberately target U.S. embassy per-
sonnel with any sonic weapon.
To date, the consensus among media
reports seems to be a collective sigh
of dismay that “scientists still have a

18 January/February 2018
big mystery to solve.” But wait a min-
ute. There actually may be a scientific
explanation. It is plausible that the loud
buzzing, burst of sound, or acoustic
pressure waves may have been covertly
delivered using high-power microwave
radiation, rather than blasting the sub-
jects with conventional sonic sources.
The Effect on the Head of
Microwave Pulse Absorption
It has been well documented scientifi-
cally that absorption of a single micro-
wave pulse impinging on the head and
conversion of that microwave pulse into
an acoustic pressure wave by soft tis-
sues inside the head may be perceived
as an acoustic click or knocking sound,
depending on the incident microwave
power intensity. A train of microwave
pulses to the head may be sensed as an
audible tune, chirp, or buzz [6]–[8].
Would the sound show up on an
acoustic-recording instrument? Yes and
no. It would depend on the design and
fabrication of the sensing device.
Some readers may find it preposter-
ous or astonishing that auditory percep-
tion of (or hearing) microwave pulses is
possible. So let me explain.
Studies have shown that the auditory
phenomenon occurs at a microwave
radiation specific-energy-absorption-
rate threshold of 1.6 W/g for a single
10-μs-wide pulse of microwaves aimed
at the subject or subject’s head, for
example. Most significantly, high-power
microwave pulses may be covertly deliv-
ered remotely, so that only the intended
target would perceive the sound in his
or her own head. This, obviously, is at
once astonishing and intriguing.
Presidents’ Columns (continued from page 11)
has developed through my engagement
with my local Chapter.
The Chapter is the fundamental
social structure of the MTT-S: there are
over 200 of these in almost every cor-
ner of the world. Chapters run events
for members, in particular through
hosting talks by MTT-S Distinguished
Microwave Lecturers, and they provide
January/February 2018 19
Microwave radiation, under other cir-
cumstances, cannot be perceived by hu-
mans, e.g., seen as visible light or heard as
airborne sound. Furthermore, the hearing
apparatus commonly responds to acous-
tic or sound pressure waves only in the
audible frequency range (up to 20 kHz).
Thus, hearing microwave pulses is a
unique exception to the airborne or bone-
conducted sound energy normally en-
countered in human auditory perception.
A Cascade of Energy Events
In fact, the hearing of microwave-pulse-
induced sound involves a cascade of
events. A minuscule but rapid (~μs)
rise in tissue temperature (~10−6 °C), re­­­­
sulting from the absorption of pulsed
microwave energy, creates a thermoelas-
tic expansion of brain matter. This small
theoretical temperature elevation is
hardly detectable by any currently avail-
able temperature sensors, let alone felt as
a thermal sensation or heat. Nevertheless,
it can launch an acoustic wave of pressure
that travels inside the head to the inner
ear. There, it activates the hair cells in the
cochlea, which then relays it to the central
auditory system for perception, via the
same process involved in normal hearing.
Depending on the intensity of the
impinging microwave pulses, the level
of induced sound pressure could be con-
siderably above the threshold of auditory
perception at the cochlea— approach-
ing or exceeding levels of discomfort
(including the reported headaches, ring-
ing in the ears, nausea, and problems with
balance or vertigo) and even causing po-
tential tissue injury
Assuming that the reported events
are reliable, there is actually a scientific
a great way to build up your profes­­
sional network. Later in your career, if
you are applying for an IEEE Fellow­­
ship, for example, the support of your
local Chapter is an important factor.
The IEEE, in general, and the MTT-S,
in particular, are highly volunteer-
driven organizations. So don’t just join—
get involved!
explanation for the source of sonic energy.
It could well be from a targeted beam of
high-power microwave pulse radiation.
References
[1] A. Gearan. (2017, Sept. 1). State Department
reports new instance of American diplomats
harmed in Cuba. The Washington Post. [Online].
Available: www.washingtonpost.com/world/
national-security/american-diplomats-suffered-
traumatic-brain-injuries-in-mystery-attack-in-
cuba-union-says/2017/09/01/9e02d280-8f2f-
11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_ story.html?ut m_
term=.1f1d5aee26f4
[2] R. Becker. (2017, Sept. 16). Weaponizing sound:
Could sonic devices have injured diplomats
in Cuba? The Verge. [Online]. Available: www
.theverge.com/2017/9/16/16316048/sonic-weapon-
cuba-us-canadian-diplomats-ultrasou nd-
infrasound-science
[3] G. Harris and A. Goldman. (2017, Sept. 29). Ill-
nesses at U.S. embassy in Havana prompt evacu-
ation of more diplomats. [Online]. Available:
www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/us/politics/us-
embassy-cuba-attacks.html?mcubz=0
[4] C. Morello. (2017, Oct. 3). U.S. will expel 15
Cuban diplomats, escalating tensions over
m y s t e r y i l l n e s s e s . T h e Wa s h i n g t o n P o s t .
[Online]. Available: www.washingtonpost.com/
world/national-security/us-will-expel-
cuban-diplomats-as-fallout-deepens-over-
mystery-illnesses/2017/10/03/8e8debc8-
a83e-11e7-b3aa-c0e2e1d41e38_story.html?
tid=hybrid_collaborative_1_na&utm_
term=.25969005b936
[5] Associated Press. (2017, Oct. 12). Revealed:
Sound of the “sonic attack” on Americans in
Cuba. NY Post. [Online]. Available: www.nypost.
com/2017/10/12/revealed-sound-of-the-sonic-
attack-on-americans-in-cuba
[6] J. C. Lin and Z. W. Wang, “Hearing of microwave
pulses by humans and animals: Effects, mecha-
nism, and thresholds,” Health Phys., vol. 92, no. 6,
pp. 621–628, June 2007.
[7] J. C. Lin, “Hearing microwaves: The microwave
auditory phenomenon,” IEEE Microwave Mag.,
vol. 3, pp. 30–34, June 2002.
[8] J. C. Lin, “The microwave auditory phenom-
enon,” Proc. IEEE, vol. 68, pp. 67–73, Jan. 1980.

A Final Note
As I begin my term, I would like to pay
tribute to my predecessor as president,
Dr. Dylan Williams, who has worked
tirelessly to promote the Society and
its members in 2017. I look forward to
serving as MTT-S president in 2018 and
meeting as many of you as possible
over the course of the year.