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FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

fortune.com

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Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#131

Post by CGMthrowaway »

quietsegfault wrote: post #124
CGMthrowaway wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source? It is known (and studied) that even at low power levels that do not significantly raise body temperature, short RF pulses can cause rapid, microscopic thermal expansion in the brain. This creates mechanical stress waves that can lead to TBIs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_auditory_effect

That's the cool thing! No one really knows, so any remotely scientific theory is indistinguishable from truth. Maybe even the more outlandish the better, so as to scare people more effectively.

Did you mean to reply to a different comment? Struggling to connect this reply with what was said before it

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#132

Post by krunck »

anxman wrote: post #128
willis936 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's not. There was one hasty study that claimed that early on, riddled with issues, and unable to be replicated. The symptoms are not RF burns.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-military-tested-device-that-... Things have changed. The weapon was acquired by DOD.

"...the importance of the energy being pulsed in order to have biological effects on humans. When you produce pulses like this, you can actually stimulate electrically active tissue like brain tissue and the heart, for that matter, mimicking what the brain normally does, but now you're driving it with your pulses from the outside."

Ah, so a portable pulsed microwave device. Current phased array technology is certain to be able to produce a narrow and powerful beam. Current energy densities of batteries allow for a significant amount of portable power. Expecting to see "Show HN" on this soon...

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#133

Post by pwdisswordfishs »

PoignardAzur wrote: post #89
King-Aaron wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amy Eskridge - who publicly stated she was not suicidal before "committing suicide" reported to her friends that she received burns to her arms and hands through her window in an attack that sounded similar to this microwave/havana syndrome stuff. She was very vocal about the fact that she was being harassed over her work before she died.

> Amy Eskridge - who publicly stated she was not suicidal before "committing suicide" I really hate the discourse around this stuff. Like, yes, disguising murder as suicide is a thing and obviously three-letters agencies do it. But someone saying publicly they're not suicidal gives you close to zero information. People with suicidal ideation almost never advertise it publicly because, one, there is a heavy amount of…

Subjectively, it seems like it's even prudent to consider that someone who is involved in a discussion about whether or not they're suicidal is probably likelier than average to commit suicide. Fair chance that "I'm not suicidal" should really even be understood to mean, "I'm not suicidal right now".

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#136

Post by ozten »

Napkin Math by Sabine Hossenfelder:

- people working in space top secret research 20,000 (conservative estimate, probably much smaller)

- adult disappearances 1/50k to 1/100k per year

- demographics are stable, high earners, so more like 1/100k per year or less

- so for the pool of 20k, then 0.2 per year on average

- these disappearances are a 1:10,000 to 1:20,000 probability

- homicides made this situation even more unlikely 1:100,000

Conclusions: A conspiracy is highly unlikely, but the situation is very unlikely. Shrug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEnvorobhEE

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#137

Post by trhway »

vasac wrote: post #85
trhway wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>to protect themselves from America. not necessarily from America. The goal #1 of the US dominated NATO for example was to prevent Germany from getting nuclear weapons in exchange for protection by US. Now with US de-facto withdrawing, Germany would have to quickly get nukes (as well as missiles to carry them) - i don't see other option for Germany here giving the environment in Europe and MidEast. So they would also…

> Germany would have to quickly get nukes No shit? Why would they have to? Is someone ready to nuke them if it turns out they’re no longer under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, or are they some special snowflakes who should have them while Iran (and most other countries) shouldn’t?

>Is someone ready to nuke them

No. The nukes prevent the aggression even by a conventionally armed aggressor. Nukes ins't to win a war, it is to prevent one. Lets say Germany has successfully repelled Russian tank-and-soldiers invasion - it would still be a devastating thing for Germany which the nukes would help prevent from starting at all.

>are they some special snowflakes who should have them while Iran (and most other countries) shouldn’t?

Yes, i listed those several special snowflakes who were kept safe by the US nukes, and would need their own umbrella with US no longer providing the one. Iran's situation is obviously very different.

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#138

Post by platinumrad »

tarsinge wrote: post #91
platinumrad wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dying while experiencing nature is "mysterious" but also not uncommon among upper-middle class people. I would bet that the average victim of a backpacking or cross-country skiing mishap is wealthier than average.

But that's not how "mysterious" is used here. These scientists did not meet their end during an obvious outdoor activity.

One of them disappeared while hiking with friends. Another two were last seen walking away from home.

Re: FBI looks into dead or missing scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, SpaceX

#140

Post by breakpointalpha »

littlecranky67 wrote: post #69

> McCasland, 68, disappeared from his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27 of this year, leaving on foot with only a .38 caliber revolver. [...] Government contractor Steven Garcia, [...] disappeared from Albuquerque in August 2025, last seen on surveillance footage leaving on foot with a handgun. Not american, so I can't judge if this is a common thing or irregular, but both were last seen carrying firearms as if they'd be t…

Retired USAF Major General McCasland disappearing from his house is probably the most serious.

He was the commander of the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This would have given him direct oversight of all of the Air Force's most sensitive technology for decades. His intelligence value to a hostile adversary, even retired, is incalculable.

He was an avid hiker and biker in his neighborhood trails, so it's very unlikely that he just got lost.

Left behind were his prescription glasses, along with all his personal electronics (phone and watch).

It's shocking and alarming that there wasn't a full blown military search and rescue operation mounted within hours of his wife calling him in as missing.

How far could a 68 year old man travel on foot within 8 hours?

He was reported missing within three hours of his last contact with his wife.

New Mexico Search and Rescue wasn't dispatched until Sunday, two days later.

Again, why wasn't the DoD tasked to find him at all costs on the same day he went missing, given his knowledge of the Air Force's most sensitive technologies?

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