>Cases of the condition have been reported elsewhere in the world, but US officials say the numbers in Vienna are greater than in any other city apart from Havana. Hadn't heard it was this wide-spread. What are the chances their own security systems are at fault? If not, then at this scale couldn't thermal imaging spot something?
'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
41–50 of 91 posts
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
These detectors might very well be a scam targeted at people who believe any kind of radiation is bad for them.
Because this story is related to Vienna and your post fits ... Let me tell you about the viennese hotdog stand owner who had three microwaves running at all time, to heat food quickly. Open. Behind his back. There was a glass in between the customers and him, shielded, but the pressure of the microwaves (heat, i guess?) could be felt through the opening, where he hands out the food. Of course it killed him eventually…
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#43The only logical conclusion is that it is related to some secret anti spy device installed at US embassies around the world and not some outside disturbance covering Vienne to Havana?
Or perhaps there was only an issue in Havana, and what we see now is psychosomatic. Or even that a few coincidental illnesses in Havana led to psychosomatic incidents as well.
Really all there is to go by is different levels of speculation informed by very few facts known for certain. However it would be odd for the US to allow its own devices to make its own staff sick, sparking many conspiracy theories and accusations at other countries.
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#44The only logical conclusion is that it is related to some secret anti spy device installed at US embassies around the world and not some outside disturbance covering Vienne to Havana?
Or that it's a secret weapon used on US diplomats by [insert foreign power]. Or that it's a result of radiation given off by some cryptogear that's classified. Or that it's a result of a global phenomenon and is only being detected in Vienna because they were alert to it after noticing it in Havana. Or that it's a contagious but slow acting disease spreading through the US diplomatic corps from some Typhoid Mary as t…
That, and directing annoying questions about Lotus Notes to the cafeteria staff so they could resolve issues with their lettuce nodes.
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#45I dance a bit of salsa, and sometimes there were cuban DJs at the festivals I visited. They all always tended to do one thing with their sound setup: they overamplified the higher part of the audio spectrum, producing a hissing distortion of sound. It had an effect on me very similar on what is described about Havana embassy: headache and slight nausea.
I tried talking to those DJs about it, and they told me that that's the way they like it. So I think that maybe you'd sickness is explained by cubans listening to their music the way they like it.
But that was before Vienna. Maybe there was a salsa festival recently?
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#46When you have syndromes with a huge number of symptoms, including extremely common conditions, and the symptoms are largely untestable, relying on patient self-reporting, then you're going to catch a lot of people with these symptoms. This is the exact same thing with Long Covid, or Gulf War Syndrome. The most interesting thing about Havana Syndrome is that it apparently only affects English-speaking diplomats in Ame…
This is a reasonable hypothesis but do you have any more evidence for this than the others?
Besides which, all any of us have to go by are hypothesis. I think it's pretty clear that speculation is the only thing available to discussions on the possible causes.
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#47I had a theory about this illness. I dance a bit of salsa, and sometimes there were cuban DJs at the festivals I visited. They all always tended to do one thing with their sound setup: they overamplified the higher part of the audio spectrum, producing a hissing distortion of sound. It had an effect on me very similar on what is described about Havana embassy: headache and slight nausea. I tried talking to those DJs…
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because this story is related to Vienna and your post fits ... Let me tell you about the viennese hotdog stand owner who had three microwaves running at all time, to heat food quickly. Open. Behind his back. There was a glass in between the customers and him, shielded, but the pressure of the microwaves (heat, i guess?) could be felt through the opening, where he hands out the food. Of course it killed him eventually…
Pretty sure that is entirely an urban legend.
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#49How about issuing every employee with a monitor that detects microwave radiation (since that's what they're saying they think it is)?
I can see it now, all US diplomats will have helmets on with antennae for detecting various wavelengths.
Re: 'Havana syndrome'-like mystery illness affects Vienna US diplomats
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
These detectors might very well be a scam targeted at people who believe any kind of radiation is bad for them.
Because this story is related to Vienna and your post fits ... Let me tell you about the viennese hotdog stand owner who had three microwaves running at all time, to heat food quickly. Open. Behind his back. There was a glass in between the customers and him, shielded, but the pressure of the microwaves (heat, i guess?) could be felt through the opening, where he hands out the food. Of course it killed him eventually…