'Sonic attack' on US embassy in Havana could have been crickets, say scientists

A fresh analysis of the audio recording has revealed what scientists in the UK and the US now believe is the true source of the piercing din: it is the song of the Indies short-tailed cricket, known formally as Anurogryllus celerinictus.

“The recording is definitively a cricket that belongs to the same group,” said Fernando Montealegre-Zapata, a professor of sensory biology at the University of Lincoln. “The call of this Caribbean species is about 7 kHz, and is delivered at an unusually high rate, which gives humans the sensation of a continuous sharp trill.”

'Sonic attack' on US embassy in Havana could have been crickets, say scientists

Now this is interesting. It is hard for me to believe this was not pointed out by someone who has lived in Cuba earlier. The report does say an attack may have still happened but it was not acoustic.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

I'm no entomologist, but this sounds like BS to me.

Crickets don't cause brain damage and permanent hearing loss.
Perhaps a sonic weapon was used that mimicked the sounds of crickets... There's no way I'll believe people got brain damage from crickets outside their hotel.

originally posted by: trollz
Crickets don't cause brain damage and permanent hearing loss.
Perhaps a sonic weapon was used that mimicked the sounds of crickets... There's no way I'll believe people got brain damage from crickets outside their hotel.

The story says there may have still been an attack it just was not done with sound waves. You may be on to something with it mimicked the sounds of crickets.

The "noisy cricket" is an actual weapon...

Who knew?

Crickets don't cause brain damage and permanent hearing loss.

a reply to: trollz


IDK man, where I grew up we had cicada's and it's hard to explain HIOW LOUD those little buggers can be

A cicada in a tree outside hurts your mind ! Just one! I'd hate to hear a troop of them, fortunately they hibernate for 13/17 yrs at a time!

a reply to: JohnnyJetson

Yah, i live in midwest and these things are loud. Have not sustained a cricket or cicada related brain injury to date, however. Crickets is probably the best way to describe how quiet the usual suspects are on this matter. An "in your face" joke like calling the amazon device the "echo".

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Okay, so that was crickets Havana. What about the crickets in China? They caused the same injuries months apart?

Swamp gas, Venus, Crickets.

It's not even funny anymore.

Annoying that they think we are such idiots, but funny...not so much.

yeah, could have been crickets, but who taught those crickets to chirp in a way to mess up the Americans there. The crickets would have had to be trained to all say the same thing.

I want a job training crickets to drive people insane.

a reply to: rickymouse

I cannot believe i forget to point that out. Only Americans are suffering from cricket brain damage, and particularly only the ones who work at US embassies. We mist assume by these facts that the crickets are inside the embassy.

Crickets ?
Why not Unicorn Farts ?
Both are just as believable.

originally posted by: Gothmog
Crickets ?
Why not Unicorn Farts ?
Both are just as believable.

Crickets emit large pitches of intrasound. Thats a fact. Is this something you dont understand?

Death crickets as a weapon.

The government better get to regulating them quickly.

They are not just for fishing anymore.

originally posted by: purplemer

originally posted by: Gothmog
Crickets ?
Why not Unicorn Farts ?
Both are just as believable.

Crickets emit large pitches of intrasound. Thats a fact. Is this something you dont understand?

Do you know how many crickets it would take to do any form of damage
No , I didnt think so