Earth Rumble: conspiracy theories and possible explanations
Imagine that you begin to notice a barely audible hum. At first, it is just annoying, but very quickly causes a feeling that your brain is squeezed with a vice. The housemates don’t hear something suspicious and sleep peacefully, but you understand that in the morning you’re about to go to the doctors, doubting either your own health or your own sanity.
On the way to the hospital, the buzz disappears. ENT says that your hearing is fine and there is no reason to worry. You go to see a psychiatrist, he also does not find something suspicious.
However, upon returning home, you realize that the strange buzz has not disappeared.
Photo @chairulfajar_ / Unsplash
The buzz is driving you crazy again, does not allow you to sleep, live, work normally. And this is not a retelling of one of the episodes of The Twilight Zone, but a reality for many people on the planet. The phenomenon was called "The Hum" (literally - Hum), and was observed in many parts of the earth for completely different reasons, not completely understood by science. In this article, we will tell about his story, the most absurd conspiracy theories that are associated with him, and probable scientific explanations.
The first cases of noise of uncertain origin were recorded in the 19th century. But the modern history of this phenomenon began in the 1970s, when some of the residents of the British city of Bristol began to notice a low-frequency rumble. Over time, the number of "witnesses to the rumble" increased, and the situation attracted the attention of journalists.
After the Sunday Mirror newspaper devoted an article to the phenomenon, more than 700 letters confirming this phenomenon came to their editorial office. All of them described a sound similar to the operation of a diesel engine, which is heard mainly at home. For many of them, this sound was a hindrance to normal life. In 1977, scientists came to the conclusion that this sound is real and not a product of the imagination. But even the state created in 1980. the commission could not determine its source. The noise then leaves, then comes - and the residents of Bristol still complain.
Photo Leo Fosdal / Unsplash
In the following years, many other incidents of an indefinite hum occurred. One of them - in Kokomo, Indiana - also attracted widespread public attention. As in Bristol, the state was formed. commission to determine the causes of sound. But the measures that were taken to suppress the alleged sources of noise did not work . A year later, most of the respondents continued to complain about the noise.
The recent situation in the city of Windsor , which is located on the border between Canada and the United States, is also curious and unresolved. Residents of the city for the first time noticed a "buzz" in 2011. Some time later, a group of researchers determined the frequency of sound - 35 Hz - and the place where it most likely comes from. Attempts to resolve the situation are at an impasse.
The fact is that the alleged source of sound is on the island on the other side of the border. Once upon a time, an Indian cemetery was located on this island, and now there is a plant of US Steel. Since there are no international agreements on noise pollution, it is not possible to enter the territory of the plant with any checks.
Half of the conspiracy theories blame the intelligence agencies for everything, and the “buzz" is no exception. Many believe that its source is radio equipment. In the 70s, it was the LORAN radio navigation system, the forerunner of GPS. And now we are talking about a system for studying the ionosphere HAARP, which is one of the main defendants in a large number of other conspiracy theories .
Photo Miriam Espacio / Unsplash
There are people who believe that “hum” is a side effect of experiments to control the US population. According to them, the CIA uses low-frequency emitters to "reprogram human behavior." Not without the theories in which aliens appear. The famous conspiracy theorist Chuck Zuowski (Chuck Zuowski) says that the "buzz" observed since the 90s in the city of Taos, New Mexico - the result of work on the construction of a secret underground base, which earthlings are building together with the aliens.
In reality, of course, everything is both more complicated and simpler. The difficulty lies in the fact that a single international “hum” does not exist, and each situation must be considered separately. Moreover, in principle it is impossible to get rid of some sources of this noise. On the other hand, it is known that the “hum” is a rather commonplace phenomenon, and most likely they are not part of a large-scale plan to destroy humanity.
Most of these phenomena are of technogenic origin . Many of the cities mentioned above are the industrial centers of their regions. Therefore, it is not surprising that in these places there are problems with sound pollution. In some other places - for example, Connecticut - the appearance of a "hum" was completely connected with the construction of the gas pipeline.
Some see the so-called Frey Effect here. Under certain conditions, microwave radiation can be perceived as sound - even by deaf people. This theory is supported by the fact that in many places where the “hum” appeared, anomalies were recorded in the behavior of animals reacting to changes in the electromagnetic field of the earth. Finally, some scientists believe that the “hum” can be explained by microseismic activity caused by waves in the ocean.
Photo Jon Tyson / Unsplash
The biggest obstacle to getting rid of the “hum” is that only two percent of the population can hear this sound. Those who themselves cannot hear it often simply do not take people's statements in a serious way. Also, due to the technogenic nature of this noise, it can be practically impossible to get the culprits to make the necessary adjustments to their production, as in the case described above with the US Steel plant. It is hoped that over time we will begin to pay more attention to noise pollution - and keep in mind that it can exist outside the audible range of the average inhabitant.
What else can you read in our "Hi-Fi World":
A sound insulation method has been developed that dampens up to 94% of noise.
Better sleep and better work - how music conquers noise
There is a lot of noise, there will be little noise: sound hygiene in cities
On the way to the hospital, the buzz disappears. ENT says that your hearing is fine and there is no reason to worry. You go to see a psychiatrist, he also does not find something suspicious.
However, upon returning home, you realize that the strange buzz has not disappeared.
Photo @chairulfajar_ / Unsplash
The buzz is driving you crazy again, does not allow you to sleep, live, work normally. And this is not a retelling of one of the episodes of The Twilight Zone, but a reality for many people on the planet. The phenomenon was called "The Hum" (literally - Hum), and was observed in many parts of the earth for completely different reasons, not completely understood by science. In this article, we will tell about his story, the most absurd conspiracy theories that are associated with him, and probable scientific explanations.
From Bristol to Windsor
The first cases of noise of uncertain origin were recorded in the 19th century. But the modern history of this phenomenon began in the 1970s, when some of the residents of the British city of Bristol began to notice a low-frequency rumble. Over time, the number of "witnesses to the rumble" increased, and the situation attracted the attention of journalists.
After the Sunday Mirror newspaper devoted an article to the phenomenon, more than 700 letters confirming this phenomenon came to their editorial office. All of them described a sound similar to the operation of a diesel engine, which is heard mainly at home. For many of them, this sound was a hindrance to normal life. In 1977, scientists came to the conclusion that this sound is real and not a product of the imagination. But even the state created in 1980. the commission could not determine its source. The noise then leaves, then comes - and the residents of Bristol still complain.
Photo Leo Fosdal / Unsplash
In the following years, many other incidents of an indefinite hum occurred. One of them - in Kokomo, Indiana - also attracted widespread public attention. As in Bristol, the state was formed. commission to determine the causes of sound. But the measures that were taken to suppress the alleged sources of noise did not work . A year later, most of the respondents continued to complain about the noise.
The recent situation in the city of Windsor , which is located on the border between Canada and the United States, is also curious and unresolved. Residents of the city for the first time noticed a "buzz" in 2011. Some time later, a group of researchers determined the frequency of sound - 35 Hz - and the place where it most likely comes from. Attempts to resolve the situation are at an impasse.
The fact is that the alleged source of sound is on the island on the other side of the border. Once upon a time, an Indian cemetery was located on this island, and now there is a plant of US Steel. Since there are no international agreements on noise pollution, it is not possible to enter the territory of the plant with any checks.
Due to the fact that there are many questions and few answers, the “victims of the rumble” resort to conspiracy theories in order to somehow explain the phenomenon.
Conspiracy theories
Half of the conspiracy theories blame the intelligence agencies for everything, and the “buzz" is no exception. Many believe that its source is radio equipment. In the 70s, it was the LORAN radio navigation system, the forerunner of GPS. And now we are talking about a system for studying the ionosphere HAARP, which is one of the main defendants in a large number of other conspiracy theories .
Photo Miriam Espacio / Unsplash
There are people who believe that “hum” is a side effect of experiments to control the US population. According to them, the CIA uses low-frequency emitters to "reprogram human behavior." Not without the theories in which aliens appear. The famous conspiracy theorist Chuck Zuowski (Chuck Zuowski) says that the "buzz" observed since the 90s in the city of Taos, New Mexico - the result of work on the construction of a secret underground base, which earthlings are building together with the aliens.
Possible reasons
In reality, of course, everything is both more complicated and simpler. The difficulty lies in the fact that a single international “hum” does not exist, and each situation must be considered separately. Moreover, in principle it is impossible to get rid of some sources of this noise. On the other hand, it is known that the “hum” is a rather commonplace phenomenon, and most likely they are not part of a large-scale plan to destroy humanity.
Most of these phenomena are of technogenic origin . Many of the cities mentioned above are the industrial centers of their regions. Therefore, it is not surprising that in these places there are problems with sound pollution. In some other places - for example, Connecticut - the appearance of a "hum" was completely connected with the construction of the gas pipeline.
Some see the so-called Frey Effect here. Under certain conditions, microwave radiation can be perceived as sound - even by deaf people. This theory is supported by the fact that in many places where the “hum” appeared, anomalies were recorded in the behavior of animals reacting to changes in the electromagnetic field of the earth. Finally, some scientists believe that the “hum” can be explained by microseismic activity caused by waves in the ocean.
Photo Jon Tyson / Unsplash
The biggest obstacle to getting rid of the “hum” is that only two percent of the population can hear this sound. Those who themselves cannot hear it often simply do not take people's statements in a serious way. Also, due to the technogenic nature of this noise, it can be practically impossible to get the culprits to make the necessary adjustments to their production, as in the case described above with the US Steel plant. It is hoped that over time we will begin to pay more attention to noise pollution - and keep in mind that it can exist outside the audible range of the average inhabitant.
What else can you read in our "Hi-Fi World":
A sound insulation method has been developed that dampens up to 94% of noise.
Better sleep and better work - how music conquers noise
There is a lot of noise, there will be little noise: sound hygiene in cities
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