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The microwave auditory effect has been widely recognized as one of the most interesting and significant biological phenomena from microwave exposure. The hearing of pulsed microwaves is a unique exception to the airborne or bone-conducted sound energy, normally encountered in human auditory perception. This chapter describes the research studies leading to scientific documentation that absorption of a single microwave pulse impinging on the head may be perceived as an acoustic zip, click, or knocking sound, depending on the incident microwave power. A train of microwave pulses to the head may be sensed as an audible buzz, chirp, or tone by humans. It discusses the neurophysiological, psychophysical, and behavioral observations from laboratory studies involving humans and animals as subjects. The objective is to present what is scientifically known about the microwave auditory effect.

In April, there were several odd reports coming out of the United Kingdom about 5G cellular communication towers being set on fire-allegedly linking the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to the rollout of 5G communication technology [1]. It sounds rather bizarre; even as a conspiracy theory, it did not make sense!

Recently, there were several odd or unusual reports coming out of the UK about linking the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to the rollout of 5G communication systems [1]. It sounded rather bizarre; even as a conspiracy theory, it did not make sense! While both 5G and COVID-19 are global phenomena happening at around the same time, it boggles the mind how the two got entangled. On second thought, it is not as shocking as it may seem upon first encounter!

Discusses how the COVID-19 health pandemic worldwide was complicated by not only health and medical concerns, but the inclusion of politics, conspiracy theories, and social media.

Reports on the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Impact of Cockpit Electro-Magnetics on Aircrew Neurology (ICEMAN) project.

Presents the results of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, “An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies." it is almost exactly three years since the publication of my article “Strange Reports of Weaponized Sound in Cuba” [2]. There, it was first hypothesized that “[a]ssuming that the reported events are reliable, there is actually a scientific explanation for the source of sonic energy. It could well be from a targeted beam of high-power microwave pulse radiation” [2]. In examining plausible causes of the described illnesses, the NASEM report makes that point that, among the mechanisms the study committee considered, the most plausible mechanism to explain these cases, especially in individuals with distinct early symptoms, appears to be directed, pulsed RF (microwave) energy.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced in August 2020 a bidding for submission of innovative research proposals for concepts that would lead to better understanding of the Impact of Cockpit Electro-Magnetics on Aircrew Neurology (ICEMAN: "Iceman" also happens to be the call sign of a fighter pilot portrayed in the movie Top Gun). In its request for proposal (RFP) [1], DARPA stated that "Current cockpits are flooded with radiofrequency (RF) noise from on-board emissions, communication links, and navigation electronics, including strong electromagnetics (EM) fields from audio headsets and helmet tracking technologies."

Citing support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced in December 2019 that it reaffirms the RF radiation exposure li mits it first adopted in 1996 fa The action was undertaken in the face of appeals from some to tighten, and others to loosen, the existing limits. In the process, the FCC also resolved and terminated a 2013 Notice of Inquiry that sought public input on whether it should modify its existing RF exposure rules considering recent scientific opinions and authoritative expert views, among other issues [2]. Apparently, six years since the Notice of Inquiry, the FCC deems it appropriate to maintain the existing RF exposure limits. It is interesting to observe that the FCC dedined to make changes that would stiffen the current rules or to make any changes that would effectively relax the current rules.

Most media accounts of the U.S. National Toxicology Program's (NTP's) final report have understandably focused on the statistically significant finding of "clear evidence" that both GSM and code-division multiple access (CDMA)-modulated 900-MHz wireless RF radiation led to the development of malignant schwannoma, a rare form of tumor, in the hearts of male rats. In addition to this, unusual patterns of cardiomyopathy, i.e., damage to heart tissue, were observed in both RF-exposed male and female Sprague-Dawley rats compared with concurrent control animals, although the findings for female rats were deemed as providing only uncertain or "equivocal" evidence for schwannomas and malignant gliomas, compared to concurrent controls [1], [2].

Objective: This study investigated the influence of absorption metrics and averaging schemes on correlation between RF/microwave energy and induced temperature elevation for plane wave exposures. Methods: A voxel-based, anatomically realistic model of the human body was considered. Correlation of electromagnetic fields and temperature increases were evaluated at several frequencies. Both specific absorption rate (SAR) and volume absorption rate (VAR) were considered. Results: The best correlation with temperature increase occurs for exposure durations between 1 and 2 min both for SAR and VAR for most of the 700 to 2700 MHz frequencies considered. In this case, a 1 g mass or 1 cm3 volume appears to be optimal. However, for VAR, as frequency increases to above 900 MHz, a better correlation is achieved at slightly increased exposure times and volumes. For longer exposures, the maximum correlation coefficient is reduced, and the correlation favors larger averaging mass or volume. At steady-state (30 min), correlation of temperature increase with SAR is maximum for a mass of 9 g for all frequencies considered, whereas the volume for VAR maximum correlation is 15 cm3 for higher frequencies and 20 cm3 for lower frequencies. Conclusions: In general, SAR provides a better correlation with temperature compared to VAR for short exposures, while VAR renders better correlations for higher frequencies and longer exposures. Significance: The correlation between electromagnetic absorption and temperature increases has implications in guidelines for limiting human exposure to electromagnetic fields and in biomedical applications such as imaging, sensing, and hyperthermia.

Cell phones, especially smartphones, have become such a popular phenomenon that marketing cell phones to youngsters is no longer the forbidden practice it once was. As a result of the increase of cell phone use among youngsters, France and other countries have banned the use of such phones in primary, junior, and middle schools, both inside classrooms and even outside on school playgrounds [1], [2].

Every few months, if not weeks, another mysterious attack on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence personnel is reported. Some of the attacks occurred years ago, while others were recounted as recently as July 2021 [1] – [3] . Over the past four or five years, nearly 200 U.S. personnel have reported similar attacks while working in places like Havana, Guangzhou, London, Moscow, Vienna, and Washington, D.C. The acute symptoms include headache and nausea immediately following the sounds of loud buzzing or bursts. The illness and symptoms have been called the “Havana Syndrome” after the place where cases were first reported. It refers to the range of symptoms first experienced by U.S. State Department personnel overseas.

Research have shown that a cascade of events takes place when a beam of microwave pulses is aimed at a human or animal subject’s head. Absorption of pulsed microwave energy creates a rapid expansion of brain matter and launches an elastic wave of pressure that travels inside the head to the inner ear. There, it activates the nerve cells in the cochlea and the neural signals are then relayed through the central auditory system to the cerebral cortex for sound perception. The microwave thermoelastic theory is widely recognized as the mechanism of interaction for the microwave auditory effect. This chapter discusses the mechanisms that have been suggested whereby auditory responses might be induced by pulse-modulated microwave radiation and is followed by detailed description of the thermoelastic theory.

The interaction of microwave radiation with biological systems is influenced by the electromagnetic property of tissue media, specifically, dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability. The frequency-dependent characteristics of the dielectric properties of biological materials may be described by the relaxation processes, displaying a time-dependent response to sudden excitation. This chapter describes the dielectric relaxation processes and presents summaries of the measured tissue dielectric permittivity data for dielectric constants and conductivities as functions of frequency and temperature. Since water is a major constituent of biological materials, tissues may be classified into three major groups according to their water content.

Knowledge of human and mammalian brain anatomy and auditory physiology is important to understanding the various behavioral and neurophysiological investigations aimed at gaining better insights into the distinctive features of the microwave auditory effect. The materials presented are essential elements of the auditory system and their functions, including the external, middle, and inner ears; cochlear mechanical to electrical transduction; action potentials of the auditory nerve; central auditory nuclei and pathways; perception of sound and pressure; loudness and pitch or frequency, sound localization, and masking.

This chapter presents rigorous multidisciplinary, mathematical analyses of the thermoelastic pressure wave generated in spherical human and animal heads exposed to pulsed microwave radiation. The results include dependence of induced sound pressure frequency and strength on microwave pulse characteristics. It provides information on the attributes of sound wave generated in the head as perceived by humans. It summarizes the first mathematical models for analyzing the sound pressure waves inside the head due to a microwave pulse and generalizations of the methodology to arbitrary SAR patterns of spherical symmetry. It also includes comparisons of predicted and measured response characteristics in human and animal heads.

Understanding the interaction of microwave and RF radiation with biological systems is facilitated through knowledge of the actions and characteristics of microwave and RF radiation in space and time. The chapter begins with the pertinent physical laws that govern the interaction of microwave radiation with biological systems. It provides the basic information on antenna radiation characteristics and microwave reflection and transmission at biological interfaces, and also describes RF electromagnetic fields in the near- and far-zone of radiating antennas. It shows that the interactions are functions of the source frequency and configuration, shape and size of the exposed subjects, and orientation and location of the subject with respect to the source, among others.