Nexus - 0704 - New Times Magazine-pages

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and Clemens nearly soiled his white suit. The effects of the infra- EXPERIMENTS WITH INFRASOUND DETECTORS sound were duly recorded. Infrasound clings to the ground, a phenomenon well known in Tesla often went to great lengths in describing the effects of the animal world. Female vocalisations and those of their young infrasound to newspaper reporters who, behind his back, scoffed _ take their traceable routes through the air. High-pitched sounds at the notion that a "little sound" could effect such devastation. are aerial in nature. This means that females and their young are Yet, it was precisely with such "little sound" that Tesla nearly natural targets for predators. Low-pitched tones cling to the brought down his laboratory on Houston Street. His compact ground, being "guided" along the soil layers. Male sounds cannot infrasonic impulsers were terribly efficient. Tesla later designed _ be localised by predators because they "hug" the ground, diffusing and tested infrasonic impulse weapons capable of wrecking build- out from their source. Some males rumble the ground with their ings and whole cities on command. calls and hooves. These are communications signals which they Walt Disney and his artists were once made seriously ill when a alone comprehend. sound effect, intended for a short cartoon scene, was slowed down The fact that the ground draws and guides low-frequency tones several times on a tape machine and amplified through a theatre is a remarkable gift to the animal kingdom, enhancing the survival sound system. The original sound source was a soldering iron, of male leaders. When herds are attacked by predators, the males whose buzzing 60-cycle tone was lowered five times to 12 cycles. can continue to give guidance to their companions, while remain- This tone produced nausea in the crew, which lasted for days. ing completely "invisible" and elusive. Predators cannot locate Physiology seems to remain paralysed by infrasound. the calls and rumblings of male leaders because their low-pitched Infrasound stimulates middle ear disruptions, signals are impossible to pinpoint. They are ruining organismic equilibrium and immobil- therefore also impossible to attack. ising its victims. The effect is like severe, Predators are often overtaken by the males prolonged seasickness. Restoration to nor- . who maintain their diffusive communica- mal vitality requires several hours or even Physiology seems to tions across and through the ground. days. Exposure to mild infrasound intensities i The same analogies would apply to an produces illness, but increased intensities remain paralysed by infrasonic defence system. First, infrasound result in death. infrasound. The effect does not lose its intensity when travelling Alarming responses to infrasound in the 40 is like severe, prolonged very long distances across the ground; it to 100 cycles range have been accurately . 4 remains at the same intensity as when recorded by military medical experts, and the seasickness. Restoration released from its deadly source. Also, decrease, the deadly symptoms inerexe. | tO-MOFMal vitality | eSources cama be cated without spe ered cardiac rhythms, with pulse rates ris- requires several hours cial appliances. This would work well for ing to 40 cent of their rest values, those who used th z f infra- are the precursors to other pre-lethai fgg OF EVEN Gays. ExpOSUre pam oon Bur suppose some hostile force states. Mild nausea, giddiness, skin to mild infrasound was itself using infrasonics? flushing and body tingling occur at 100 . aye Infrasonics are inaudible. The battle cycles per second. Vertigo, anxiety, intensities produces would be over before anyone knew it extreme fatigue, throat pressure and res- illness, but increased had begun. How would one know of intensities result in death. piratory dysfunction follow. Coughing, an infrasonic attack? The first line of severe sternal pressure, choking, exces- defence therefore would be the detec- sive salivation, extreme swallowing tion of the "unperceived enemy". The pains, inability to breathe, headache and development of an adequate infrasonic abdominal pain occur between 60 and weapons systems would first require 73 cycles per second. Post-exposure an infrasound detector. fatigue is marked. Certain subjects con- Dr Gavreau first concentrated on tinue to cough for half an hour, while developing infallible infrasonic detec- many continue the skin-flush manifesta- tors for the personal safety of his oper- tion for up to four hours. Significant visual acuity decrements are ators, and then for eventual tactical deployment. He experiment- noted when humans are exposed to infrasound between 43 and 73 ed with several designs which followed the arcane analogues of cycles per second. Intelligibility scores for exposed persons fall old wireless detectors. One such design used enclosed flames to to a low of 77 per cent of their normal scores. Spatial orientation detect infrasonic pitches. They were reminiscent of those flame comes completely distorted. Muscular coordination and equi- detectors developed by Lee de Forest just before his invention of librium falter considerably. Depressed manual dexterity and the triode. Gavreau's flame detectors employed variable resonant slurred speech have been noted before individuals black out. Just cavities, the flame amplitudes shifting with specific infrasonic efore this point, a significant loss in intelligibility is noted. pitches. He could calibrate the infrasonic intensity as well as the The findings of Dr Gavreau in the infrasonic range between one _ pitch with these detectors. But flames are dangerous and fickle, and 10 cycles per second are truly shocking. Lethal infrasonic and not very reliable in battle. itch lies in the seven-cycle range. Small amplitude increases Dr Gavreau next experimented with enhanced mechanical affect human behaviour in this pitch range. Intellectual activity is barometers. These coupled large resonant cavities with very fine first inhibited, blocked and then destroyed. As the amplitude is barometer tubes. They displayed great sensitivity. Steady increased, several disconcerting responses occur as a result. increases in barometric pressure were registered when large cavity These responses begin as complete neurological interference. The bellows were compressed by infrasound. The sensitivity of these action of the medulla is physiologically blocked; its autonomic barometers increased as the bellows' capacity was increased. functions cease. They were adequate, but frail. Physiology seems to remain paralysed by infrasound. The effect to normal vitality tequires several hours or even days. Exposure to mild infrasound intensities produces illness, but increased intensities result in death. JUNE — JULY 2000 NEXUS - 43 EXPERIMENTS WITH INFRASOUND DETECTORS