Sonic and Ultrasonic Weaponry (USWs) are multiple types of weapons that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill whatever the hell it’s pointed at.
3 Days Ago UCLA Police fired an LRAD( Long Range Acoustic Device) at UCLA students participating in their annual tradition of running in their underwear. The students reported that the UCLA police force blasted the LRAD without stopping for a few minutes.
The grievances by the students are sound. These are military weapons used on civilians. Also, the campus Police seem to be using them incorrectly according to their own safety guidelines. The usage is not to exceed 5 second bursts.
But we’ve seen this before. In Ferguson. You shouldn’t watch the video but I can’t stop you.
In order to actually judge fairly on how these sound canons should be used we must ask a simple question.
Can you actually die from Sonic Weapons?
Infrasound can affect people’s whole bodies, it has been under serious investigation by military and research organizations since the 1950s. French researcher named Vladimir Gavreau launched a series of experiments on the effects of infrasound on humans with results (as reported in the press) ranging from subjects needing to be saved in the nick of time from an infrasonic “envelope of death” that damaged their internal organs to people having their organs “converted to jelly” by exposure to an infrasonic whistle. By the time 166 dB is reached, people start noticing problems breathing. But these “experiments” are also speculative science.
We must consider this:
Our bodies are mushy water balloons that amplify sound waves if not just refract them and then amplify them about four times.
Generally these are the effects of usage of Sonic Weaponry on people through a study back in 2001 by Jurgen Altmann.
From about 100 to 140 decibels infrasound causes a variety of biological symptoms depending on the frequency and power level. Basically, the higher the power level, the greater the damage. The effects include: fatigue, pressure in the ears, visual blurring, drowsiness, imbalance, disorientation, vibration of internal organs, severe intestinal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Infrasound can also cause feelings of pressure in the chest, choking, irregular breathing patterns, and respiratory incapacitation.
High powered, low frequency sound from about 30 Hz to about 100 Hz (just beyond infrasound) causes the following biological effects: fatigue, blurred vision, bowel spasms, pain or damage to internal organs, feelings of fullness in the chest cavity, chest wall vibration, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, choking, and respiratory impairment.
Infrasound causes a variety of psychological effects depending on the frequency and power level. It can cause the following: loss of concentration, disgust, apathy, sadness, depression, fear, anxiety, and panic attacks.
While there is no direct method to kill, the resultant injuries would surely kill a person or drive them mad.
I was one of the lucky recipients of a blast from the LRAD back in May of 2012 during the Chicago NATO summit. It’s a b*tch. Although, not as nauseating as one would imagine, it’s still quite effective at making the brain feel as though it’s in a vice grip. That’s also with earplugs that I had in my pocket (I used to work in an airfield and made a habit of carrying them at all times).
Now do I believe LRAD use is too much?
It’s intended purpose is to disperse crowds in a non-lethal way.
However, there still needs to be more research into the long term effects of sonic weaponry on civilians. In the Ferguson video, the Police are clearly using guns after deploying the LRAD…. effective forcing me to ask them WHAT THE HELL WAS THE POINT OF NON-LETHAL WEAPONS IN THE FIRST PLACE?!
We are in an age where everything is recorded; the unfortunate result is lowered confidence in our public servants for some, increased racial tensions, and a nation divided on who is to blame for violence that only seems to beget more violence.
I’d wholeheartedly support the military, and police forces that want to use non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets, bean bags, and flash/concussive grenades. After all, the effects of those are just temporary……. in the right hands.
I’d love to hear your opinions on the matter folks.
Sorry for writing such a heavy piece, Here is a video of something completely different: