It started with a young undercover agent in Havana hearing a piercing noise, then realizing that his ears wouldn’t stop ringing and he’d lost some of his hearing. Soon he told colleagues who remembered hearing weird noises. Soon they, too, started to feel distressing symptoms – difficulty concentrating, headaches, insomnia, dizziness. Now more than 200 people in different foreign service posts around the world are reporting symptoms. 

Originally some experts thought it was some a sonic weapon, while others proposed a directed energy or microwave weapon. But others, such as neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan, think it’s a problem that starts where the brain and mind intersect. 

“Follow the Science" is produced, written, and hosted by Faye Flam, with funding by the Society for Professional Journalists. Today’s episode was edited by Seth Gliksman with music by Kyle Imperatore. If you’d like to hear more "Follow the Science," please like, follow, and subscribe!