What’s a Science Reporter to Do When Sound Evidence Isn’t Sound?<br />When the United States escalated the dispute by expelling 15 Cuban diplomats<br />on Tuesday, Michael decided he wanted to learn more about this strange idea.<br />I wound up perusing a massive 2009 book called " ‘Non-Lethal’ Weapons," with a chapter<br />summarizing research on using sound to incapacitate people at a distance.<br />There’s a lot of wild rumor about secret weapons that can make brains explode or make people think there’s a voice inside their head.<br />Consulting with Gardiner Harris, who covers international diplomacy for The Times<br />and has written several articles about this case, I learned there was not even an official medical report.<br />When I interviewed Dr. Leighton and others, I made clear I didn’t expect them to solve this<br />mystery; I just wanted them to reconcile the question with what we know through science.<br />If the United States government ever does release the results of a detailed investigation, I would love to report on the case again.
