Cracking the mystery of the ‘Worldwide Hum’
26 Jun 2016 at 19:22 ET
In the spring of 2012, when I was living near the coastal village of Sechelt, on British Columbia’s picturesque Sunshine Coast, I began hearing a humming sound, which I thought were float planes.
The noise usually started later at night, between 10 and 11 p.m. My first clue that something unusual was happening came with the realization that the sound didn’t fade away, like plane noises typically do. And the slightest ambient noise – exhaling audibly, even turning my head quickly – caused it to momentarily stop. One night after the sound started I stepped outside the house. Nothing.
I was the only person in the house who could hear it; my family said they didn’t know what I was talking about.
Naturally, I assumed something in the house was the culprit, and I searched for the source in vain. I even ended up cutting the power to the entire house. The sound got louder.
While I couldn’t hear the sound outdoors, I could still hear it in my car at night with the windows closed and the ignition off. I drove for miles in every direction, and it was still there in the background when I stopped the car. I was able to rule out obvious sources: industrial activity, marine traffic, electric substations and highway noise.
When I searched on the internet for “unusual low-frequency humming noise,” I soon realized that others had conducted the same search. I was part of the small fraction of people who can hear what is called the “Worldwide Hum” or, simply, the “Hum.”
The questions motivating me and thousands of others were the same: “What’s causing this? Can it be stopped?”
I eventually came across one of the few serious papers on the topic. It was written in 2004 by geoscientist David Deming (who’s also a Hum hearer).
Deming began by describing the standard history: The Hum was first documented in the late 1960s, around Bristol, England. It first appeared in the United States in the late 1980s, in Taos, New Mexico.
He then examined the competing hypotheses for the source of the Hum. Many have pointed to the electric grid or cellphone towers. But this theory is dismissed on two grounds: cellphones didn’t exist in the 1960s, and the frequency emitted by both cell towers and the electric grid can be easily blocked by metal enclosures.
He wondered whether mass hysteria was to blame, a psychological phenomenon in which rumor and “collective delusions” lead to the appearance of physical ailments for which there’s no medical explanation. The fact that so many people have researched the Hum on their own, using a search engine – rather than hearing about it from some other person – moves the conversation away from delusion and hysteria spread by word of mouth.
![Cracking the mystery of the ‘Worldwide Hum’ Image-20160613-29222-k3ykam](https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/126390/width754/image-20160613-29222-k3ykam.jpg)
Some have dismissed cellphone towers as a potential source. ‘Cell Towers’ via www.shutterstock.com
Deming looked at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), an isolated military compound in Alaska that uses radio waves to study outer space and for testing advanced communication techniques – and a favorite focus of conspiracy theorists, who have accused the facility of acts ranging from mind control to weather control. He studied the possibility of otoacoustic emissions, which are naturally occurring sounds caused by the vibration of hair cells in the ear.
Deming eventually fingered Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves (between 3 kHz and 30 kHz) as the most likely culprit. The world’s military powers use massive land-based and airborne transmitters on these frequencies in order to communicate with submerged submarines. Radio waves at these frequencies can penetrate up to a solid inch of aluminum.
In the paper, Deming proposes a simple and elegant experiment for testing this hypothesis. Hum hearers randomly enter three identical-looking boxes. The first box blocks VLF radio signals, the second box is an anechoic (soundproof) chamber and the third box is the control.
He left the experiment for others to pursue, and while there are some practical difficulties with the design, Deming’s overall concept has motivated the experiments I am currently conducting.
Given the need for disciplined inquiry into the phenomenon, in late 2012 I started The World Hum Map and Database Project. The database gathers, documents and maps detailed and anonymous information from people who can hear the Hum. It provides raw data for research in a strictly moderated and serious forum for research and commentary, while providing a sense of community for people whose lives have been negatively affected by the Hum.
Most people have some experience with how disruptive some types of noises can be, which is why there are often noise ordinances in many cities and towns, especially at night. There are many sufferers who dread the nighttime because of how loud and relentless the Hum can be. The Hum database is replete with descriptions of desperate people who have been tormented by the noise for years. The phrase “driving me crazy” is all too common. (I feel fortunate that, in my case, the Hum is more of a curiosity than it is an irritant.)
The project also aims to validate and normalize the phenomenon by discussing it alongside other widely reported auditory phenomena, such as tinnitus, a relatively common medical condition that causes people to hear high-pitched squealing tones. Those who experience tinnitus and also the Hum report the two as being completely different in character.
The latest update of the Hum Map, from June 6, presents roughly 10,000 map and data points, and we’ve already made some notable findings.
For example, we’ve found that the mean and median age of Hum hearers is 40.5 years, and 55 percent of hearers are men. This goes against the widely repeated theory that the Hum mainly affects middle-aged and older women.
Interestingly, there are eight times as many ambidextrous people among hearers as there are in the general population. As more data are collected from Hum hearers, I hope that specialists in demographics and inferential statistics will be able to generate more detailed results.
In my view, there are currently four hypotheses for the source of the world Hum that survive the most superficial scrutiny.
The first hypothesis – argued by Deming and the one I’m currently pursuing – is that the Hum is rooted in Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio transmissions. It’s increasingly accepted now that the human body will sometimes experience electromagnetic (EM) energy and interpret it in a way that creates sounds. This was established for high-frequency EM energy by the American neuroscientist Alan Frey in his infamous “microwave hearing” experiments, which showed that certain radio frequencies can actually be heard as sounds.
Today, there are biophysical models that predict and explain the impact VLF EM energy has on living tissue. I have designed and built a VLF radio blocking box that should be able to test whether VLF radio frequencies are a prerequisite for generating the Hum.
The second hypothesis is that the Hum is the grand accumulation of low-frequency sound and human-generated infrasound (sounds with audio frequencies below roughly 20 Hz and which can be felt more than they can be heard). This includes everything from highway noise to all manner of industrial activity.
The third is that the Hum is a terrestrial or geological phenomenon that generates low-frequency sounds or perceptions of those sounds. For example, there is a well-documented history of animals predicting earthquakes and taking action to save themselves. From an evolutionary perspective, there may be survival value in having members of a population highly sensitive to some types of vibrations. When it comes to the Hum, some humans may have a similar physiological mechanism in place.
The fourth is that the Hum is an internally generated phenomenon, perhaps rooted in a particular anatomical variation, genetic predisposition or the result of toxicity and medication.
The Hum is now the subject of serious media coverage and, increasingly, scientific scrutiny. The overall goal of my project and the people who contribute to it is to find the source of the Hum and, if possible, stop it.
If the Hum is man-made, then my task is to raise public awareness and advocate turning away from the technologies that are causing it. If the source is exogenous and natural, there’s the possibility that there may be no escape from it, apart from masking it with background sounds.
Of course there is the remote possibility that one of the more exotic explanations will prove to be correct. But, as in all science, it seems best to start with what we know and is plausible, as opposed to what we don’t know and is implausible.
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/cracking-the-mystery-of-the-worldwide-hum/
26 Jun 2016 at 19:22 ET
In the spring of 2012, when I was living near the coastal village of Sechelt, on British Columbia’s picturesque Sunshine Coast, I began hearing a humming sound, which I thought were float planes.
The noise usually started later at night, between 10 and 11 p.m. My first clue that something unusual was happening came with the realization that the sound didn’t fade away, like plane noises typically do. And the slightest ambient noise – exhaling audibly, even turning my head quickly – caused it to momentarily stop. One night after the sound started I stepped outside the house. Nothing.
I was the only person in the house who could hear it; my family said they didn’t know what I was talking about.
Naturally, I assumed something in the house was the culprit, and I searched for the source in vain. I even ended up cutting the power to the entire house. The sound got louder.
While I couldn’t hear the sound outdoors, I could still hear it in my car at night with the windows closed and the ignition off. I drove for miles in every direction, and it was still there in the background when I stopped the car. I was able to rule out obvious sources: industrial activity, marine traffic, electric substations and highway noise.
When I searched on the internet for “unusual low-frequency humming noise,” I soon realized that others had conducted the same search. I was part of the small fraction of people who can hear what is called the “Worldwide Hum” or, simply, the “Hum.”
The questions motivating me and thousands of others were the same: “What’s causing this? Can it be stopped?”
One geoscientist’s theory
The classic description of the Hum is that it sounds like a truck engine idling. For some, it’s a distant rumbling or droning noise. It can start and stop suddenly or wax and wane over time. For others, the Hum is loud, relentless and life-altering.I eventually came across one of the few serious papers on the topic. It was written in 2004 by geoscientist David Deming (who’s also a Hum hearer).
Deming began by describing the standard history: The Hum was first documented in the late 1960s, around Bristol, England. It first appeared in the United States in the late 1980s, in Taos, New Mexico.
He then examined the competing hypotheses for the source of the Hum. Many have pointed to the electric grid or cellphone towers. But this theory is dismissed on two grounds: cellphones didn’t exist in the 1960s, and the frequency emitted by both cell towers and the electric grid can be easily blocked by metal enclosures.
He wondered whether mass hysteria was to blame, a psychological phenomenon in which rumor and “collective delusions” lead to the appearance of physical ailments for which there’s no medical explanation. The fact that so many people have researched the Hum on their own, using a search engine – rather than hearing about it from some other person – moves the conversation away from delusion and hysteria spread by word of mouth.
![Cracking the mystery of the ‘Worldwide Hum’ Image-20160613-29222-k3ykam](https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/126390/width754/image-20160613-29222-k3ykam.jpg)
Some have dismissed cellphone towers as a potential source. ‘Cell Towers’ via www.shutterstock.com
Deming looked at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), an isolated military compound in Alaska that uses radio waves to study outer space and for testing advanced communication techniques – and a favorite focus of conspiracy theorists, who have accused the facility of acts ranging from mind control to weather control. He studied the possibility of otoacoustic emissions, which are naturally occurring sounds caused by the vibration of hair cells in the ear.
Deming eventually fingered Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves (between 3 kHz and 30 kHz) as the most likely culprit. The world’s military powers use massive land-based and airborne transmitters on these frequencies in order to communicate with submerged submarines. Radio waves at these frequencies can penetrate up to a solid inch of aluminum.
In the paper, Deming proposes a simple and elegant experiment for testing this hypothesis. Hum hearers randomly enter three identical-looking boxes. The first box blocks VLF radio signals, the second box is an anechoic (soundproof) chamber and the third box is the control.
He left the experiment for others to pursue, and while there are some practical difficulties with the design, Deming’s overall concept has motivated the experiments I am currently conducting.
A disciplined inquiry begins
A plethora of pseudoscience and wild conspiracy theories has the potential to drown out the serious work in this area. I’ve encountered seemingly serious people who have argued that the Hum is caused by tunneling under the earth, the electronic targeting of specific individuals, aliens and mating fish.Given the need for disciplined inquiry into the phenomenon, in late 2012 I started The World Hum Map and Database Project. The database gathers, documents and maps detailed and anonymous information from people who can hear the Hum. It provides raw data for research in a strictly moderated and serious forum for research and commentary, while providing a sense of community for people whose lives have been negatively affected by the Hum.
Most people have some experience with how disruptive some types of noises can be, which is why there are often noise ordinances in many cities and towns, especially at night. There are many sufferers who dread the nighttime because of how loud and relentless the Hum can be. The Hum database is replete with descriptions of desperate people who have been tormented by the noise for years. The phrase “driving me crazy” is all too common. (I feel fortunate that, in my case, the Hum is more of a curiosity than it is an irritant.)
The project also aims to validate and normalize the phenomenon by discussing it alongside other widely reported auditory phenomena, such as tinnitus, a relatively common medical condition that causes people to hear high-pitched squealing tones. Those who experience tinnitus and also the Hum report the two as being completely different in character.
The latest update of the Hum Map, from June 6, presents roughly 10,000 map and data points, and we’ve already made some notable findings.
For example, we’ve found that the mean and median age of Hum hearers is 40.5 years, and 55 percent of hearers are men. This goes against the widely repeated theory that the Hum mainly affects middle-aged and older women.
Interestingly, there are eight times as many ambidextrous people among hearers as there are in the general population. As more data are collected from Hum hearers, I hope that specialists in demographics and inferential statistics will be able to generate more detailed results.
The goals of the research
The historical record of the Hum is crucial, because if the current version as narrated by Deming is correct, many theories can immediately be ruled out. After all, cellphones and HAARP didn’t exist until decades after the Worldwide Hum was first documented in England in the late 1960s. I currently have a researcher digging into the Times of London digital archive to search for mentions of the Hum going back to the 18th and 19th centuries. If convincing examples are found, then the direction of my research will shift dramatically because all modern technologies could be ruled out.In my view, there are currently four hypotheses for the source of the world Hum that survive the most superficial scrutiny.
The first hypothesis – argued by Deming and the one I’m currently pursuing – is that the Hum is rooted in Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio transmissions. It’s increasingly accepted now that the human body will sometimes experience electromagnetic (EM) energy and interpret it in a way that creates sounds. This was established for high-frequency EM energy by the American neuroscientist Alan Frey in his infamous “microwave hearing” experiments, which showed that certain radio frequencies can actually be heard as sounds.
Today, there are biophysical models that predict and explain the impact VLF EM energy has on living tissue. I have designed and built a VLF radio blocking box that should be able to test whether VLF radio frequencies are a prerequisite for generating the Hum.
The second hypothesis is that the Hum is the grand accumulation of low-frequency sound and human-generated infrasound (sounds with audio frequencies below roughly 20 Hz and which can be felt more than they can be heard). This includes everything from highway noise to all manner of industrial activity.
The third is that the Hum is a terrestrial or geological phenomenon that generates low-frequency sounds or perceptions of those sounds. For example, there is a well-documented history of animals predicting earthquakes and taking action to save themselves. From an evolutionary perspective, there may be survival value in having members of a population highly sensitive to some types of vibrations. When it comes to the Hum, some humans may have a similar physiological mechanism in place.
The fourth is that the Hum is an internally generated phenomenon, perhaps rooted in a particular anatomical variation, genetic predisposition or the result of toxicity and medication.
The Hum is now the subject of serious media coverage and, increasingly, scientific scrutiny. The overall goal of my project and the people who contribute to it is to find the source of the Hum and, if possible, stop it.
If the Hum is man-made, then my task is to raise public awareness and advocate turning away from the technologies that are causing it. If the source is exogenous and natural, there’s the possibility that there may be no escape from it, apart from masking it with background sounds.
Of course there is the remote possibility that one of the more exotic explanations will prove to be correct. But, as in all science, it seems best to start with what we know and is plausible, as opposed to what we don’t know and is implausible.
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/cracking-the-mystery-of-the-worldwide-hum/
» utube 7/25/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar Update - IQD Revaluation-Key Indicators - Deposit Insurance -Arbitra
» utube 7/23/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar-Prime Minister Advisors-Saleh-Al-Nusairi-Facts bringng facts-Reforms
» MMK&C 7/21/24 Government Advisor: Adopting auditing of foreign transfers contributes
» MM&C 7/21/24 Proposed measures to address the rise of the dollar
» Iraq ranks high in income inequality among citizens
» Within months.. Al-Imar: The amount of loans disbursed amounted to about 750 billion dinars
» Parliamentary Integrity confirms the start of opening the files of former officials
» Iraq and the German Development Bank sign an amendment to the loan agreement to finance a number of
» Regional oil...between export ban and smuggling suspicions
» Economist: Faw Port is an important step towards sustainable economic development and a major gatewa
» Parliamentary Investment "Mocks" Solution to Housing Crisis in Complexes: "Joke" and Government Must
» Multi-million dollar agreement to support Iraqi agriculture
» From Chaos to Law.. The Crowd Breathes with the First Reading of “Service and Retirement”
» Oil Minister inaugurates first phase of associated water injection project in Rumaila field
» Water Resources: The reality of desertification in Iraq is better than before
» Disappearance of 50,000 Pakistani tourists in Iraq.. Government position: We will start the investig
» Iraq reveals the value of its agricultural exports: 400 thousand tons in 6 months
» Electricity directs the rapid implementation of the solar power plant project in Khanaqin
» Worth $20 billion.. Iraq is second in trade exchanges with Iran
» (56) megawatt card.. Opening of the gas power plant in Majnoon field
» Parliamentary Committee: Amending this law will address many problems
» Iraq and the German Development Bank (KFW) sign an amendment to the loan agreement to finance a numb
» Finance discusses regulating the work of government banks with international auditing firm Ernst & Y
» The Prime Minister receives the approval of the coalition of companies that won the investment oppor
» US Ambassador: We helped Iraq with $3.6 billion in the displaced file
» In two stages.. The Minister of Oil inaugurates the associated water injection project in the Rumail
» Who manipulated the budget settings? Adding 15 trillion dinars for the benefit of the people or for
» Statement of the Iraqi Communist Workers’ Party on the “Personal Status Law Amendment” Project
» The American arm has become short.. Iraq will eradicate the “SDF” from Syria
» The idea of the “Sunni region” is maturing again.. The insistence of Western politicians collides
» Iraq takes its share of negative development and faces “electronic blackmail”
» Education in Iraq: Between the lack of schools and the delay in providing supplies
» Economist lays out solutions to get rid of the dollar’s dominance: moving towards a currency baske
» The Presidency of the Republic issues a special pardon for a bank manager accused of embezzlement
» The Ministry of Agriculture reveals the volume of its exported products in numbers
» Transport reveals its latest steps towards lifting the European ban on Iraqi Airways
» "Doors are closed" in Parliament.. Will political pressures result in the election of a new presiden
» Prime Minister's Advisor: Kirkuk government formation will be decided within 20 days
» US dollar exchange rate stability in Baghdad
» Reconstruction: New applications for Housing Fund loans will be opened when liquidity is available
» The US Federal Reserve adopts a new strategy towards Iraq.. The dollar is threatened with rising to
» First government comment on the leakage of 50 thousand Pakistanis in Iraq
» Parliamentary Integrity Committee announces keeping the session hosting the Minister of Water Resour
» Parliamentarian reveals the reason for the recent talk about the Sunni region
» Secrets of the Coordination Framework meeting with the Sunni forces.. Three proposals to resolve the
» Iraqis' spending on tourism is equivalent to the electricity budget.. What is the number of traveler
» "Two Papers of the Tashah in Parliament"... Warnings against implicating the legislative institution
» Turkish Minister reveals details about the security corridor in Iraq and the development road projec
» Does it stipulate the marriage of minors? What does the paragraph amending the Personal Status Law i
» One of the motives of the "salary scale".. Iraq is ranked 87th globally in "income inequality"
» "Vigilant Guardian"... Harmonious Supervisory Cooperation to Guarantee Citizens' Deposits in Iraqi B
» Saleh: The Central Bank's dollar reserves are solid and the GDP rate is very optimistic
» Economist accuses political parties of controlling the exchange rate on the black market
» Minister calls for establishing centers for Turkish commercial agencies inside Iraq
» 98% increase in foreign remittance sales at the Central Bank of Iraq auction
» Important meeting between Al-Sudani and the "Arabs of Kirkuk" to decide on the formation of the prov
» Housing projects in the Kurdistan Region are expensive internally and suitable externally
» Slight decline in the "green paper" in Baghdad stock exchanges
» OPEC: Iraq, Russia to compensate for surplus oil production
» Economist: The Iraqi banking sector has achieved significant growth
» Does integrity interfere with the work of institutions when they conduct investigations into suspici
» Parliamentary Finance: The Central Bank agrees to increase the capital of the Real Estate Bank to ex
» The region lags behind "electronic systems".. Transactions are still paper-based and the authenticit
» Media Authority: We are working on strategic agreements with global companies to bridge cybersecurit
» Al-Sudani stresses the importance of completing the formation of the Kirkuk government and reaching
» The region lags behind "electronic systems".. Transactions are still paper-based and the authenticit
» Iraq prepares to sign strategic agreements with global companies to bridge the digital divide in the
» Exporting (10) million liters of black oil daily.. Oil: Karbala has become an oil port that supplies
» Used as a gift and used for fraud.. The Central Bank warns against the circulation of commemorative
» Judge Faeq Zidane: International cooperation is important in the field of combating terrorism
» Al-Abbasi: Framing the relationship with Washington according to the Iraqi constitution
» Within 6 months.. The European ban on the green bird will be resolved
» Thwarting the smuggling of 21 million liters of petroleum derivatives
» Record
» Production of 24 thousand electric cars annually
» The second phase of the campaign (restricting weapons to the state) begins
» Inclusion of social protection beneficiaries in internal contracts
» The Prime Minister directs the rapid completion of Baghdad entrance projects
» Minister of Labor announces launch of health insurance service for social protection beneficiaries
» Via "Baghdad Today" .. Oil Minister announces increasing social benefits to 10 million dollars
» Joint Statement by the Iraqi and US Ministries of Defense
» Al-Sudani meets with a delegation from the American engineering consulting company KBR
» Kurdistan procrastinates to obtain the "lion's share".. Discontent over the delay in localizing empl
» Withdrawal is "Out of Reach"... Analysis of the Joint Iraqi-American Statement
» Al-Sudani stresses the importance of completing the formation of the Kirkuk government and reaching
» "Black Money" Fuels Investment Stock Exchange.. Countries That Prospered with Looted Iraqi Money
» Central Bank warns against circulation of $1 million commemorative notes
» Planning for “Al-Zawraa”: The five-year plan targets different sectors and does not include traditio
» “Unfair and deepens sectarianism”.. Why did the amendment to the Personal Status Law spark anger in
» Launching an electronic application for Iraqi retirees
» The crowd responds to Halbousi: A person convicted of forgery is not qualified to appoint himself as
» Al-Fayadh: We appreciate the Iraqi Parliament’s progress with the first reading of the service and r
» Nassif: The political process needs Al-Sadr and Al-Maliki to “rule” it
» Al-Mandlawi winks at Al-Halbousi: We reject insulting those who presented thousands of martyrs
» adhere to the rules of the Islamic religion and needs to be reformulated (tweet)
» Sarwa Abdul Wahid: The rivalry between Baghdad and Erbil is just "clacks"
» Parliamentary Finance: The Central Bank of Iraq’s measures to change the exchange rate did not achie
» Al-Sudani meets with Kirkuk Arabs to decide on the provincial government