Throughout the semester, we’ve talked about the numerous amounts of uses and devices that have to do with sound, whether it be through the lens of entertainment, education, or utility. However, there is one topic that hasn’t been discussed and this is the dangerous effects that an overturned sound can have on the human body.
Used primarily as a crowd deterrent, sonic weapons have been used by police and millitary forces. Even used by some shops in the United Kingdom as a deterrent to teenagers, blasting out soundwaves of around 19-20 kHz that anyone under 20 was susceptible to annoyance after standing in the area for a bit. While this was relatively harmless, police forces have a history with using sonic weapons of much higher intensity to break up crowds and protestors. Known as a LRAD, or long-range acoustic device, these devices date back to the early 2000s, where they had a variety of uses.
The intensity of these weapons also brings to mind the side effects that come with being exposed to such intense sound waves, and while the effects haven’t been fully studied, there is a wide variety of symptoms that can present themselves after being exposed. This included both lung and liver damage when mice were exposed to sound waves of 184 dB, along with a bevy of nasty side effects present in humans after being blasted by a LRAD. Hearing loss, lung issues, and central nervous system issues were all common in people being hit by this device. However, the phenomena hasn’t been fully explored due to the obvious moral and ethical concerns that come with tests such as this.