logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2021
29m 23s

Havana syndrome

Vox
About this episode

Several years after US diplomats in Cuba claimed they were attacked by an invisible weapon, similar incidents continue to be reported around the world. Scientists haven’t been able to determine a definitive cause, but the possibilities point toward something just as mysterious as the illness itself: the inner workings of the human brain.

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show.

Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com

We read every email.

bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 2
A magical world at the ocean’s edge
In coastal California, researchers grapple with potentially losing a landscape they love. Guests: Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences; Peter Roopnarine, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology at t ... Show More
38m 42s
Jun 30
Ruff translation
We love our pets. And think we understand them. Are we fooling ourselves? Guests: ⁠Alexandra Horowitz⁠, dog cognition researcher at Barnard College; ⁠Holly Molinaro⁠, animal welfare scientist; ⁠Jared Martin⁠, filmmaker and dog owner For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/ ... Show More
35m 47s
Jun 25
Sick of “morning” sickness
If pregnant people need to eat for two, why do so many of us puke morning, noon, and night? Guests: Marlena Fejzo, Ph.D., geneticist, and Research Director at the HER Foundation. For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com ... Show More
33m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
The viral ghosts of long Covid | Unexplainable
Scientists don’t understand why so many people suffer from Covid-19 symptoms for months, well after they stop testing positive. But that’s just the start of the mystery. There are other diseases that cast these long shadows, and they point to a major blind spot in medicine. For m ... Show More
4m 58s
Dec 2023
Havana Syndrome
A sharp sound. Followed by body numbness. Difficulty speaking. Extreme head pain. Since 2016, U.S. officials across the world – in Cuba, China and Russia – have reported experiencing the sudden onset of an array of eerie symptoms. Reporters Adam Entous and Jon Lee Anderson try to ... Show More
50m 20s
Mar 2024
Havana syndrome: will we ever understand what happened?
In late 2016, US officials in Cuba’s capital began experiencing a mysterious and often debilitating set of symptoms that came to be known as Havana syndrome. As two new studies into the condition are published, Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s world affairs editor, Julian Borg ... Show More
16m 12s
Jan 2023
Introducing The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome
In December 2016, a US official in Havana went to the embassy medical centre to report a debilitating and confounding  illness. The symptoms included headaches; nausea; hearing loss; problems with memory and vision – and its onset was characterized by hearing… something. A buzzin ... Show More
2m 12s
Jan 2023
Meeting Nicky Woolf: Answering the Global Mystery of Havana Syndrome
What is Havana Syndrome? Nicky Woolf speaks with Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright about his upcoming investigative podcast, THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. Nicky shares his experience following the unexplained phenomenon from Havana to Washington DC, Miami, London, and ... Show More
6m 6s
Sep 2018
The Doctors
Three of America's most experienced trauma surgeons speak with us about what happens when someone is shot. Special thanks to Dr. Amy Goldberg, Dr. David Spain, and Dr. Ronald Stewart. Say hello on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter, The ... Show More
24m 6s
Oct 2015
Episode Three
This is Episode Three of PsychCrunch, the new podcast from the British Psychological Society's Research Digest. In this episode we explore whether psychology can help you to win an argument. After our presenter Christian Jarrett tries his luck with an argument about Michael Jacks ... Show More
12m 56s
Jul 2019
Childhood Schizophrenia
In this episode of Inside Schizophrenia our hosts tackle the topic of early onset – or childhood – schizophrenia. Host Rachel Star discusses her personal experiences with symptoms as an adolescent and Dr. Joseph Gonzalez-Heydrich from Harvard Medical School discusses some of the ... Show More
43m 42s
Jun 2024
Rocketing science: China’s newest superpower
After decades as a scientific also-ran, China is becoming a superpower particularly in the physical sciences. We examine the risks and opportunities that poses for the West. Our correspondent looks into why denizens of the Mediterranean live so long (10.32). And this year’s confl ... Show More
23m 41s
Jan 2022
Inside the Hallucinations of Schizophrenia
What immediately comes to mind when you think of schizophrenia? Most people would say hallucinations. Hallucinations, at least according to pop culture, are the defining feature of schizophrenia. But is that true? Today’s episode discusses how many people living with schizophreni ... Show More
57m 29s