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
Oct 8
Composing chaos
Terry Riley's "In C" is one of the most influential pieces of music of the last century...but you'll never hear it the same way twice. Guest: Evan Ziporyn, composer, clarinetist, and producer of "In C" For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fo ... Show More
27m 56s
Oct 6
Does Tylenol cause autism?
Donald Trump and RFK Jr. seem convinced that it does. But our friends at Science Vs say the data is far more complicated. Guest: Meryl Horn, senior producer at Science Vs For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... Show More
26m 56s
Oct 1
Real-life zombies
Zombies might seem like the stuff of horror movies, but there are lots of examples of parasites taking over bugs’ bodies and bending them to their will. Guest: Mindy Weisberger, author of Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control For show transcrip ... Show More
26m 56s
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 buzzing ... Show More
2m 58s
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 51s
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
Feb 2024
The Intelligence: No water, no lights, no beds
Hardened war-zone doctors say the situation in Gaza is the worst they have witnessed—and that will cost lives long after the current conflict is resolved. Numbers from America’s tight labour market suggest that long-standing gaps between black and white workers are narrowing (09: ... Show More
23m 52s
Feb 2024
G: The World's Smartest Animal
This episode begins with a rant. This rant, in particular, comes from Dan Engber - a science writer who loves animals but despises animal intelligence research. Dan told us that so much of the way we study animals involves tests that we think show a human is smart ... not the ani ... Show More
50m 20s
Jun 2023
More Than You Ever Really Wanted to Know About Sewers (Encore)
Sometimes the most important things are things we don’t even want to think about let alone talk about. The issue of handling and removing human waste and dirty water is one such problem that has confronted humans since the dawn of time. The elimination of waste and excess water w ... Show More
11m 15s
Feb 2024
اضطراب القلق - Anxiety 🤯 | شيري ماهر ويوسف يعقوب
 مليون شخص عندهم اضطراب القلق "Anxiety" إزاي الميديا لها تأثير على اضطراب القلق؟- بتسبب "صدمة ثانوية - Secondary Trauma" - وبتعطي افتراض خاطئ "False Impression" بالقابلية على السيطرة وتغيير الأوضاع هل فيه مخرج من ال Anxiety؟شيري بتقدم أكتر من طريقة للتعامل مع اضطراب القلق 👇بعض ا ... Show More
31m 32s