Mystery humming sound captured

[Devar]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/mystery-humming-sound-captured/2006/11/17/1163266756133.html

Mystery humming sound captured

Scientists Dr Fakhrul Alam and Dr Tom Moir with a high-sensitivity digital sound recorder.
Photo: Massey University

Stephen Hutcheon
November 17, 2006 - 12:46PM

A New Zealand scientist believes he's captured a recording of the mystery hum that has been heard by scores of people living and in and around the city of Auckland.

Dr Tom Moir, a computer engineer at Massey University's Institute of Information and Mathematical Sciences, made the recording at a house in Auckland's North Shore suburb of Glenfield earlier this week.

Dr Moir and his colleague Dr Fakhrul Alam have dubbed the sound an unidentified acoustic phenomena.

Four people who previously reported hearing the low-level hum have confirmed that this is the sound they can hear in their homes.

"If this is indeed the hum, then it's acoustical and not electromagnetic," Dr Moir said.

Dr Moir previously pinpointed the low-level drone at a frequency of 56Hz, which is very close to the 50Hz frequency produced by the 240 volt AC main electricity supply delivered to homes in New Zealand (and Australia).

Although 56Hz is within the standard range of human hearing - which can range from 20 to 20,000Hz - it is too low for many people to pick up.

One of Dr Moir's students, Ms Nair Tsuji, who is able to hear the sound, has acted as Dr Moir's "ears". She also confirmed that the sound they heard in the Glenfield home was the same as the one she hears in her home in Whangaparaoa, about 30 minutes' drive north of Auckland.

All the 30-plus cases reported to Dr Moir are occurring in Auckland's north.

Dr Moir said the next step was to triangulate the sound in the hope of pinpointing the source.

He said that although there was a "high probability" that this was the sound, he's doubtful that he would ever be able to track its source.

According to a theory put forward by Professor Rod Cross, at Sydney University's department of Physics, the sound could be the humming of sand dunes, as described in the latest issue of Physics World, a monthly academic journal.

Professor Cross said he hadn't yet read the article, only heard about it. But it is available online here.

"The sound file on the web sounds like someone blowing over the top of an empty bottle," Professor Cross wrote in an email. "The New Zealand hum sound might therefore be due to wind blowing over hills and valleys. It may not actually require strong winds to cause the effect. Perhaps slowly moving air could do it."

Taking another informed guess, Professor Cross said the sound could be due to the motion under the earth. For example, hot gases or liquids rising through cavities could cause an organ pipe effect.

"Organ pipes can start humming just by small changes in temperature," he wrote. "There could be some subtle natural geological organ pipes in the hills."

For those who are able to hear it, the sound has become the bane of their lives, driving some to distraction and others to take drastic action.

Dr Moir said one sufferer, a man, was so desperate to stop hearing the sound he deliberately tried to damage his own hearing by starting up a chainsaw close to his ears.

The affliction appears to be similar to tinnitus, a condition in which sufferers hear a constant, high-pitched ringing sound.

<click link to article to listen to hum sound sample>

Dr Moir's "hum" page

Daniel Dasey's Discovery Blog: The hum revisited

 

[mabar]

I heard the "humming" sound like an hour ago...the weird thing is that I kept "hearing" it some minutes after...I was talking to myself as to why I was "hearing" it again...maybe my mind recorded it somehow??...I even verify that the humming sound page wasn't open ...minutes after

 

[Charles]

From some personal experiences, I can attest to the fact that it is most assuredly not only an acoustic phenomenon. It can become one at times. So sometimes it probably is, sometimes it is not. Will share it later.
As I was exploring this site
http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/page1.htm
I think (more than a belief or an opinion) that these people are on to something.
I'd rather turn it inside out, but at the same time realize that it would get me somewhere, still, in the end I'd post nothing.

I wonder whether anybody has more insights in these "physical" processes. The main idea that is explored on that site is GRAVITATIONAL waves, as the main cause :

The Cause of the Hum.
Revised 9th November 2006.
The results of experiments carried out over the past few months confirm that the Hum is caused by gravitational waves.
These waves are generated by the high voltage electrical grid supply interacting with the charged particles of the Earth's ionosphere.
The interaction takes place at a height of about 250 miles which allows the waves to cover a very large area. Reports obtained from Hum sufferers show the effects must reach a distance of at least 50 miles from the pylons, and probably much further.
No increase in Hum level has been observed in close proximity to the pylons and on any given day, the Hum intensity is the same over 100's of square miles.
The effects of gravitational waves on the human body is unknown, the only information available is that collected from Hum sufferers themselves.
The first and most obvious effects is the perception of noise which is the result of the gravitational waves interacting with the body's own gravity detector, namely, the inner ear. Other effects such as aching muscles, pins and needles and heart palpitations are all symptoms which could be produced by a small but continuous electric shock.
Tests show the gravity waves pass through metal unaffected and this now reveals the reason why all attempts to block the Hum with metal screens and Faraday cages have failed.
The history of the Hum in the UK coincides with the expansion and upgrading of the National Grid system which now conveys electricity at 400Kvolts. Although not precise, it has long been noticed that the Hum level increases during the early hours, at weekends and times of national holiday, that is when the industrial demand is least and the load on the electrical supply is at a minimum.
The geographical distribution of Hum sufferers, which once was a puzzle, now becomes clear when such distributions are compared with a map of the high voltage grid.
It must be clearly understood that the Hum is NOT a noise in the normal sense of the word, it is a perceived sound generated inside the head of the sufferer. Only a small percentage of people can actually "hear" the Hum but the cause undoubtedly effects the population at large
Most sufferers start to hear the Hum at about the age of 50 with a two thirds majority of women. This is clearly the result of changes taking place in the body for the presence of the Hum has been established on a national scale for some forty years.
Still needing explanation is, why the gravity waves increase in intensity upon passing through a building, particularly through the roof, and why the waves produce an alternating voltage in the brickwork of some buildings.
An answer to the latter may reveal the cause of the electrical symptoms experienced by some Hum sufferers.

There's more to read within the link I have provided, which could add to the possibility to such hypothesis.
Remember what the C's said about the hum ...

The "wave" is getting closer.

And that must be a tremendous amount of energy, or potential difference, I guess.

 

[Windmill knight]

I can hear the humming quite often at night. And I'm not anywhere near Australia. I would describe it more like a low frequency rumble. Like an engine in the distance that makes your inner ear vibrate. I read that lots of people hear it as well at least in Europe and the Americas.

 

[dant]

I know for a fact I hear a "hum" and I also can tell for a fact it is nowhere
near the 40-70Hz frequency range. I do however appreciate the "hum detector"
for those of you who actually do hear the acoustic AC noise, in fact I hear this
through my hearing aid with a magnetic pick up coil when turned on. I also hear
CRT monitors, TV flyback transformers, just about any electronic devices with
this pickup coil. So I know what sounds eminate from power lines to specific
devices and they are all different. I compared these noises to my 'hum' and
it is not the same.

Considering that I am profoundly deaf, ie I have 5% hearing left in the 20-1000Hz
and decibel strength increases over 110db as you approach 1Khz. I am not totally
deaf so I can tell you for a FACT that acoustic noise will NOT WORK via my normal
ear channel EXCEPT for the possibility that acoustic sounds or EM radiation is somehow
penetrating my skull and enters into the cochlea or directly into the brain.

Again, I still hear the hum as I write and I have no hearing aids on at all.

I would advise the scientists to keep looking and expand the search. What
they found does not answer everyone's situations and certainly not mine.

About the hum, no one has said anything about the frequency they think
they hear. Perhaps someone can track this. I have a signal generator that
I can hook up to a speaker so I will try to find this frequency I hear. Maybe
this is a start. I will post my findings as soon as I can.

 

[vinny]

According to a theory put forward by Professor Rod Cross, at Sydney University's department of Physics, the sound could be the humming of sand dunes, as described in the latest issue of Physics World, a monthly academic journal.

Professor Cross said he hadn't yet read the article, only heard about it.

that sounds to me like a pre-emptive strike against any alternative 'crazy' theories about something out of the ordinary which might be causing it. go back to sleep, it's just sand dunes.
Ok, so perhaps it might be. but my understanding is that this sound is a relatively recent phenomenon (whereas sand dunes are not!).

 

[Pierre]

About the hum, no one has said anything about the frequency they think
they hear. Perhaps someone can track this. I have a signal generator that

Thats a good idea.

This link provides an online audio frequency test (you can choose frequency and volume).
http:(doubleslash)www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw(slash)hearing.html

I made the test, the humming sound I hear is close to 6 kHz though it's different. Maybe it's due to the fact that the huming sound I hear is not a "pure" frequency signal.

 

[dant]

I hear somewhere way above 125hz and slightly less than 187Hz and around -42dB

 

[Charles]

That is a very good idea Axel. Like Sleepyvinny suggested there seems to be an immense amount of confusion around the "Taos" hum. And the confusion might well be intentionally triggered.
About the frequency you yourself hear, to me such seems to be the typical high pitched peep one could hear after going to a rock concert, and could very well be a typical tone due to tinnitus because of hearing damage. Do you hear it everywhere, inside building or outside, no matter where you are ? If so, I think it further supports a tinnitus hypothesis.

Last week, in the evening, I switched off the computer before smoking a cigarette which I do outside. When I re-entered, and expecting all to be quiet, I was surprised to hear this very low humming sound. Trying to locate the origin, I ended up at the front panel of the house. An entire band of air within two meters of the wall seemed to vibrate, or hum with this low droning sound. I went to my aquarium, to the right but nope nothing there. Switched off the filter pump, but to no avail. I then took a step back, and literally saw the upper desk plate of a newly bought video, which was placed in the middle of that wall and under the television, vibrating up and down, at the same frequency with which the air was humming. I placed my hand on the top of the video. And the resonant vibration stopped. When I stood up, the hum was gone altogether.

Two days later, again upon re-entering the house, my comp was still on. As I near my screen but still at a distance of two meters, I hear the same hum. It is electric-like as I have a peculiar sensation on the hairs of my skin. When I move closer towards the screen or the wall, it abruptly disappears. Backing up again, I re-enter the field wherein the hum is clearly noticeable. I have repeated this several times, moving ahead, and back again, or left and right. There was a definite space of about one meter wherein the hum was clearly noticed while abruptly disappearing when moving outside of this space. I then moved to my computer, put my hand on it, went back to that space and the hum was gone.

I checked it with the site with the sound panel, and the hums I have noticed are most definitely somewhere between 45 Hz and 60 Hz at - 19 dB.

The electric grid supply in Europe sings around 50 Hz, which seems to be a clue.

When I hear it next time, I will first try to see whether switching off the main electric supply of the entire house can make it disappear as well.

 

[Charles]

I hear somewhere way above 125hz and slightly less than 187Hz and around -42dB

Dant, you might want to check table 6 in this paper :
http://www(dot)emic.ucl.ac.be/pdfPublis/Stockbroeckx/article%20proceedings(dot)pdf

GSM handsets have an important contribution within the ELF range wherein your frequency falls.

 

[dant]

I hear somewhere way above 125hz and slightly less than 187Hz and around -42dB

Dant, you might want to check table 6 in this paper :
http://www(dot)emic.ucl.ac.be/pdfPublis/Stockbroeckx/article%20proceedings(dot)pdf

GSM handsets have an important contribution within the ELF range wherein your frequency falls.

Wow.

from the paper:

ELF comp. GSM GSM DECT Analog TV Digital radio
handset base handset emitter emitter (DAB-T)
station
5-15 Hz 2.6% 0.016%
15-25 Hz 1.3% 0.018%
25-35 Hz 0.015%
35-45 Hz 0.015%
45-55 Hz 0.29% 0.016%
75-125 Hz 166% 0.029%
125-175 Hz 0.009%
175-225 Hz 179% 0.89% 163% 0.015%
225-275 Hz 0.088%
275-350 Hz 159%
350-500 Hz 145% 0.43% 154%
500-700 Hz 109% 0.43%


See this link for explainations for GSM:
http://www.answers.com/topic/gsm

Well, the odd thing is that we/I do not have a cell-phone in my home for
obvious reasons (I nor wife cannot use it cuz we are "deaf") and the paper
says that GSM handsets cellphones are operating around 1.9Ghz in the US
but then again I wonder if being in a suburb, I am "hearing" my neighbor's
units? Too bad I am not one of the 'heros' from the new TV series that has
the power to "hear" what neighbor gossip might be about :)

However...

What about wireless internet? These little buggers operate around the 2.4Ghz
ranges but it has not been shown in this paper so I have no idea of the
ELF range... THAT would be a good addition to the paper. Maybe someone
can ask the author of that paper to include these since they are now VERY
PREVELENT in households all over the "world"? Maybe therein lies the internet
based control systems for the PTB. oh man.... what a thought.

Laptops have these BUILT IN (Intel Centrino, remember?) and probably wireless
based products which are flooding the markets everywhere.

Someone should do some serious research in this!!!

 

[Keit]

I then took a step back, and literally saw the upper desk plate of a newly bought video, which was placed in the middle of that wall and under the television, vibrating up and down, at the same frequency with which the air was humming. I placed my hand on the top of the video. And the resonant vibration stopped. When I stood up, the

I've remembered event me and my boyfriend experienced during the summer.
We were sitting on the bed and he noticed slight vibration after putting his hand on the wood. It felt like the same vibration when you put your hand on a computer case. We were baffled for several minutes, and then realized what it was. There is another building standing very close to ours. And one of the neighbors there had his air conditioner working. This was a very old conditioner, one of those that go standby after couple of minutes, so every time it was going standby - the vibration was gone. It was very interesting to notice this kind of phenomena, also nothing except our bed (made of wood) was effected, and we tried to feel other stuff in the room. Maybe it's a matter of obvious acoustic or something else, I have no knowledge in this area, so will be happy to read more on the subject.

 

[Charles]

First of all Dant, I just realized (for the third time! I can be very slooowww at times) how valuable your hearing handicap is within this exploration. I'm almost convinced that many more people would hear what you hear, when around these coils and such, if only their hearing wasn't flooded with acoustic impressions in our modern lifes. Heheh ... if only they knew. Err or "heard" that is.

See this link for explainations for GSM:
http://www.answers.com/topic/gsm

Thank you for pointing out what the meaning of GSM is. I forgot to add that in the country I live in the term GSM is simply used to talk about the (or a) mobile phone. So yes, this study shows that these handsets "pulse" with a frequency between 5 and 15 Hertz (true ELF) and between 175 and 125 Hertz (VLF to be more precise). At the power implemented, I think that can tell.

So, about the frequency you hear, it still could very well be a neighbor, with his mobile phone. At least the frequency fits. The 5 to 15 Hertz component is not possible to hear I think. Our brain will put another name on it so to say. It would call it something like 5 or 15 taps a second when something starts to resonate, but I doubt whether we will perceive it when it is our own skull that is resonating.

However...

What about wireless internet? These little buggers operate around the 2.4Ghz
ranges but it has not been shown in this paper so I have no idea of the
ELF range... THAT would be a good addition to the paper. Maybe someone
can ask the author of that paper to include these since they are now VERY
PREVELENT in households all over the "world"? Maybe therein lies the internet
based control systems for the PTB. oh man.... what a thought.

About the wireless computer communication device I fully agree. It is (very much) missing in this study. What is also missing is the Tetra system and also UMTS. And thus, what else could be pulsing artificially ?

TETRA (from http://www.tetrawatch.net/science/index.php ):

TETRA uses microwave frequency elecromagnetic radiation (EMR), but carries its modulated signals in pulses. These pulses are emitted by TETRA handsets at a frequency of 17.6 Hz, in the 'beta' brainwave range, and very close the resonant frequency of calcium ions at 16Hz. Official sources deny that base stations pulse at all. Practical measurements establish that they do: see our http://www.tetrawatch.net/tetra/pulse.php TETRA pulse page. The nationwide network requires 3,350 masts to operate a complete system. Some sources doubt whether TETRA, intended to communicate data as well as voice and SMS, will fulfill police requirements.

LAN or Wireless computer (from: www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/wlan_general.doc)

As you may be aware, Wireless LAN systems use broadly the same concepts as mobile phones, namely 'soft' (low-frequency) microwaves which are amplitude modulated ('pulsed') to enable synchronisation and efficient use of bandwidth (radio frequency spectrum). There is a very substantial amount of evidence that such emissions - at levels within the 'safety' guidelines used by our Government - can, and do, cause ill-health effects ranging from 'unwellness' (headaches, nausea, hearing impairment) to life-threatening disorders such as cancer and brain degenerative diseases.

The pulse rate of the radiation emitted from the WLAN computer varies between 300 Hz and 1500 Hz, depending on the number of users. Scientists have warned about pulsing being too near the beta brain wave frequency of 16 Hz. The pulse may cause additional adverse effects as well as the carrier wave itself.

Pulse rate for DECT is 100 Hz
TETRA is 17.6 Hz (handsets; masts are characterised by 70.64Hz)
2G is 217 Hz (and 8Hz etc.)

I think that the pulse frequency is acceptable in contrast to the TETRA system , BUT, a little bit further down I can read:

By the same token there should not be any microwave emitting devices inside schools.
A WLAN (and wireless interactive whiteboard) in the classroom is the same as putting a phone mast in the classroom!
It doesn't make sense to be worried about masts and not about these devices. WLAN computers can be wired up and made safe with CAT 5 cabling. !!!!

And I couldn't agree more. Even if it is pulsing at a higher frequency (100 Hz instead of 17 Hz), the frequency itself, which is within the the gigaHertz's, is doing damage, of DNA this time.

I realize I named a third one : UMTS. And that is very much pulsed, but I will leave it by this.
Need some refuel :(

Well, the odd thing is that we/I do not have a cell-phone in my home for
obvious reasons (I nor wife cannot use it cuz we are "deaf") and the paper
says that GSM handsets cellphones are operating around 1.9Ghz in the US
but then again I wonder if being in a suburb, I am "hearing" my neighbor's
units? Too bad I am not one of the 'heros' from the new TV series that has
the power to "hear" what neighbor gossip might be about :)

We too do not have a mobile phone for obvious reasons. I have a very good hearing though. Nor do I have ... errr wireless. I love wires ! At least you can then imagine what is happening.

Still need some refuel, but one last thing ...

Laptops have these BUILT IN (Intel Centrino, remember?) and probably wireless
based products which are flooding the markets everywhere.

Someone should do some serious research in this!!!

You bet. I am still laptop free. But for how long?

(Edit: forgot some "quote" caps, sorry)