With the recent advent of wind-to-energy technology, people living near wind farms have reported becoming sick from the noise created by the turning blades. Researchers studying the wind farm scare have demonstrated that the effects can be explained by mass psychology, expectation and framing, not from the noise of the blades. In 2009, a panel of scientists found that a small fraction of persons living near turbines experienced health issues related to stress from the perception of noise, but not from the sound waves themselves.
11 There is no evidence that sound below the threshold of human hearing has a negative effect on human health. In fact, human respiration and heart rate generate higher levels of sub-audible sound than those produced by rotating wind turbine blades, and many everyday sounds occur at a higher level.
12 Double-blind studies have shown that people who claim to experience symptoms from exposure to weak electromagnetic fields are unable to detect the presence of these fields and sham exposure to them elicits symptoms as frequently as real exposure.
13 Studies that assess expectations prior to being exposed to sham or real electromagnetic fields show that the nocebo effect plays a key role in determining whether symptoms develop or not. If people expect to have symptoms, they are much more likely to have them.
14 Based on the weight of evidence, we believe that the most likely explanation for the recent outbreak of mysterious symptoms in Cuba and elsewhere is mass psychogenic illness triggered by rumours of the development of a new and enigmatic sonic device.
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