Hearing of microwave pulses by humans and animals: effects, mechanism, and thresholds
Authors not listed · 2007
Microwave pulses are heard through a thermoelastic wave in the head, not by direct nerve stimulation.
Plain English Summary
The paper discusses the phenomenon, mechanism, power requirement, pressure amplitude, and auditory thresholds of microwave hearing. Microwave pulse hearing involves electromagnetic waves from hundreds of MHz to tens of GHz, unlike normal hearing which uses sound pressure waves. The microwave auditory effect does not come from direct interaction with auditory nerves but from a thermoelastic wave launched by pulse absorption in soft tissues. This thermoelastic wave travels by bone conduction to the inner ear and activates cochlear receptors like normal hearing. The paper emphasizes human exposures to wireless communication fields and MRI coils.
Why This Matters
The hearing of microwave pulses is a unique exception to normal airborne or bone-conducted sound energy in human auditory perception. The report of auditory perception of microwave pulses was astonishing because electromagnetic waves like light are seen but not heard. Microwave pulse hearing stands in sharp contrast to responses from continuous-wave microwave radiation. Aside from tissue heating, the microwave auditory effect is the most widely accepted biological effect of microwave radiation with a known mechanism.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Show BibTeX
@article{hearing_of_microwave_pulses_by_humans_and_animals_effects_mechanism_and_thresholds_ce1670,
author = {Unknown},
title = {Hearing of microwave pulses by humans and animals: effects, mechanism, and thresholds},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1097/01.HP.0000250644.84530.e2},
}