I’ve written so much about the (link) Havana attacks, this risks repetition. So this is a brief critique of CNN reportage, in the vein of CNN Editorial, Meredith McCarroll, Anthony Bourdain listened; Appalachia’s Three Percent. In that article, I wrote,
The form and viability of a city depend upon the physical circumstances and imagination of the builders. Lewis Mumford’s The City in History (Harcourt, 1961) may be first to systematize, going beyond title to trilogize the city as the work of man, yet organic, more or less, in relation to the environment.
The problems of the Appalachia have basis in the physical world, not worth a mention in ‘s editorial. Only 3% of Pike County, West Virginia is flat enough to build on, a shortage that extends to Appalachia as a whole. If Appalachia were as flat as Nevada, its social history would be entirely different. Yet the words “flat”or “hilly” do not appear. As well, the Havana problem is not defined by what officials say and do. It is a problem in the physical world.
My exposure to CNN is entirely through the website, so I cannot refer directly to the televised special. With Sanjay Gupta, they have in-house neurological expertise. It does not extend beyond this. Ignoring the physical world that contains the problem, the “3%”, the print article, CIA doctor hit by Havana syndrome , is no more than a human interest story that declines the real story, a fascinating technical problem. It’s not the “truth” about anything except for the miserable victims.
Sanjay, you should have asked these questions:
- Was there any attempt to monitor the radiation environment of any victim before the event? Were there any positives?
- “Dr. Paul Andrews”, pseudonym, retreated to the bathroom and donned headphones. What kind of headphones were they?
- Did the headphones generate any anomalous sounds, indicative of microwaves?
- When he moved to the bathroom, did the clicking sound continue with the same amplitude and cadence?
- Was his bed against the wall with the “chase” utility space?
- Did “Dr. Paul Andrews” experience any sensation of warmth on the skin?
- Which side did he favor while sleeping? Did it expose the symptomatic ear?
- Did any of the affected Havana residences have radios or TVs in frequent use? Even when turned off, a radio typically emits noise in a pulsed microwave field.
For who to consult, to inform your reactions, read down.
CNN is not unique in reliance on pronouncements by officials and individuals with impressive-but-too-often irrelevant credentials. This problem view ignores another “3%”, the vast stores of knowledge possessed by some individuals about the world that contains the problem.
Within walking distance of CNN, NYU and Columbia are nearby institutions with excellent physics and electrical engineering departments. For Sanjay Gupta, Georgia Tech is the obvious choice. These are people you would go to if you wanted a directed energy weapon. Of all CNN employees, Sanjay is eminently qualified to interface.
They are not officials. Unlike officials, who bear responsibility, often in excess of their knowledge, these academics possess knowledge without responsibility, knowledge that CNN apparently cares not to access, even for use in highly simplified presentation. This is blinkered, like the carriage horses on 57th.
CNN, you can do better.