Woodpecker

In the 1980s high power slowly tuning signals appeared on the short wave broadcast band. The pulse rate was around 10 Hz. They originated in the Sovjet union and were according to western sources intended for military uses. The most natural guess from the point of view of a physicist would be to interpret such signals as a means to study all types of vehicles travelling in the earths athmosphere such as in particular cruise missiles otherwise invisible to ordinary radar. The choice of the short wave band means that reflections against layers of the athmosphere makes it possible to obtain reflections from low flying vehicles and then detect those signals after one or several reflections far away from where that reflection took place. Furthermore, the choice of pulse rate is compatible with the round trip time around the earths circumference. Since the reflected signals from single vehicles are expected to be extremely weak and also can emerge on many different locations, there are very good technical reasons for not using higher repetion rates. If higher rates were used, weak signals from remote objects would be hidden by stronger echos from nearby objects. I suggest that the choice of frequencies and pulse repetion rate is motivated solely by a wish to obtain the maximum amount of information while retaining the maximum discrimination of signal and background noise. In my view this is a very obvious observation that anyone among the very skilled military scientists can make and I feel convinced that they agree completely whether or not they would openly say so. I have repeatedly run across discussions about those signals where the technical motives for the repetition rate wasnt mentioned while the coincidence with brain frequencies was made an issue. Since I haven't seen the technical aspect of the repetition rate explained well I feel it needs to be said, since it has been suggested that the choice of pulse repetition rate would have something to do with mind control, the brain waves pulsating at about the same range of frequencies. It is known from laboratory experiments that ELF frequencies, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields, can cause nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. The brain waves lie in the ELF range of frequencies. The mentioned short wave pulses have frequencies of, say 10 MHz, while their repetion rate numerically lies in the ELF range. This however is different from real ELF waves. If there is any low frequency effect coming from the short wave pulses it would be through thermal effects. Through weak heating of the target. Some scientists have suggested that the wood pecker signals might have detrimental health effects. I haven't looked for any quantitative discussion about it and dont wish to enter the debate. However I do think the above discussion about the technical motive for the choice of repetition frequency is a strong argument for suggesting that if there are such health effects they come as a side effect. In the 1980s the american military, in possession of the cruise missile technology, wouldn't like this sovjet beyond the horizon radar to be successful and therefore had natural reasons for putting the emphasis on such potential side effects. The sovjets on the other hand probably didnt feel any need to clarify the matter. It is in the nature of these things that neither side seems to be very critical of the other and even dont seem to mind being demonized occasionally. All openness tends to show that there is an ongoing interplay of matching entities, each side developing measures and countermeasures.
The more light that is thrown on the matter the more the public is reminded about the unnaturalness of maintaining a balance of terror.
If the sovjets had to make a choice among being blind to cruise missiles carrying nuclear weapons on one hand and causing health effects among the opponents population on the other, it is probable that they would prefer to see the cruise missiles. I am sure the american military analysts silently accepted it as a natural part of the game. And that they wouldnt hesitate to use similar methods themselves if they needed it.
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I beleive that western media have kept a rather low profile about the atrocities during the Stalin era while they could have chosen to educate the public much more about it. The general notion among people is that it was a bad period but not many details are wellknown. I beleive that this silence is an example of what I mentioned earlier that there is a mutual understanding among the power elites, that they prefer the public to remain uninformed.
It would be interesting to have the psychiatric abuses of the Sovjet system recounted in a representative manner. Demonizing isn't necessary. The truth speaks for itself. By representative I mean both in kind and quantity. What about experiments on nonwitting human subjects. It would simultaneously remind us about the corresponding phenomena taking place in the west.
There have been TV documentaries about the Stalin era, but only a very small part of the story has been told.
We dont have a vivid image of what went on. Who is going to warn the new generations if we know so little about it.
Communism has often been described negatively but not in a very detailed manner.
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In conclusion I am suggesting that the choice of pulse repetion rate of the mentioned type of signals is near the brain frequencies only because those rates are an optimum choice for reasons unrelated to their potential effects on the brain. And that they are naturally tied to the overall problem of nuclear terror balance. Global disarmament and scientific cooperation across national borders eliminates the need for electropollution of the mentioned kind.