MythBusters · Video summary
Can Infrasound Really Make A Place Feel Haunted? | MythBusters
Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from MythBusters tackle two Halloween-themed myths: the existence of a "fear frequency" that makes places seem haunted, and the cinematic ease of disposing of a dead body.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key takeaways
- 🎃The MythBusters' Halloween special explores two spooky myths: the "frequency of fear" and the cinematic ease of dead body disposal.00:31
- 👻The "frequency of fear" myth suggests that an inaudible 19 Hz sound can cause feelings of unease and make people believe a place is haunted.00:35
- 🔊To test the fear frequency, the MythBusters use a massive 40,000-watt speaker system to generate 19 Hz infrasound in one of four abandoned cabins.03:50
- 😨Jamie's personal test of the 19 Hz infrasound reveals an unsettling, anxiety-producing sensation, even though he cannot audibly hear it.05:54
- 🚫The fear frequency experiment concludes that the 19 Hz sound did not make the treated cabin the spookiest; instead, Cabin 1, the first one entered, was most often perceived as haunted.13:14
- 🎬The dead body disposal myth challenges the cinematic portrayal of how easily bodies are moved and hidden, suggesting it's much harder in reality.14:26
Chapters
- 0:09Introduction to the Halloween Special
- 0:31The Frequency of Fear Myth
- 0:48The Dead Body Disposal Myth
- 2:29Setting Up the Fear Frequency Experiment
- 3:43Preparing the Haunted Cabins
- 5:50The Infrasound Speaker System
- 9:04Jamie's Infrasound Test Run
- 10:18Adam's Infrasound Test Run
- 12:01Briefing the Test Subjects
- 14:58The Fear Frequency Test Begins
- 17:10Results of the Fear Frequency Test
- 21:54Conclusion of the Fear Frequency Myth
- 23:38Introduction to Dead Body Disposal
- 25:00Setting Up the Dead Body Disposal Obstacle Course
- 28:52Adam's Control Run with Chains
- 30:01Jamie's Control Run with Chains
- 32:19Adam's Dead Body Disposal Run
- 35:01Jamie's Dead Body Disposal Run
- 38:24Digging a Shallow Grave
- 40:17Conclusion of the Dead Body Disposal Myth
The digest
For their Halloween special, the MythBusters delve into two chilling myths that often feature in horror films and spooky tales. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman investigate whether an inaudible sound frequency can induce feelings of fear and unease, making people believe a place is haunted. They also put the cinematic portrayal of dead body disposal to the test, exploring the practicalities and difficulties of moving and burying a cadaver.
The Frequency of Fear: Can Infrasound Haunt a House?
The first myth explored is the "frequency of fear," which posits that a specific, inaudible sound frequency can make people feel spooked, potentially explaining why certain places are perceived as haunted. The MythBusters focus on 19 Hz, a sub-audible frequency that is rumored to cause feelings of anxiety and unease. To test this, they set up an experiment in a secluded club resort in Northern California, which has been abandoned for 15 years, giving it an inherently eerie atmosphere. Four identical cabins are prepared, with one designated as the "target house" where the 19 Hz infrasound will be generated. The goal is to see if a statistically significant majority of volunteers identify this specific cabin as the most haunted.
To generate the powerful 19 Hz hum, Jamie procures a colossal stack of Meyer Sound speakers, capable of producing 40,000 watts of low-frequency sound. This setup is equivalent to the sound output of a large rock concert or 400 home theater systems. However, for the experiment, the volume is carefully dialed down to ensure the sound remains inaudible, preventing any conscious detection by the test subjects. The challenge is to generate the infrasound at a high enough intensity to be sensed, without producing any audible rattles or vibrations that could skew the results. Jamie's initial test run confirms that while he can't hear anything, he experiences an unsettling feeling, describing it as
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