Ghost Murmur reportedly uses long-range quantum magnetometry, a cutting-edge technology that uses lasers and lab-grown diamonds to measure tiny magnetic fields. Pictured: A quantum magnetometer developed by NASA. Image courtesy of A. Gottscholl NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Ghost Murmur and the Quantum Hype Machine

Magnetometers can measure astonishingly weak fields and even support navigation when GPS fails, but a 40-mile heartbeat detector is another matter entirely.

The ability of the “Ghost Murmur” system to detect someone’s heartbeat through rock 40 miles away from the “detector” is one of the most ridiculous claims made by a US Administration yet, combining scientific ignorance with the word “quantum” to make it marketable on social media pages, followed by, well, how can I put this politely: educationally resistant people? (Yes, I know, I am being a snob.)

Figure 1: The New York Post sensationalistic article

The whole hullabaloo started from a report in the New York Post (hardly a paragon of investigative journalism). John Ratcliffe, the head of the CIA alluded to this technology having been pivotal to finding a downed F15E pilot flying over Iran a few weeks ago, although in an initial briefing the discovery of the crewmen's location was attributed to a much more prosaic piece of equipment: the Combat Survivor Evader Locators (CSEL) that all USAF pilots carry, which is basically a radio beacon developed by Boeing. Then the story…