Korean Media: Quantum Technology That Found the U.S. Fighter Pilot
In 2023, rescue workers appeared at the site of the Turkey earthquake carrying a device resembling a backpack. This equipment uses microwave radar to detect heartbeats of trapped and missing individuals buried under rubble. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, NASA—leveraging its radar technology developed for space exploration, capable of capturing minute movements of distant objects—developed this device. It can penetrate several meters of concrete and even detect heartbeats and breathing.
¬ According to anonymous sources cited by the New York Post, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies employed detection technology far surpassing this in Iran. They reportedly used a classified technique called "Ghost Murmur" to detect the heartbeat of a U.S. fighter pilot who had crashed, utilizing state-of-the-art "quantum sensors" capable of capturing extremely faint signals.
¬ Every heartbeat generates a weak electrical signal. As electric current flows, it produces a magnetic field—thus, each heartbeat creates an extremely faint magnetic field. The technology that measures this phenomenon is known as magnetocardiography. Recently, "quantum sensors" have been developed to detect these incredibly weak magnetic fields with greater precision. Just as a compass needle responds to Earth’s magnetic field, this technology measures external magnetic fields through changes in the electronic states within atoms. It is said that this quantum magnetic sensing technology was applied during the recent U.S. pilot rescue operation.
¬ However, the scientific community has reacted with skepticism toward claims that heartbeats could be detected tens of kilometers away. Many experts find it hard to believe. The magnetic field generated by the heart is extremely weak and can only barely be detected when the sensor is placed close to the chest. According to physical laws, magnetic field strength decreases inversely with the cube of distance, diminishing rapidly with increasing distance. For example, a signal measured at about 10 centimeters from the chest surface would weaken to roughly one-thousandth of its original strength when the distance increases to 1 meter. Even with the extreme sensitivity of quantum sensors, detecting signals from several kilometers away is nearly impossible. In environments where animal heartbeats produce magnetic fields mixed with Earth’s background magnetic field, isolating human signals is exceptionally difficult.
¬ On the other hand, some argue that due to the minimal terrain interference in Iran’s remote mountainous regions, it may have been possible to capture such faint magnetic signals. Others suggest that drones or other low-altitude flying sensors might have overcome the limitations of detection range. Still others propose that instead of directly detecting heartbeats, they may have used topographic magnetic maps to determine the pilot’s location by identifying subtle distortions in the magnetic field. We cannot determine whether this represents a secret breakthrough in cutting-edge technology or merely an exaggeration of technical capabilities. Skillfully blending fact with exaggeration is also a tactic of war.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862053945119772/
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