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Mysterious noises that haunted generations of lighthouse keepers could be humpback ... - MSN

msn.com

For generations, lighthouse keepers reported eerie unexplained sounds — and now science suggests humpback whale songs were the culprit all along, a classic case of misattribution meeting bioacoustics.

Misattribution of ArousalBioacousticsApopheniaFolk Theory of Mind

Theory Briefing

  • Lighthouse keepers across generations reported haunting, inexplicable noises — long attributed to ghosts or structural groaning.
  • Researchers now believe humpback whale vocalizations, traveling vast ocean distances, are the likely source of the mysterious sounds.
  • The case illustrates how human pattern-seeking fills explanatory gaps with supernatural narratives when the real answer is biological.