When the Cubans announce an international science conference in Havana, American spies try to nip it in the bud, suspecting a sophisticated disinformation campaign. With politics and bad blood threatening to cloud out the science story, a group of scientists get together and a very different theory for Havana Syndrome is put forward.

Credits
Havana Helmet Club is written and presented by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey
Editor: Guy Crossman
Story editing: Mike Ollove Producer: Larry Ryan
Sound designer: Merijn Royaards
Additional mixing: Ger McDonnell
Theme music: Tom Pintens, with additional music composed by Merijn Royaards
Fact checking: Stanley Masters. Additional reporting: Isobel Sutton, Pascale Hardey Stewart and Stanley Masters
Archive producers: Miriam Walsh and Helen Carr
Production executive: Kirstin Drybrugh
Editorial advisor: Jesse Baker
Commissioner: Dylan Haskins
Assistant commissioners: Sarah Green and Natasha Johansson
Archive sourced from NBC and El Ministerio de Salud Pública de Cuba

Havana Helmet Club is a Yarn production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

This episode was edited and updated on 13th August 2025 to correct two factual errors in the original version, namely that we quote Dr Stephen Hampton not Dr Randal Swanson in relation to the first uPenn paper, and that 'Adam' did not attend Walter Reed hospital in relation to his symptoms.