A Bitcoin mine moved to a small town in Texas. One by one, the residents fell ill.

Over the course of several months in 2024, TIME spoke to more than 40 people in the Granbury area who reported a medical ailment that they believe is connected to the arrival of the Bitcoin mine: hypertension, heart palpitations, chest pain, vertigo, tinnitus, migraines, panic attacks. At least 10 people went to urgent care or the emergency room with these symptoms. The development of large-scale Bitcoin mines and data centers is quite new, and most of them are housed in extremely remote places. There have been no major medical studies on the impacts of living near one. But there is an increasing body of scientific studies linking prolonged exposure to noise pollution with cardiovascular damage.

  • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
    5·
    4 months ago

    Except wind farms don’t emit noise. I work around them. You can just go into a field right under a huge windmill and take a nap, they’re fully silent within our hearing range

    • deafboy@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 months ago

      It’s not about what they do, it’s about what people think they do! :D

      go into a field right under a huge windmill

      Must be nice to see them go up-close. I must add that to my bucket list.

      • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
        5·
        4 months ago

        They’re super cool! You have no idea how big they really are. The blades are the length of perhaps four or five semi trucks. Absolutely massive.