February 24, 2009
Debunking Dowsing
Science can turn you into a full-time skeptic (as my friends discover at some of the oddest times), but that’s not a bad thing. I’m sure that Smithsonian’s favorite skeptic, James Randi, has had plenty of cocktail conversations in which people try to convince him that they found the magic cure to all his ills, or some other form of woo. But then, he solicits this sort of thing—the James Randi Educational Foundation offers $1 million “to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.”
As the foundation notes: “To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.”
In this video from the Amazing Randi, we can get a hint of the kind of person who applies for the $1-million-prize. This time it’s a dowser. Watch the video to learn how dowsing really “works.”
Maybe the guy should have watched the next video before submitting his claim. In it, a group of dowsers in the United Kingdom are subjected to a double-blind test of their dowsing ability. Will anyone pass the test?
(Hat tip to Bad Astronomy)
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Just watched this. I am in telecommunications construction, and I use a [single] copper wire about 18″ to 24″ long to “locate” underground wiring and pipes all the time. Telephone, power, gas, water, sewer etc. I have been doing it for years now, and have been proven time and again.
Didnt know it was some a real trick, much less some big inexplicable phenomenon. I figured it was simply something akin to an alinment in magnetic field.
I have taught many people to do it, there have been a few that couldn’t seem to make it work for them, but most pick up on it just fine.
In reference to the comment left by E. Turner: How does your dowsing rod know what you’re looking for? People claim that dowsing rods will locate water, power lines, precious metals, you name it. Think about it! Seriously! Sounds like wishful thinking to me, you “wish” to find copper wire and… presto, you find it. You “wish” to find a sewer line, and, well, you get my point.
A better explanation is the ideomotor effect and your knowledge of where buried sewers, copper lines, etc., should be found. If you see two manhole covers, you can assume that there’s a buried sewer pipe running bewteen them. You see a telephone pole and corresponding terminal block mounted on a structure and you can assume where the copper wire is buried between them.
James Randi has a $1M prize waiting for anyone who can prove that dowsing really works. Hundreds of people have tried to win this prize, all have failed when tested using a properly controlled scientific method. ;)
[...] dowsing rods for bomb detection. And we all should be aware how dowsing “works” [...]
i love how they are so surprised they got it wrong LOL and that they make excuses…
There is an old guy I believe is now in his 80, that uses these rods to find water on your property. He used to charge a case of Blatz beer and has a very good reputation around here. Everyone that talks about him speak very serious, one is a retired police officer of 30 years.
Not sure if he still is doing this. And at his age I seriously doubt he will be able to down a million dollars worth of beer in his lifetime. I was given his number about ten years ago when I wanted to put in another well for a sprinkler system. Changed our minds about the expense of putting in a well to water the grass. Back then he was still locating underground water using dowsing rods to support his taste for beer. What a career! I am going to try these rods. If it works I just may charge two bottles of wine :0)
Dowsers find large bodies of water not 20oz bottles of water. If there is any truth any truth to dowsing, this experiment wasn’t going to prove a thing.
I’m starting to think it’s a real phenomenon.
I’m going to go request this on the mythbusters forum.
The flaw in this test is that Dowsing works with the movement of energy. I have been finding water, ect all my life (50 years). a Bottle of water is actually “at rest”, where as liquid of any kind in movement is energy in motion. These people were set up to fail. This was an unfair test.
I am 50 years old and started using divinig rods about a month ago. Freaked me right out when I was able to detect water, oil, and gold. I was skeptical about it too, until I was able to do it. It was if there was a magnetic pull on the rods and the would point to the source of whatever I was searching for. With water there does need for the water to be moving even underground. With oil it can be sitting still and it has the strongest vibrations in the rods, also the most sensitive. Must not have alot of other people close by either. Gold is the hardest of the three to detect, not as strong of vibrations. It is almost scary how those rods act when you run across this stuff.
I’m a science teacher and was discussing this with fellow science teachers and have found abstracts and numerous debates but the hard evidence isn’t there. Deb has a great point. All I’ve read says water has to be moving. The idea of putting it to the Mythbusters test is a great one. I hope they pick it up!
When I worked for a telecom, there were people who believed they could locate water pipes, underground cables, etc. dowsing with bent metal rods. For the believers, if the rods move, they look around and “find” something that justifies your faith in dowsing. For many parts of the country it would be difficult to dig a well or a trench and not hit water or a cable/pipe of some kind, assuming you went deeply enough. I think Mythbusters could come up with a decent episode to debunk dowsing. Their myths are getting a little far-fetched and this would at least be something that interests some folks.
The guy on the play ground was probably picking up the rebar steel in the cement. I have used the two copper rods to find underground water lines for the power company for 37 years. Anything metal, any pipe, plastic or steel as long as it has water in it can be found this way.
as E.Turner says,it works,I,my family, can do it with small or large bottles of water,outside water mains,dogs ,people,,it’s all magnetic,try coat hangers, it’s amazing
I have been dowsing with brass rods for 40 years.I can find a 2×4 one ft underground or a stream of water 100 ft underground. When the rod turns over the object, Just turn and follow it.It will lead you along the object even if it curves.Any one who has not tried this and denies it is very ignorant. Anyone who has tried it and failed.I’m sorry for you.