Woo science kills: dowsing for bombs 26 Jan 2010 The UK government has banned the purchase of a dowsing device that is supposed to “detect” bombs in Afghanistan. Even the Afghans know this doesn’t work. [H/T Russell McPhee] Science
Epistemology Tautology 7: Conclusions 6 Sep 2009 So to finish, I will repeat the conclusion, and then make some comments on Fodor’s attack on “Darwinism”. Here is the complete series: The tautology problem Tautology 1a: corrections Tautology 1b: Butler Tautology 2: The problem arises Tautology 3: The problem spreads Tautology 4: What is a tautology? Tautology 5a:… Read More
Epistemology Notes on Novelty 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo 15 Jan 201221 Jun 2018 Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo With the growth of developmental genetics, it is possible to… Read More
Cognition Notes on novelty 7: Surprise! 14 Jan 201221 Jun 2018 Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo It is now time to return to the basic argument… Read More
You’ll notice how I refrained from pissing on the floor… If you would have done he would have detected it with his dowsing rod.
I don’t know about pissing on the floor but the guy who is making them is certainly taking the piss and laughing all the way to the bank while he does it. On the other hand we could view it scientifically as yet another confirmation of the the Hannum Hypothesis.
The training manual for the device says it can even, with the right card, detect elephants, humans and 100 dollar bills. …ah, the mythical “right card” (I have one – elephants/humans are about 50:50)
Sadly, a “real” bomb detector made by a contractor in England and sold to security services in Baghdad doesn’t work either…
I understand the electronics used in microwave image detection devices has become far cheaper to manufacture of late. It at least would appear to work better in some situations than the tinfoil hat approach used in this case.
“This paper is written by John Living, who was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham. He was commissioned as an officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was taught dowsing at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham – reported to have the world’s largest collection of material on dowsing. “John Living has been a Member of the Institute of Royal Engineers, Member of the Institute of Engineers, Jamaica, Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers (and Chartered Civil Engineer) in the United Kingdom, and a Professional Engineer registered in the Provinces of Ontario and Alberta, in Canada. He has more than 40 years experience of dowsing, and is a member of the Canadian Society of Dowsers, the Canadian Society of Questers and the American Society of Dowsers” http://mypage.direct.ca/j/jliving/landmine.htm “Police officer Husam Muhammad says using the device properly is more of an art than a science, and he demonstrates how to walk with a steady rocking march, holding the sniffer out ahead of him. “If we are tense, the device doesn’t work correctly. I start slow, and relax my body, and I try to clear my mind (edit.of any rational thought),” he says.” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111750111
A professional engineer spiritual healer Pic of the great man himself. D.V.D’s books also available He travels Canada giving workshops on Intuition Technology. How nice. http://www.in2it.ca/Books.htm