Dowsing experiment - bushcraft members required

[Doc]

Scrubcutters experiment is a move in the right direction. A lot of dowsers refuse to submit to scientific testing.

However, you would absolutely, definitely, have to have two friends - one to operate the switch and one to record the response of the dowsing rods. It is fundamental that the person observing and recording the response is unaware of the switch state.

The switch operator would also have to toss a coin or use some other random method to decide on whether the switch should be up or down.

You would also have to do the test many times - say one hundred. Of course, if dowsing does not work, you would expect the dowser to be right half the time by chance. If dowsing works as well as its supporters claim, then I would be expecting close to 100% accuracy. In fact, it would be worth doing a pre-test run where the dowser KNOWS the switch position. If he is 100% accurate in the pre-test run, then it should be equally accurate in the actual experiment, if dowsing does indeed work.

Jodies point about headphones is a good one. It is crucial that the dowser is unaware of the switch position.

As bushscout says, an ac current is detectable by the surrounding magnetic field. However, in the experiment above, there is no current flowing at any time, because the equipment itself is switched off. Which makes me wonder what the dowser is actually detecting. Presumably the potential difference between the live cable and earth. Just to complicate matters, if your house has protective multiple earthing, the earth cable may be at a different potential to real earth. But that should not affect the experiment.

I would love to hear of any results. I am very sceptical of dowsing, because the results of controlled trials are very unimpressive, but like James Randi, I am struck with the genuiness of dowsers. They genuinely, really, truely believe in it. However, we humans do have an extraordinary capacity for self-deception.

One problem in science is that people are very keen to publish positive results, but often reluctant to publish negative results (especially if they were expecting a positive). So if you do the test, undertake to post the result regardless of what it is.

 

[bothyman]

A lot of dowsers refuse to submit to scientific testing.
.

But why should they if they know it works for them, that should be enough ??

It's rather like asking a Christain to submit to scientfic testing, to prove their God exists.


I didn't believe it worked until someone stuck a Pendulum in my hand, and it still worked, even though I was sat there mumbling " This is "£$%^&%&% stupid" .
I suppose the difference is, I only use it for myself and not to prove anything to others.

Oh Yes, I'm into Runes as well, and alternative medicine.

 

[Doc]

But why should they if they know it works for them, that should be enough ??
)

Well, as a general principle, I think people making extraordinary claims should be able to back them up with evidence, especially if they are charging for their services, or advising some unfortunate soldier to find land mines by dowsing.

 

[bothyman]

Well, as a general principle, I think people making extraordinary claims should be able to back them up with evidence, especially if they are charging for their services, or advising some unfortunate soldier to find land mines by dowsing.

I've got to agree with you, as I don't agree with charging for such things.
And if people claim they can find Landmines, let them be the ones who are at the front.

Many people who do these things, when asked how they came about this knowledge will say, "It's a gift."
To which I usually reply "So if this is a gift, that was freely given, what gives you the right to charge for it".
This is usually met with silence, as they don't seem to have an answer.

 

[gregorach]

But why should they if they know it works for them, that should be enough ??

The whole point of science, the very reason that the idea exists, is that what people think they know is often not actually true. If you haven't subjected it to proper testing, you don't know that it works.

A wise man once said: "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."

You might also find the concepts of recall bias and confirmation bias worth learning about.