Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Logical

(22,457 posts)
Sun May 13, 2012, 09:53 PM May 2012

It amazes me how many people who do not believe pseudo-science believe in dowsing.....

Many still believe dowsing is a 100% real skill. There is absolutely no proof of dowsing being a real skill. Many studies show no more than random chance.

James Randi has always said, the best way to test a water dowser is to ask them to scan a open farm field and find a spot where is you drill there WILL NOT be water found. Finding water is easy, you might just need to drill a little deeper. Finding a place where you can drill and NOT find water is the hard part.

Also interesting, as Randi states, The American Society of Dowsers, is an organization that adamantly refuses to allow their claims to be tested, and has vigorously avoided trying to win the JREF prize.

That should tell you all you need to know!

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
It amazes me how many people who do not believe pseudo-science believe in dowsing..... (Original Post) Logical May 2012 OP
My thoughts kickysnana May 2012 #1
Well, people have a really hard time proving the sense in studies. Logical May 2012 #2
Stop Making Sense! zappaman May 2012 #3
Witching frogmarch May 2012 #4
Thanks! Great story! n-t Logical May 2012 #7
Not sure if this is considered dowsing, but LARED May 2012 #5
Well, that is dowsing. Many people claim they can do it. And when tested they can't. There is.... Logical May 2012 #6
My very specific experience tells me otherwise LARED May 2012 #8
This is even more interesting! Logical May 2012 #11
Experience says otherwise sgsmith May 2012 #9
Really? That is proof? One time I thought the phone would ring and it did!! Logical May 2012 #10

kickysnana

(3,908 posts)
1. My thoughts
Sun May 13, 2012, 10:09 PM
May 2012

Water can be smelled. Temperature differences can be felt above ground. Ground underfoot has a 'feel and sound' to it based on composition and it would have been really handy for our ancestors to be able to find underground water so perhaps it was a developed talent that some of us have.

frogmarch

(12,145 posts)
4. Witching
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:54 AM
May 2012


Caption Dowsing. Historical photograph of a group of diviners with a variety of objects used for detecting underground water ("dowsing&quot . The divining (meaning "finding&quot objects are (from left to right): a whale bone rod, a pendulum suspended from a rod, a watch on a pendulum, another watch on a pendulum and a split cane rod. The rods are held loosely in the practitioner's hands and spontaneously point upwards or downwards when he passes over an underground object such as a spring. The pendulums rotate when over an underground object. Although still widely used, divining has no scientific basis and there is no conclusive evidence that it works.
http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/231783/enlarge
~~

My father-in-law called it “water witching,” and in 1979 he insisted on “witching” water for Mr. froggy and me so we’d know where to dig our well. He found water, but we knew he’d have found it just about anywhere. There were surface springs all over the place on our land. His witching tool was a bent wire clothes hanger, and the shape of it resembled the object on the far right in the above picture.

A friend of his who was also a water witcher came with him. His witching tool was made out of crazily bent wire antennas fixed to a Gabby Hayes-style cowboy hat (see pic below). I still laugh when I think of him looking so earnest while wearing that goofy contraption on his head.


 

LARED

(11,735 posts)
5. Not sure if this is considered dowsing, but
Mon May 14, 2012, 06:45 AM
May 2012

I have many times located underground metal water pipes using two long metal rods on a pivot point. The pipe must have water flowing through it. The rods will rotate slightly towards the horizontal when passing over the pipe.

First time it was shown to me I thought it was a trick, until I did it myself.

 

Logical

(22,457 posts)
6. Well, that is dowsing. Many people claim they can do it. And when tested they can't. There is....
Mon May 14, 2012, 06:22 PM
May 2012

nothing to it.

 

LARED

(11,735 posts)
8. My very specific experience tells me otherwise
Mon May 14, 2012, 06:32 PM
May 2012

Specific to underground pipes with running water.

some interesting information.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/1281661

 

sgsmith

(398 posts)
9. Experience says otherwise
Mon May 14, 2012, 10:54 PM
May 2012

When I first bought my house, it took a while to realize that the spare bathroom wasn't working correctly. A plumber tried to snake the drain out, but didn't find a problem. He had to put a camera down the drain line to discover that the pipe went down/up/down. Not good for water flow.

The builder's plumber (another guy from the one who did the camera) had to locate the drain line under the slab so they would know where to jackhammer the slab apart. It only took a few minutes for one of his crew to use a divining rod to indicate where the pipe was, which they did accurately.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Creative Speculation»It amazes me how many peo...