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MythBusters Need to Test Dowsing Rods Already!

Clairvoyant_Kyle

Thinker
Clairvoyant_Kyle
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
194
Why haven’t the MythBusters done a segment on divining/dowsing rods? I have seen it suggested years ago on their website. Originally I thought it is just obvious that dowsing is complete bs. But since then I have come across a lot of people who think dowsing work and is a full proof way for finding wells. I even remember seeing articles by Randi talking about states spending tons of money on them. Also, if I remember right a high amount the applicants for the ‘1 Million dollar challenge” are people with divining/dowsing rods. It seems to me that this is a myth worth busting. Mythbusters is watched by a lot of people, so I think they could help spread the message of dowsing being completely false. In my mind they could do a whole episode on the mater considering all the types of rods and all the claims people make about what they can do. I think this myth is WAY more worth busting then the myth of unlocking a car door by having its remote unlock frequency transmitted though a cell phone call. But maybe that is just me.

-Kyle
 
Adam Savage has publicly stated that he does not wish to pursue this kind of myth on the show, and that he regrets, for example, covering Pyramid Power in one episode. I guess it's possible, but it doesn't seem a very likely candidate topic now.
 
I hadn't thought of this before. But I wonder... Maybe the Mythbusters stay away from paranormal / new age topics in an effort to not alienate viewers. It seems, most people believe some pretty wacky stuff.
 
Considering how they handled other myths that involve psychology and are susceptible to (self)deception -- like the polygraph and hypnosis -- I'd rather they'd stay away from dowsing. I don't want to see another of Adam's "Wow, I didn't think it would work!" in an episode about pseudoscientific claptrap.
 
Dowsing is also boring to watch, constructing dowsing rods takes no skill, and blowing up dowsing rods isn't as dramatic as blowing up many other things. Remember, it's TV.
 
It might also involve having to pay a "dowser" to demonstrate how it works. I know I wouldn't want them to have any of my money.
 
CptColumbo said:
It might also involve having to pay a "dowser" to demonstrate how it works. I know I wouldn't want them to have any of my money.
Click to expand...
I would have no problem with that if it involved demonstrating that it doesn't work better than chance. More along the Mythbusters line would be testing (and and examining the contents of) the various bogus electronic dowsing and people-finding devices...and seeing if they can build one that works. Here I am testing one at the JREF. Turns out it works just as well upside-down with no batteries as right side-up with batteries!

Dowsing-full.jpg
 
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I get it. They would rather prove that a video about popping open a car door lock with a tennis ball from the internet was stage then do something that really matters. And I used to have so much more respect for them then I do this second (not that they would care). I guess the promise of money can make all of us do stupid things.

I got a question. I remember sometime back seeing a system that was built to test dowsing and was wondering if anyone had anymore info on that? No not five buckets filled with water. It was like an underground system with a random switch to send water down one of so many paths. It was then up to the dowser to pick what path the water went down. I would like to share that test with a friend who claims dowsing is real.

-Kyle
 
Gravy said:
Here I am testing one at the JREF. Turns out it works just as well upside-down with no batteries as right side-up with batteries!
Click to expand...

Now that is funny! Not only have you proven it doesn’t work, but also proven it works the same no matter if it is used properly or not. Good stuff man.

-Kyle
 
It seems that dowsing would be the best of the woo topics for Mythbusters to address. Easily testable, no need for subjective conclusions (like the pyramid power one). However, I can see the need for a more visually exciting myth to bust.

Maybe if they dowsed for a ticking time bomb?
 
Clairvoyant_Kyle said:
I get it. They would rather prove that a video about popping open a car door lock with a tennis ball from the internet was stage then do something that really matters. And I used to have so much more respect for them then I do this second (not that they would care). I guess the promise of money can make all of us do stupid things.
Click to expand...
They do what they do and it ain't woo. While I would personally like to see more woo attacked head on, I'm not complaining that one non-woo outfit isn't bending to my wishes.


Clairvoyant_Kyle said:
I got a question. I remember sometime back seeing a system that was built to test dowsing and was wondering if anyone had anymore info on that? No not five buckets filled with water. It was like an underground system with a random switch to send water down one of so many paths. It was then up to the dowser to pick what path the water went down. I would like to share that test with a friend who claims dowsing is real.
Click to expand...
You're thinking of a test done for (by?) the JREF, in Europe, I think. I imagine you can find it with a little searching.

There are other similar tests done which I found by using the search function on the JREF homepage and typing in "dowsing test"
 
alfaniner said:
It seems that dowsing would be the best of the woo topics for Mythbusters to address. Easily testable, no need for subjective conclusions (like the pyramid power one). However, I can see the need for a more visually exciting myth to bust.

Maybe if they dowsed for a ticking time bomb?
Click to expand...

There are sites that advocate using dowsing to locate landmines. That might have a sufficient level of danger for the lads.
 
Garrette said:
There are other similar tests done which I found by using the search function on the JREF homepage and typing in "dowsing test"
Click to expand...

Thanks, I’ll see if I can find it. Oh and I am not sure on the details of it. I just remember the “random underground tunnel” part about it. Not sure on country or who was behind it. But I will see what I can find. So thanks again.

-Kyle
 
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