CARL BRAUHART, Australian DOWSER

[KRAMER]

OK, so I've decided that from this point onward, I will post each and every Challenge application that is a submitted, either on the very day it arrives or soon thereafter. Today we received a duly executed Challenge application from Mr. CARL BRAUHART of Australia, along with the following claim letter:
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I can dowse with metal rods. It is not a paranormal ability. It is an, as yet, unexplained geophysical process. However, I trust that you are skeptical and will pay US $1,000,000 if I can demonstrate this ability.

In short, I can detect power lines, groundwater and sulfide mineralization. The location of power lines in unambiguous, and so I propose that a test be desgined around them. I have the following suggestions:

1- I can be blindfolded and driven along a route that passes under power lines and is completely unknown to me. I will detect their location with no information to go on other than the dowsing rods.

2- I can walk under a series of lines. Some with the power turned on. Others with the power turned off. I will identify the difference.

3- An apparatus can be designed where it is impossible for me to get the rods to swing toward my body by any other means than dowsing. I have a simple apparatus in mind that you are free to inspect and suggest modification to. Once the basic design of the apparatus is agreed upon, you can build the particular device that I use.

I am applying to the Australian Skeptics for a AUS $110,000 prize for anybody who can demonstrate a dowsing ability. You may wish to coordinate preliminary testing with through them.

-CARL BRAUHART
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[KRAMER]

More from Carl.
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Hello again,

Further to my challenge. Dowsing works very well under power lines. The higher the voltage the better. I suggest that as an intial test that I am blind folded and then either driven or walked under power lines. I will be able to tell you when we go under them because I will be able to feel the rods move. I have no need to see them. I recommend that you and a group of friends try this yourself. I predict that at least one of you will feel something.

Obviously a simple situation such as straight open road with a single (or maybe two or three high voltage lines) passing overhead. Once you see that there is really something going on, a proper double blind experiment can be designed.

Kind Regards

Carl Brauhart
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[KRAMER]

Based upon scientific advice I have received both here on the forum and elsewhere, JREF has rejected the power line claim (nothing paranormal there), and asks Mr. Brauhart to chose between his two other dowsing claims; groundwater or sulfide mineralization.

We now await his reply.

 

[KRAMER]

Latest Email from Brauhart, Down Under

Dear Kramer,

I am fascinated that there is an apparent effect under powerlines. Any information from your experts in the field will be very gratefully received by me. I would like to know if wire rods, mounted on a trolley, and pushed under power lines would swing of their own accord. If not, why would there be an effect in the hands of a human being? I am researching dowsing as hard as I can, and this kind of information will be very valuable.

Can you please check with your field experts and see whether they are concerned that I will "cheat" and detect the powerlines by some other means. If they are worried that I am going to smuggle some sort of EM sensor in to the test, I am happy to go through a metal detector, strip naked, have a CAT scan. Whatever it takes to satisy the judges that there is nothing on my person other than a pair of metal rods while I do the test. You can supply the metal rods to ensure that they are not doctored. I favour powerlines, because their location is not in dispute. Going out to a rural road will ensure that all the interferece of buried cables etc etc is not an issue.

If, however, powerlines and any other unambiguous sources of EM radiation, are going to be disqaulified, then I will challenge on the basis of sulfide mineralisation. A group of geologists will be able to define a number of traverses where this ability can be tested. The location of sulfide mineralisation is less ambiguous than groundwater.

PLEASE NOTE, it is unacceptable to put a lump of sulfide mineralisation, or a gold ring, or any other substitute for an orebody under a cardboard box and ask me to detect that by dowsing. It won't work. It must be done under real field conditions over real sulfide mineralisation.

I have had no response from the Australian Sketpics, other than to invite me to the next round of testing of water dowsers. Presumably, they are going to ask the dowsers to detect bottles of water or pipes of water. It won't work, because that's not how dowsing works. I will contact them again and try to get a better response out of them. I will let you know how I get on.

Kind Regards
Carl Brauhart

 

[KRAMER]

Dear Carl,
Please suggest a test protocol that you feel can best and most easily verify your sulfide mineralization claim. - KRAMER, JREF
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Dear Kramer,
I will need to be taken to areas where there is known sulfide mineralization but be denied any information as to its location. I will probably have to be blindfolded, because even the location of blind deposits (mineralization with no surface expression) might be guessed from the distribution of surface hole drills.

A panel of independent geologists could be formed to select appropriate test sites. Western Australia is well endowed with gold, nickel, copper and zinc mineralization and would be an ideal place to do the test. There is also a large community of exploration and mining geologists in Perth for you to chose from, and who would be very interested in the results. - Carl Brauhart

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Obviously, enlisting the help of a team of local geologists will be the only true way of insuring proper conditions for this test. As Australian Skeptics has already proven to be a bit resistant to testing this specific claim, JREF is looking forward to finding independent investigators to assist us in the testing of Carl Brauhart.

Anyone in the Perth area who may have knowledge of how we might expedite matters is encouraged to write to me directly at my JREF email address (kramer@randi.org)...THANKS!!!

 

[KRAMER]

Carl Brauhart withdraws his claim...

This just in from Carl Brauhart, who was wise enough to take Randi's advice and conduct proper, secure tests of his claim...

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I was very confident that I could dowse sulfide mineralisation under all conditions but today I did an extensive blind-fold test with work colleagues and the results were all over the place.

Candour in this situation is probably the best approach. I am not ready to submit to a test and so I am forced to withdraw my challenge, or, at least, postpone it. I am, however, still intrigued by dowsing.

When I have compiled all of my results, you may be interested in looking over them. Having read the literature, I believe that I have made some breakthroughs in understanding the process. It is not as simple as a muscular ideo-motor response. The rod turns in a human hand far further than subconscious muscular actions can account for. Perhaps you can tell me a few things.

Do you, or your field experts know if a metal rod will turn in a human hand without muscular input? Can the electrical field around the human body do such a thing? If this alone is unknown to science, it is worthy of further research and it may be the key to understanding why dowers get results (or at least think they do!).

You probably get a lot of claims, but please accept my apologies for challenging before I was ready. When I am in no doubt (as opposed to being fairly sure that I am ready) I hope you will consider another challenge.

Kind regards,
Carl Brauhart
Project Geologist (on secondment from Sipa)
Placer Dome Asia Pacific, Perth
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Mr. Brauhart's file is now closed.