"Testing a dowser is extremely simple and straightforward, and the dowsers who have took the test have ALL agreed in advance that this is a completely fair test. For that matter, they all score well on the test when they know where the object to be found was."
said Seismosaurus
I have to strongly disagree Seismo.
I have thought for some time that asking dowsers to approve any particular test is flawed science.
First of all, although it is the dowser who is claiming to have the special powers, that doesn't qualify him/her to approve positively or otherwise, the design of any particular scientific experiment. We are dealing here potentially with unknown and inexplicable causes, so by definition, pioneering experimental design is hampered by lack prior scientific measurement and knowledge.
I believe the best designed experiment from the scientific viewpoint(as opposed to winning some monetary prize), is to use professional dowsers, who earn their living from success or failure in the field.
These dowsers must not be aware that any experiment is taking place. The companies that are employing the dowser and who are paying him for success or otherwise, would have to be asked to cooperate in some clandestine manner, to allow experimental observers to participate anonomously in some way.
It is crucial tha the dowser does not know his activities are being monitored or recorded. If he finds out, then the results of that particular experiment would have to be discarded.
This would be quite an expensive project involving many different observers conducting many experiments, over a long period of time.
Once the results are recorded and analysed, then statistical conclusions can be made as to the rate of success or failure, and whether or not the success, if any, can be explained by anything other than pure chance.
There is obvious weaknesses in this approach that would have to be addressed, and there is no doubt as many options available, to minimise this. However, I believe this is a much more objective approach that addresses the real situation on the ground where dowsers appear at least to be successful enough to earn a regular living.
Experimental design has to start from a totally neutral position, but at the same time test for the effect where apparently, the phenomena seems to be the most prevalent. i.e. in the field.
Creating synthetic environments for testing dowsing IMHO, is flawed science, even if the dowsers themselves agree to it.
