[meteorite-list] You Naysaying Denialists Are All Wrong, Dowsing Works!

From: JoshuaTreeMuseum <joshuatreemuseum_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2010 03:17:27 -0400
Message-ID: <834F8A3CD9824C0C89E71FAA7A01990A_at_ET>

First off, let me say that all you naysaying dowser denialists need to get
off your high horses, come down from your ivory towers and enter the realm
of simple, reproducible, empirical evidence-based experimental scientific
methodology instead of parroting dogmatic drivel and appealing to the
authority of idiots. I don't think I've ever seen such a display of
psuedo-intellectual arrogance and phony elitism in my life. (Well, ok, once
or twice I have). I never thought I'd live to see the day a List member
would speak thusly of St. Albert, {1} and I quote C.P. : "His opinion should
not impress anybody". {2} As if the puny intellect of anyone here is but the
beginnings of a pimple on the left butt cheek of Albert Einstein.

The dowser denialist nattering nabobs of negativity owe an apology to Warren
Sansoucie, (also known as Warren Peace), his dad, my dad, grandad and
greatgrandpa (three generations {3} of dowsers and damn proud of it), and to
all the nameless, faceless and voiceless dowsing utility workers and
plumbers everywhere. And a shout-out and word of thanks to that voice in the
wilderness counseling rationality and scientific method, Dr. Vann from the
prestigious University of Pennsylvania.

Speaking of experimental scientific method, I would like to propose a
simple, reproducible experiment that can be performed by any genius,
near-genius, idiot or near-idiot. Now, before shooting off your mouth and
saying: " That Joshua Tree Museum guy knows not of what he speaketh!" please
take an hour or so and do this experiment. Trust me, you will be amazed.

I will bet dollars to doughnuts that not a single one of the vociferous,
self-important dowser denialists has ever actually dowsed. Your ignorance is
revealed by your words. When I say dowsing, I'm not talking about that
flakey New Age, divinatory, radiesthesia, occult crap. I'm talking about an
objective, observable, factual phenomenon that anyone can see with their own
two eyes. (Unless they're doing it as an actual blind experiment and are
blind-folded.)

 Get yourself a pair of L-shaped divining rods. {4} Any kind of bendable
wire will work. I used the first thing I found laying around the shop and it
works perfectly. For purposes of balance, hold the longer part of the
L-shaped rod in your hands with the shorter part projecting forward, or
vice-versa, whatever works for you. The rods must be gripped properly for
this to work. They must be held loosely so they can move freely of their own
accord. If you grip them too tightly, the experiment won't work.
This is the traditional closed-fist grip:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x177/cyphor79/closed-fist.jpg
I came up with this one myself, I call it the claw-hammer:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x177/cyphor79/claw-hammer.jpg

 Hold the rods parallel to each other and parallel to the ground. Now for
the fun part: hold the rods over a large iron meteorite, {5}and watch them
cross all by themselves. Approach the meteorite from a different angle and
watch as the rods cross as if by magic. It's as simple as that. You may have
to get down close to the meteorite (depending on the type), for the rods to
cross. Campos, Sikhote-Alines, Diablos and Gibeons will make the rods cross
vigorously and quickly. Muonions will make the rods cross very slowly. I
had my wife and mother-in-law try it and the rods crossed for them. Oddly,
the rods wouldn't cross over one single Campo out of 10 tested. I got no
reaction out of pallasites, including a Seymchan that is mostly iron. The
rods wouldn't cross over the few stone NWAs that I tested. Tomorrow I'm
going to test more meteorites and shoot some video of the experiment.

I then tested a pyrite meteorwrong, a big slab of float copper, and a dozen
or so large crystal cluster with no reaction. I held the rods over an iron
corn stove and they crossed so hard they almost jumped out of my hands. I
walked outside and held the rods over a steel wheel, an iron fence, several
cars, and a pile of scrap iron, each time they crossed without any help from
me. I walked over to a fire hydrant and they crossed over it. I walked
around the hydrant and they crossed over the underground pipe. I could see
the pipe cover in the middle of the street. I walked out to it and crossed
over the underground pipe several times, each time the rods crossed. Two
kids walking a dog asked me what I was doing. I explained about dowsing and
the underground pipe. I asked them to try it. Sure enough the rods crossed
when they passed over the pipe. I then went up to the gas meter and could
detect the underground pipe going out from the building, under the parking
lot and could follow it as it ran between the street and sidewalk. I then
went back into the building and with the rods I could tell you exactly where
the gas, water and sewer pipes are. I'm going to try this with some
blind-folded people tomorrow.

I would like to ask each and every naysayer to try this simple experiment,
then come on the List and publicly tell me it doesn't work. I had four
people try it and it worked for all of them. This is one of the coolest
things I have ever done. I'm totally into it and will be conducting several
more dowsing experiments. All I ask is that you try it yourself before
running your mouth about something you know nothing about. I was very
skeptical until I actually tried it. I honestly didn't think it would work.
I can assure you it does. Anyone can detect underground pipes with two
pieces of wire. You don't need any fancy-dancy equipment to do it.

And I looked into the Amazing Kreskin's offer. I thought this would be the
easiest million bucks you could possibly make. Amazing Randi is running a
complete con and total publicity scam. It's rigged so nobody can get past
the preliminary tests. If I can detect underground pipes my first day, there
must be thousands of real dowsers that can do it. Try it, it's easy and it's
amazing.

Seriously, I want all the deniers to try dowsing over any large iron or
steel metallic object, buried or on the surface, meteoritic or
anthropogenic, and then tell me honestly it doesn't work. I know it will be
hard to eat crow with all the mouthing off and some of you will be unable to
admit you were totally wrong. The honest ones will swallow their pride and
agree that once again Einstein was right and you mere mortals were wrong.
Dowsing works and nobody knows why. It surely has something to do with the
Earth's magnetic field. The rods are obviously amplifying minute muscular
movements but what is causing the unconscious reactions and why?

I still am not sure about dowsing for water, but I have no doubt about
dowsing iron. I don't see why this principle can't be applied to hunting for
large iron meteorites.

Phil Whitmer
------------------------------------------


{1}I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as a type of
superstition. According to my conviction this is, however, unjustified. The
dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human
nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time.
- Albert Einstein

{2}Check the dictionary under: unmitigated audacity.

{3} Make that four generations, I've been converted.
{4}Also called virgula divinas or baculus divinatorius in olden times
{5} At last, meteorites enter the picture!
Received on Sat 16 Oct 2010 03:17:27 AM PDT