[meteorite-list] Double-Blind Experiments Testing Dowsing

From: Paul H. <oxytropidoceras_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 8:42:53 -0500
Message-ID: <20101020094253.PMU5Y.2234077.imail_at_eastrmwml34>

In "You Naysaying Denialists Are All Wrong, Dowsing Works!"
for the meteorite list, JoshuaTreeMuseum wrote:

"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.",

Actually double-blind experiments testing the effectiveness
of dowsing have been conducted and published. They include:

Banks, G., D. Gill, and V. Ezerins, 2005, Test Report: The
Detection Capability of the Sniffex Handheld Explosives
Detector. Naval EOD Technology Division, Naval Seas
Systems Command, Department of Defense, Indian
Head, Maryland.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/26050076/Navy-Report-From-Pro-Public-A
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/23365128/Test-Report-The-Detection-Capability-of-the-Sniffex-Handheld-Explosives-Detector

Enright, J. T. 1995. Water dowsing: The Scheunen
experiments. Naturwissenschaften. vol. 82, no. 8, pp. 360-369.

Enright, J. T., 1999, Testing Dowsing: The Failure of the
Munich Experiments. Skeptical Inquirer. vol. 23, no. 1.
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/testing_dowsing_the_failure_of_the_munich_experiments/

McCarney, R., F. Fisher, F. Spink, G. Flint, and R. van Haselen,
2002, Can homeopaths detect homeopathic medicines by
dowsing? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. vol. 4, pp. 189-191.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1279512/

Murray, D, 2002, Double-Blind Field Evaluation of the
MOLE Programmable Detection System. Entry Control
and Contraband Detection Department, Sandia National
Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
http://www.justnet.org/Pages/RecordView.aspx?itemid=440
http://www.justnet.org/Lists/JUSTNET%20Resources/Attachments/440/moleeval_apr02.pdf

Murray, D. W., F. W. Spencer, D. D. Spencer, 1998, Double-
Blind Evaluation of the DKL LifeGuard Model 2. Sandia
Report SAND98-0977. , Sandia National Laboratories,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/1998/980977.pdf

A book that discusses dowsing in great detail is:

Vogt, E. Z., and R. Hyman, 2000. Water Witching USA., 2nd ed.,
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 248 pp.

Related articles and papers are:

Brassington, F. C., 1998, Water divining. Encyclopedia of
Hydrology and Lakes. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series
no. 22, pp. 690-695. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New
York.

Carpenter, W. B., 1852, On the influence of suggestion in
modifying and directing muscular movement, independently
of volition. Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain.
vol. 1, pp. 147-153.

Carrold, R. T., 1999, Dowsing for Dollars: Fighting High-Tech
Promises with Low-Tech Critical Thinking Skills. Skeptics
Dictionary.
http://www.skepdic.com/essays/dowsingfordollars.html

Enright, J. T., 1996, Dowsers Lost in a Barn. Naturwissenschaften.
vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 275-277.

Perrine, L., 1998, 'Human presence detector' fails controlled
tests conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia
National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
http://www.sandia.gov/media/hudet.htm

Randi, J. dowsing, 1995, James Randi Educational Foundation.
http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/dowsing.html

Yours,

Paul H.
Received on Wed 20 Oct 2010 09:42:53 AM PDT