Iraq Swears By Dowsing Rod Bomb Detector

jggimi writes "According to the New York Times, more than fifteen hundred remote sensing devices have been sold to Iraq's Ministry of the Interior, at prices ranging from $16,500 to $60,000 each. The devices are used for bomb and weapon detection at checkpoints, and have no battery or other power source. Sounds great, but according to a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, they work on the same principle as a Ouija board — the power of suggestion. He described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod. Even though the device has been debunked by the US Military, the US Department of Justice, and even Sandia National Laboratories, the Iraqis are thrilled with the devices. 'Whether it's magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,' said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior's General Directorate for Combating Explosives."

Comments

Here's how to do the trick.

[NoYob]

He proceeded to cut a Y-shaped branch from a tree and dowse our property...
But what I remember was how that inanimate branch turned into a straining, curving, living thing as it dived toward the ground. In my mind there was simply no way you could hold a branch and make it do that -- the branch itself wanted to do it, and did it.

Yes, you can. Ever so slightly - those old guys got the trick down - twists both sides of the 'Y' that they're holding. The end will point down just as you said.

It's an easy trick. Try it! With practice you can do it with just a slight twist with the fingers and no one will notice.

Just need 2 metal rods

[Bruha]

I've seen it done to locate metal pipes many times and tried it myself at home. It works. Get two metal rods about 2 feet long, bend the ends to hold in your hand and walk slowly, when over a metal object they ends will come together. Watched a guy locate an entire septic system using this on TV once.