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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 209 - 7/22/2009
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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, LLC - dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and the public understanding of science through online and other media. The first episode of the SGU podcast went online on May 4th, 2005. It soon became a popular science/skeptical podcast, and remains one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes.
SGU Podcasting Awards: SGU on XM: You can listen to the SGU on America's Talk XM 166 every Saturday night from 8-9pm Eastern.
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Podcast
209
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July 22, 2009
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Interview with DJ Grothe
News Items: 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Copernicium, Thomas Jefferson and Evolution
Your Questions and E-mail: Dowsing
Science or Fiction
Who's that Noisy
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Segment: News Items
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Segment: Questions and E-mails
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Question # 1 - Dowsing
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Hey guys, Well I guess its too late for the typical Rebecca proposal, but congrats to you Rebecca.
Anyways, I consider myself to be very skeptical of claims and do my best to investigate and try everything before i believe something.
The one thing that I can't seem to explain, but seems to work most of the time is dowsing for underground utilities. I am a municipal engineer and find this actually comes in handy.
The first time i saw it, my boss did this around a site we were drilling at, (I don't trust it that much, call before you dig!! Not worth the risk.) and thought he was crazy.
Then i figured i should try to see if there was anything to it. At first I walked across where i knew there was underground lines (marked), and got an immedaite reaction. I used a metal coat hanger bent into an "L" with the small end held loosly in my hand. As soon as i got over the marked line the rod instantly rotated to run parrallel to the line. I was intrigued, but not convinced, might be the ideomotor effect.
So before the next time we got lines marked in a new area, I went to see if i could find the lines myself. I was amazed, I was within a few feet of all the lines. I've done it many times since to continue testing, and here is what I have found.
1. it picks up underground and overhead lines
2. it picks up water, electric, natural gas, sanitary and storm sewer lines, but you can't distinguish which it is, just that there is something underneath, accurate to a few feet.
3. Once in a while (maybe 5% of the time) I'll get a false positive.
4. works best if you walk perpindicular to the pipe, so walk in a grid to find pipe in an unknown area.
5. I hold it with my right hand and when i pick up a line, it ALWAYS rotates inwards, even against a small wind (to the left)
6. Apparently not everyone can do it(I know, I know, red flag).
I have no idea whats going on. I thought at first that it might be something to do with an electric current through power lines, but than why does it work for water lines? Maybe the running water makes a current, but it works for storm sewer lines that are usually empty. Sometimes utilities have an electric tracer line for locating, but i've found lots of pipes that don't have one using this technique. I have no idea how it works.
Like i said, I'm very skeptical and don't believe in any supernatural forces, or spiritual energy of any kind, but can't seem to figure this one out.
I would ask that your crew try it out for yourselves to see if anyone can do it, and give me some feedback of your results. Maybe you can help me crack this.
I would like it if you discussed this on the podcast to get all your comments, but I understand you probably get a ton of requests, so an email response would be appreciated as well. Thanks for your time.
Riley Jestin
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Segment: Interview
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Segment: Science or Fiction [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
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Segment: Who's That Noisy
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Whos That Noisy
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Answer to episode #207 - Pong
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Segment: Quote of the Week
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Quote of the Week
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"Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong."
- Thomas Jefferson
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