Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => That CAN'T be true! => Topic started by: thedoc on 07/08/2012 19:30:01
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Akshay Jain asked the Naked Scientists:
Hi
I am Akshay and I am going nuts over dowsing methods . How does that work ?
Btw there is this technique followed here in India for finding water (crude,old technique) works only with some people though. The person holds a coconut flat on his palm and walks around the plot. Coincidentally , as soon as he walks over a region where there is a lot of groundwater the coconut stands upright on his palm!
Here is a video link if you didn't get what I am trying to tell:
Hoping to get a reasonable explanation.
Akshay A Jain
India
What do you think?
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I am Akshay and I am going nuts over dowsing methods .
coco-nuts ? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl5wW4RCuu4&feature=related)
How does that work ?
Tilting the hand makes the coconut stand on the rounder heavier end, (similar to weeble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Weebleprinciple.jpg)),
If not done deliberately (i.e. faking) then unconsciously / involuntarily via ideomotor effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect) when the person believes they are close to the thing they are dowsing for, (e.g. when they can see changes in the ground).
If anyone can really dowse a million dollar prize awaits ... http://www.randi.org/library/dowsing/ [ no one has won it yet ].