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

[JoshuaTreeMuseum]

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
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{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!