talkmagic.co.uk

by **Tomo** » Jan 22nd, '10, 13:39

Well, the managing director of the company that makes them has been arrested of suspicion of fraud! http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/22 ... ctor_bust/

Imagine that...

by **Mandrake** » Jan 22nd, '10, 13:58

The figures in $ tell all that's needed to know.....

by **kolm** » Jan 22nd, '10, 14:51

McCormick hit back, however, telling the paper that “we have been dealing with doubters for ten years. One of the problems we have is that the machine does look a little primitive. We are working on a new model that has flashing lights.”

Made me laugh. That's something you expect to read on the onion

by **Tomo** » Jan 22nd, '10, 15:07

kolm wrote:Made me laugh. That's something you expect to read on the onion

Blinken lights enhance all things! I bet his brief had kittens when he read that :lol:

by **Ted** » Jan 22nd, '10, 15:53

This is one of those situations where I simply can't subscribe to the, "everyone is entitled to their beliefs" argument. If Mrs Miggins wants to spend £30 on a bottle of water with a 'memory' or something to relieve a slight case of anxiety then good for her. However, this bomb dowser deal is evil. I don't care if the guy who sells them believes in them or not.

by **Tomo** » Jan 22nd, '10, 16:06

Ted wrote:This is one of those situations where I simply can't subscribe to the, "everyone is entitled to their beliefs" argument. If Mrs Miggins wants to spend £30 on a bottle of water with a 'memory' or something to relieve a slight case of anxiety then good for her. However, this bomb dowser deal is evil. I don't care if the guy who sells them believes in them or not.

I wholeheartedly agree. Scores of people were blown to bits in Baghdad in October by a truck packed with explosive. Why didn't any of these devices detect it? Because they do nothing, blinken lights or not.

by **greedoniz** » Jan 22nd, '10, 16:40

They should ask the MD of the company to walk around a minefield for a few hours to prove they work

by **A J Irving** » Jan 22nd, '10, 17:18

But if the guy has been arrested for fraud then that would imply that these dowsing rods don't actually work. I'm not sure how that fits in with earlier discussions we've had on these boards about these very same devices and dowsing in general. Could someone explain?

*tip-toes silently out of the room*

by **Tomo** » Jan 22nd, '10, 17:29

BBC's Newsnight is covering the story, with some damning footage. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/n ... 471187.stm

by **Mandrake** » Jan 22nd, '10, 17:36

A J Irving wrote:But if the guy has been arrested for fraud then that would imply that these dowsing rods don't actually work. I'm not sure how that fits in with earlier discussions we've had on these boards about these very same devices and dowsing in general. Could someone explain?

IMHO, in a nutshell, dowsing for water and minerals in the earth may or may not work and that's really a separate discussion but the 'cards' sold to 'program' these detectors for explosives contain nothing valid so it's a fair bet that the rods themselves are therefore useless.

by **Mr_Grue** » Jan 22nd, '10, 18:24

BBC just reported the rods have been banned from being exported.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/n ... 475875.stm

by **Randy** » Jan 22nd, '10, 22:47

The problem is that with dowsing for water if you don't find anything, you just look silly.

But dowsing for bombs... You end up dead..

by **A J Irving** » Jan 22nd, '10, 22:55

Randy wrote:The problem is that with dowsing for water if you don't find anything, you just look silly.

But dowsing for bombs... You end up dead..

250 dead I believe is the current total. Does sleeping with a pillow filled with £85 million make it any easier to sleep at night?

by **greedoniz** » Jan 23rd, '10, 01:47

A J Irving wrote:
250 dead I believe is the current total. Does sleeping with a pillow filled with £85 million make it any easier to sleep at night?

I wouldn't know from experience but, yep I reckon so

by **Robbie** » Jan 23rd, '10, 13:45

According to an article in the Telegraph today, the devices aren't dowsing rods as such, so we've been a teensy bit harsh on them:

The detectors, which consist of a telescopic antenna on a plastic wand, contain nothing more sophisticated than the type of anti-theft tag used to prevent shoplifting, experts said.

ATSC, the British company which sells the devices, claims they use electrostatic magnetic ion attraction to detect guns, ammunition, drugs, explosives, human bodies, and even contraband ivory at distances of up to a kilometre.

But a spokesman for the Department of Business, Innovation, and Skills said, "Tests have shown that the technology used in the ADE-651 and similar devices is not suitable for bomb detection."

So not actually dowsing rods, but not any more effective. Still an outstanding example of hypocritical fraud.

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Anyone remember those ridiculous explosives dowsing rods?

Anyone remember those ridiculous explosives dowsing rods?

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