On Monday night, CBS Evening News covered the arrest of the snake-oil salesman who was selling what he claimed are bomb-sniffing dowsing rods, but are in reality (gasp!) totally useless:
Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack (retired), interviewed in the show, is an old friend and friend of the JREF; if you’ve attended a TAM then you’ve seen him MC the event. He got in a couple of excellent sound bites!
And I guess I should be fair. The magic wands aren’t totally useless. They’re perfect for getting people blown up and killed. I’m sure the terrorists love them.
Related posts :
A double military victory!
When antiscience kills: dowsing edition
Hal Bidlack: Colorado’s next Congressman (and yeah, that didn’t work out as well as planned, but it’s worth reading for things Hal has said and done.)
January 25th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Somehow, in all the coverage of this, I didn’t hear about the whole “shuffling feet to generate static electricity” instructions. I get the image of the inventor and his associates getting drunk while writing up how to use the product.
“Let’s have them do jumping jacks!”
“No, too obvious. How about hop on one foot?”
“{stifled laughter} I’ve got it guys. Shuffle their feet in place.”
“Yeah. We can tell them it generates static electricity or something.”
“I wonder if anyone’s really gonna be dumb enough to buy all this.”
January 25th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
According to James Randi, those things were basically empty on the inside….
…Except, I think, some ants in glue. (I think I heard that right…I think.)
But, yeah, science has a buggy on another planet running for 6 years when it was meant to be a 90-day mission. Scientists are planning out better bomb detectors using microchips that are even more sensitive than bomb-sniffing dogs.
The best that pseudo-science can produce is….a pimped-out dowsing rod?
Skeptics have truly won this round. Plenty more to go, though. Let’s keep on working.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Wow! Was that…journalism…on the news?
January 25th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
This stuff infuriates me. How could anyone believe this would work? I watched a National Geographic special on lost gold, and they spent about 1/4 of the show following some rednecks in the woods using dowsing rods to look for gold. Guess how much they found. Just recently, on Discovery’s new show with Olly Steeds, that fool actually agreed that a guy he was talking to could use dowsing rods to find water (I have other beefs with Olly, but that was when I changed the channel).
And now governments have actually been using these as bomb detectors in areas plagued with terrorists? It’s almost like they know they’re worthless and just want to give a false sense of security.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
$85 million?!
I am speechless.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Next use for the device: virus detectors.
“Want to know if you got the latest viral disease but don’t trust doctors? Does paying Big Pharma big bucks seem like a waste? Want a ‘green’ way of diagnosing yourself? For only 10 small payments of $19.99 you can get the Viral Detectorator. Now, reliably diagnose any member of your household.
“As a bonus, you get Dr. Eddie’s All Natural Homeopathic Detoxinator and Anti-Virus spray. Just spray, spray, spray into your food or water to detox your body and eliminate the nastiest of germs. Don’t give your money to Big Pharma, send it to someone you trust.”
Coming to a late-night infomercial near you. Beware, beware. Take care and beware.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
2. Bahdum (aka Richard) Says:
According to James Randi, those things were basically empty on the inside….
…Except, I think, some ants in glue. (I think I heard that right…I think.)
Actually, epoxy…
Hmmm… maybe they should get rid of the ‘detectors’ and just rub their feet in the hopes that the static electricity will set the bomb off. Not too good for the person at the checkpoint, though.
J/P=?
January 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Wow! Was that…journalism…on the news?
Is does accidently occur now and again. It’s rare.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:07 am
I don’t understand. Wouldn’t you test something like this before you spent that much money? And I mean double blind testing.
There are other people getting paid off here. Have to be.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Someone (or government) who is perfectly happy to believe in invisible sky fairies isn’t goingto need to waste time with tests and evidence
January 26th, 2010 at 1:55 am
They did test it apparently, but it wasn’t the blinded sort and was more of a guided demonstration. It’s not unusual for people to be unfamiliar with the difference, sadly, and never think to do it.
Like say, here:
http://podblack.com/2009/12/richard-saunders-vs-the-power-bracelet-on-today-tonight/
January 26th, 2010 at 2:11 am
Those things look pretty stupid, but if they had flashing lights…
January 26th, 2010 at 2:54 am
the people responisble have just been arrested for fruad, but with a few million in the bank don’t think they will be to upset.
January 26th, 2010 at 3:04 am
For only 10 small payments of $19.99 you can get the Viral Detectorator…
For only 10 small payments of $1,800.00 each, you mean…
January 26th, 2010 at 3:16 am
From the figures I heard a few days ago, ATSC were selling the useless piece of junk for around $16,000 each. But the Iraqis were buying them from $40,000 – $60,000. Plenty of room for some palms to be greased there. And everyone involved wins… except the poor people who got blown up.
January 26th, 2010 at 4:33 am
@Levi in NY: Only if you equate “watching BBC Newsnight” with “journalism”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8471187.stm
January 26th, 2010 at 4:44 am
I wonder how many of those $millions wound up back in the pocket of the General…
January 26th, 2010 at 6:06 am
That, and they have to go “PING!”
January 26th, 2010 at 6:34 am
I have what I think is an interesting question for us sceptics.
Granted that the devices are fraudulent, but what if the number of bombs (and people getting killed from them) was actually down when they were being used?
Do we – as sceptics – have a moral imperative to point out the fraud? Or do we “dummy up” and the let the bombers think they work?
January 26th, 2010 at 6:45 am
Well, there may well be a placebo effect: if bombers can be persuaded that the devices can detect bombs, however poorly, then they may decide to leave their bombs further away from the devices.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:48 am
@Philip from Australia:
The problem with testing a dowsing device is that if it’s not double blind, your natural inclination to want to detect something will make you unconciously detect the object.
With double blind, people rationalize the results.
So, no it wouldn’t have mattered likely either way.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:48 am
You just praised CBS for exposing anti-science, but on the page where the clip was there was another link to a “chuppacabra” siting (at the time I went to the site), showing yet another dead animal (as such a large number of these sitings are) with no hair due to sarcoptic mange. Though the report did have an expert saying that it was exactly that, CBS still spun the story to give the impression that it was a real monster.
I think you should follow up your praising story with a post shaming CBS for producing this clip thereby promoting anti-science.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Ray @ 15
That would be the placebo effect, as it applies to bomb smuggling
It’s the same with something like homeopathy. Even if homeopathy appears to be working (placebo effect), it’s not actually doing anything useful, and the time/money could be better spent on real medicine. Basically, you’re asking: “What’s the harm?”. Well, this is the harm:
http://whatstheharm.net/
Speaking of which, they could probably use a new entry under Pseudo-Science/Dowsing there. $85M wasted and innocent people blown up due to pseudo science is one whole sh#tload of harm!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:10 am
I’m sure they only double blind tested the beta version, you have to buy the upgrade for them to work properly
January 26th, 2010 at 7:40 am
Does that thing get 98.3 FM?
….Osama, sir, this way is safe, the metal rod says so….(kaboom)…..and the Americans rejoice.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Good lord! No batteries? Static electricity? How do you even know if you’ve created enough electricity? What if the the air is too humid for that? They sold an electronic device (that’s what it is without a closer inspection) that does not run on electricity! Brilliant bastards! I hope they rot in jail those mothe<censored>!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:51 am
85 million? Wow… speechless. Someone is laughing to the bank. At least there is now some justice being served.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:48 am
I wonder if any of these props can be faulted with any of the bombings in Iraq. Oh and did I mention they were bastards?
January 26th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Newsflash! Bombers are not ignorant dolts. The first time a bomb was missed, the fraud was figured out.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Keep up the good fight. The more often we expose these frauds, the more people will hear and be influenced,,,hopefully in the right direction.
MAybe we can overcome “bad groupthink” and replace it with “good groupthink”.
The following study suggests we may be able to condition our subconscious group orientation to orient on reason. I’m holding my breath,,,
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2010-01-22-psychology-political-propoganda_N.htm?csp=Tech
I think it just depends on who makes the most noise,,,
Gary 7
January 26th, 2010 at 9:34 am
I’d like to see those responsible charged with negligent manslaughter/homicide. Perhaps that might give pause to the next bozo who thinks about doing something like this.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:35 am
I have finally come to the conclusion there is a very good evolutionary reason our species creates nerds. Our social awkwardness disassociates us from the herd groupthink, so we’re primed to look for alternative ways of doing things. We’re the only reason this species has come as far as it has.
Groupthink would have us still living in caves and complaining about the cold.
GAry
January 26th, 2010 at 9:55 am
“Granted that the devices are fraudulent, but what if the number of bombs (and people getting killed from them) was actually down when they were being used?”
$85m would pay for an awful lot of sniffer dogs and police training/equipment that would actually, you know, work.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:01 am
I also believe it’s about being proactive instead of reactive Gary. For example, one terrorist hides a bomb in a shoe and now we all have to take our shoes off at the airport. Our security measures should have been way ahead of him with body scanners, etc. and not over-reactive to the point where passengers can’t take on a bottle of water or nail clippers.
As for 9-11, the CIA knew we were at risk for such an attack, yet actions were only taken after it proved itself to be true. Same for Katrina, the levies were known to be bad by the Army Corps of Engineers years before Katrina hit, only after do they actually fix the problem. All the knowledge, but no action, complacency I suppose?
January 26th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I’m very glad this issue has finally reached the point where something is actually being done to stop it (though I was sad to hear that the devices are still being used). I cannot recall just where or when I first heard about this, but it was at least several months ago; long before Phil brought it up. I remember thinking, “Well, thank goodness this ridiculous garbage has been exposed before anyone was too dependent on it!” I wrote my Congressional representatives; I wasn’t sure what else I could do. I’d like to know if it can be shown conclusively that bombs got through because of this thing.
There must be some strong support from somewhere to have kept this — so patently obvious — fraud from being stopped as soon as it became public.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:26 am
If I were Egon Spangler I’d be suing the crap out of the guy.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Probably the magic wand inventors will next get a contract to bend a hockey stick to ‘prove’ AGW. The same kind of logic that buys magic wands on faith will also want magic hockey sticks.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:40 am
34 : JJ
Proactive assumes political leadership actually cares about solving little problems before they become big problems. LAst time I looked(about three days ago) the corps of engineers were saying the levies in New Orleans STILL aren’t up to the task assigned them. If New Orleans gets hit by a category 4 storm this year, we’ll be right back where we started five years ago. It’s about money and when you’re involved in two “righteous” wars, there isn’t a lot left to spend on a city primarily inhabited by “them little brown folk”.
I guess they’re just considered expendable.
I’m waiting for the TSA to require all passengers to board planes naked after undergoing a whole body cat scan,,,
GAry 7
January 26th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Won’t be long now till the common lexicon of a thread being Godwin’ed is replaced by ‘Climategated’. No matter what the topic is, the AGW deniers seem to find a way to leave their troll droppings.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Jim Howard = Troll, attempting to hijack the thread. Let’s all agree to ignore him, please.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
True, money seems to dictate everything in politics. My town is still waiting for those Federal stimulus dollars to finish a major bridge repair, been closed for almost 2 years, shovel ready. Washington does a good job providing a lot of talk with either no actions, half-assed actions, or actions irrelevant to solving a problem (assuming the problem wasn’t created in order to push an agenda).
January 26th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
#26. ND Said:
“Good lord! No batteries? Static electricity? How do you even know if you’ve created enough electricity? What if the the air is too humid for that?”
Remember that they say both that:
1-It’s powered by static electricity
2-The device can work underwater.
So technically it will never be too humid for it to get its static electricity. Now I would like to read about the physics behind THAT.
January 26th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
peptron,
physics?! we don’t need no stinkin’ physics!
January 26th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
@42: peptron said:
“So technically it will never be too humid for it to get its static electricity. Now I would like to read about the physics behind THAT.”
*conspiracy mode*
Well it’s not _normal_ electricity of course – it’s chi infused magical “plasma” electricity. So there you go. There is no problem with physics.
And they don’t teach about it at MIT because the government secretly uses it to control our thoughts. At least Jim McCormick was using it for good instead of evil. In fact, that’s the real reason he was arrested. He threatened to expose the conspiracy.
*end conspiracy mode*
Wow this stuff is easy to make up.
January 26th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
While I’m happy to see McCormack get the PR he deserves, I don’t think that piece was very good journalism. It doesn’t state at all how the device is supposed to work, merely that it doesn’t. There are no demonstrations, no statistics, and no technical experts – just an officer’s opinion given in the form of goofy analogies. Lots of things work without electricity, so the believers in all things alt will just chalk this up to those cynical skeptics who don’t believe in anything! It’s not enough for a talking head to say they’re useless, it has to be clearly demonstrated.
One could easily take essentially the same footage they chose (minus the “it’s useless” guy) and spin a story about how well the devices are working. “Here we have a soldier, easily generating the device’s power needs with static electricity by simply marching in place, getting a strong all-clear signal from the passing cars. The device is whole-heartedly backed the Iraqi government, where the device is in widespread daily use. Thousands of lives have been saved by the BS-9000!”
January 26th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
It’s probably as effective statistically as the mostly pointless ritual we enjoy at TSA security screenings.
January 26th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
@45 Michael Swanson (and everyone else really). The BBC video linked in post 16 does a better job of explaining how it can’t possibly work. It has someone actually opening one up to show that there’s nothing inside, and then they cut up one the the “programming cards” to show that the only thing inside them is a bit of aluminium like in a shop’s anti-theft tags.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Y’know, much as I dislike quoting Richard Littlejohn – you really *couldn’t* make it up.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Has anyone else noticed that the antenna on the thing looks like every transistor radio/boom box that we had growing up? Wouldn’t that have been a *clue*?
January 26th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Department of magical thinking
July 27th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
@BJN:
True dat. If we wanted good security, why not just have trained security interviewers like the Israelis do? I have to imagine that having a CIA field agent watching the line and interviewing suspicious people would go a lot farther than having old ladies remove their shoes and having me lug my laptop out of my bag every time I put it through the scanner. (Also, did you realize that in some countries they tell you NOT to take the laptop out of the bag? Talk about the hokey pokey.)