The dangers of dowsing illustrated in Iraq

Iraqi security forces are convinced that a fancy-looking dowsing rod can detect bombs, despite American forces explaining that their magic wand is just an ordinary antenna and that their just victims of the ideomotor effect:

Despite major bombings that have rattled the nation, and fears of rising violence as American troops withdraw, Iraq’s security forces have been relying on a device to detect bombs and weapons that the United States military and technical experts say is useless.

The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works “on the same principle as a Ouija board” — the power of suggestion — said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod.

Hal Bidlack is a well-known member of the skeptical community. Unfortunately, the Iraqi officials are not convinced:

Still, the Iraqi government has purchased more than 1,500 of the devices, known as the ADE 651, at costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Nearly every police checkpoint, and many Iraqi military checkpoints, have one of the devices, which are now normally used in place of physical inspections of vehicles.

It doesn’t seem to bother them at all that these dowsing rods have already proven to be a complete failure at detecting bombs:

The suicide bombers who managed to get two tons of explosives into downtown Baghdad on Oct. 25, killing 155 people and destroying three ministries, had to pass at least one checkpoint where the ADE 651 is typically deployed, judging from surveillance videos released by Baghdad’s provincial governor. The American military does not use the devices. “I don’t believe there’s a magic wand that can detect explosives,” said Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr., who oversees Iraqi police training for the American military. “If there was, we would all be using it. I have no confidence that these work.”

The Iraqis, however, believe passionately in them. “Whether it’s magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,” said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate for Combating Explosives.

Yeah Major, you care so much about detecting bombs that you’ll happily keep using a bomb-detecting device that you now know doesn’t really work to detect bombs. Genius! Fuckin’ genius!

“I don’t care about Sandia or the Department of Justice or any of them,” General Jabiri said. “I know more about this issue than the Americans do. In fact, I know more about bombs than anyone in the world.”

Didn’t Oedipus say the same thing before leading Thebes to ruin? Don’t be so proud of this technological wonder you’ve purchased; it’s insignificant compared to the power of science:

Dale Murray, head of the National Explosive Engineering Sciences Security Center at Sandia Labs, which does testing for the Department of Defense, said the center had “tested several devices in this category, and none have ever performed better than random chance.”

. . .

During an interview on Tuesday, General Jabiri challenged a Times reporter to test the ADE 651, placing a grenade and a machine pistol in plain view in his office. Despite two attempts, the wand did not detect the weapons when used by the reporter but did so each time it was used by a policeman.

“You need more training,” the general said.

Iraqi people, send letters to your government to have Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri test these devices out personally while walking through a mine field. the safety and security of your nation may depend on it.

News From Around The Blogosphere 10.26.09

1. Walt Disney refunds parents for not making their kids geniuses – Disney is refunding parents for all those “Baby Einstein” videos. Come to think of it, my niece watched them. I wasn’t aware that these videos promised to make kids smart anymore than I was aware Baby Van Gogh promised to turn kids into great artists.

2. The zombie apocalypse has been prevented. . .for now – An Iowa man accused another man of being a zombie, and then punched him…twice. I can only imagine this was because he was following Rule #4, which calls for a “double tap”:

3. Felicia Day does a NASA PSA – Felicia Day, best known for her role in Joss Whedon’s hit internet musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and less known for her starring role in the never-aired episode of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse (and possibly the show’s best episode), has now she’s managed to somehow up her geek cred even more:

4. Inland Empire Atheists take their ads into the coffee shops -

News From Around The Blogosphere 10.14.09

1. Actimel yogurt commercial banned – The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK banned the commercial for false advertising. They claimed the product supported children’s natural defenses against disease. . .which it doesn’t!

2. Monkeys recognize realistic vs. unrealistic depictions of themselves -

Monkeys are freaked out by almost-but-not-quite-real depictions of themselves. That tendency is well documented in humans, but has never before been seen in another species.

To test their preference, researchers showed macaque monkeys real pictures, digital caricatures and realistic reconstructions of other monkey faces. To the latter, the macaques repeatedly averted their eyes.

3. Chimpanzees Help On Request But Not Voluntarily -

The evolution of altruism has long puzzled researchers and has mainly been explained previously from ultimate perspectives—”I will help you now because I expect there to be some long-term benefit to me”. However, a new study by researchers at the Primate Research Institute (PRI) and the Wildlife Research Center (WRC) of Kyoto University shows that chimpanzees altruistically help conspecifics, even in the absence of direct personal gain or immediate reciprocation, although the chimpanzees were much more likely to help each other upon request than voluntarily.

4. Simon Singh updates us on his legal battle with the British Chiropractic Association:

News From Around The Blogosphere 10.13.09

1. James Arthur Ray’s ‘Secret’ turns out to be death -

CRIMINAL charges are possible against The Secret author James Arthur Ray after two people died in a “sweat lodge” that was meant to provide spiritual cleansing for the 64 people crowded inside.

Now you know why it’s a secret.

2. Mormon says LDS is treated like blacks in the civil rights era – Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Moron–err, I mean Mormon Church compared anti-Mormon sentiment after their role in Prop 8 to blacks in the civil rights era. . .without irony.

3. Secular Student Alliance (SSA) needs help to raise $50,000 -

An SSA member/donor named Todd Stiefel has presented us with a challenge:

Any amount we raise — up to $50,000 — by December 21^st, he will match dollar-for-dollar.

4. I iz sertifide hypnotherapist -

The regulation of hypnotherapists in the UK is so lax that even a cat can become accredited, the BBC has found.

Chris Jackson, presenter of Inside Out in the North East and Cumbria, registered pet George with three industry bodies. Each one accepted a certificate from the non-existent Society of Certified Advanced Mind Therapists as proof of George’s credentials... In the UK, George was registered with the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming (BBNLP), the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists (UFH) and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association (PHPA).

Suck it, hypnotoad!

Have trouble laughing your ass off? Try Quantum Jumping

Thanks to Skepchick for pointing me in the direction of this hilarious website trying to sell people on “Quantum Jumping.” This is another in a long line of pseudoscientific nonsense being sold to the public with misappropriations of the word “quantum” and that promise miracles:

Do You Wake Up Every Morning Feeling 100% Fulfilled?

Let’s not skirt the issue here. Do you wake up every morning knowing – with every fiber of your soul – that you’re enjoying the most creative life you can make for yourself?

• Do you love your work?
• Do you spend enough time with the family?
• Are you earning enough?
• Are you putting your creativity potential to full use?
• Are you as healthy as you should be?
• Are you truly happy?

99% Of People Would Say ‘No’

It’s no surprise really. We’ve all got issues in our lives that need fixing, whether they’re professional, personal or health-related.

Issues that we just can’t seem to iron out, no matter where, how or who we look too. In fact, sometimes we’ve searched so much for the answer that we begin to wonder whether it really exists anywhere in this universe!

Here’s the thing – sometimes, it doesn’t.

And that’s where my secret comes in. Why? Because this secret to leave my body and jump into other dimensions has laid both the foundations of all my personal successes, and also the successes of every single person I’ve revealed it to. If you thought Astrological signs were powerful, wait until you start jumping!

Jumping has helped me:

• Attract wealth and abundance
• Instantly boost my creativity and pick up new skills like painting, photography and singing
• Get guidance from other dimensions and always know what decision to make when faced with multiple options
• Find inspiration, wisdom and knowledge while jumping into another universe
• Helped me MANIFEST everything I DESIRE

I’m reminded of $cientology’s personality test that ensures no one can ever pass. Of course the person reading the website isn’t 100% satisfied with their life. NO ONE IS. And no matter what these hustlers claim, nothing they do will make you 100% satisfied with your life. Human beings are incapable of being 100% satisfied. Even if everything was going right with your lif,  you’re a rich, famous, powerful, have the most beautiful spouse in the world who you love, have great kids, have loads of loving friends and family, etc–you’ll still find something missing in your life. It’s just human nature. Maybe you’ll be satisfied for awhile, but eventually you’ll get bored with having everything and will crave adventure or something different. Or maybe you live an adventurous life already, so you’ll get tired of that. There’s an old (and rather crude) expression:  “Show me a beautiful woman and I’ll show you a man tired of fucking her.”

This is no better than The Secret and like with that, it relies on people’s natural capacity for self-deception. As is pointed out in the recent film, The Brothers Bloom, the perfect con is the one where “everyone gets what they want.” And if enough people try it, there’s a high statistical likelihood that enough small coincidences will occur that will reinforce the belief that this scam actually works, because if you want to believe badly enough, you’ll seek out any reason to justify that belief. The 2 psychological phenomena that come to mind are confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance.

But maybe I’m not giving this a fair shake. What is “Quantum Jumping” anyway?

What On Earth Is Quantum Jumping?

Quantum Jumping is the process of “jumping” into parallel dimensions, and gaining creativity, knowledge, wisdom and inspiration from alternate versions of yourself.

…Are you still with me? Did that sound crazy? It did to me at first – and that’s precisely why I’ve been holding on to it until the right time, a time when someone like you would be willing to open your mind to it.

And that time is now. Why? Because some of the finest minds on the planet are starting to discover powerful evidence supporting my claims. Creative and scientific geniuses like Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku and Neil Turok, all of whom are responsible for unbelievable breakthroughs in the field of quantum physics.

But just as important as the acknowledgement of experts is what I’ve seen and experienced for myself. After sharing Quantum Jumping with selected students in my seminars, I’ve seen them manifest incredible results. Stories of creativity and inspiration, stories of rags to riches, the kind of stories you’d usually only find in those feel good Hollywood blockbusters.

And now it’s time for you to have your own story – which is why I’ve compiled a sample 6-module Quantum Jumping Introduction Course, so that you, and as many people as possible can gain an understanding of this remarkable phenomenon, and change your life for the better.

Wow! That’s funny because I’ve never heard Stephen Hawking  say anything remotely like this. Nor Michio Kaku. I’d love if this website would cite exactly where these scientists discussed it. Sadly, they never do. And if this was as successful as these guys claim, why aren’t they rich and famous? Can they cite any specific examples of former students of theirs who have achieved great success who we might know of?

This Burt Goldman must be a zillionaire a thousand times over with this new science he’s pioneered. I can’t wait to see the peer-reviewed studies showing this actually works. Oh, right. There are none.

I highly recommend this Balony Detection Kit:

At long last, I agree with ‘Age of Autism’ about something

In a recent blog, the anti-vaccinationists over at Age of Autism compared Jenny McCarthy to Bill W. of Alcoholics Anonymous fame. And having seen the statistics showing the efficacy of AA, I couldn’t agree more on the comparison:

AA’s own analysis was that 50% of all those who try AA leave within 90 days, which they describe as cause for ‘concern’. Their own data shows that is actually optimistic. In the 12-year period shown, 19% remain after 30 days, 10% remain after 90 days, and 5% remain after a year.

The retention rate of AA is 5% after one year.

. . .

60% of those surveyed were getting outside professional help. This means that any success (or failure) rate, however it is defined, can’t be attributed entirely to AA.

. . .

An extensive study (Hester and Miller, Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches) shows that peer-based 12-step alcohol treatment programs do NOT have a higher success rate than no treatment at all. Facilitated 12-step treatment (trained facilitators guiding subjects through the twelve-step process) were marginally better. “The two tests of AA found it inferior to other treatments or even no treatment but were not sufficient to rank AA reliably.”

Brief, non-confrontational interventions and motivational interviewing were found most effective.

Hey, it’s not my comparison.

University Of Metaphysical Sciences?

PZ Myers posted this interesting blog about The University Of Metaphysical Sciences, a school that dishes out degrees in pseudo-scientific woo:

You might be wondering what, exactly, you would learn at a University Of Metaphysical Sciences. Well, that isn’t clear. You get to learn about Colors and Symbols, and Chakras, and how to connect with Angels (if I were younger, I’d be tempted to get a degree in that, just so I could use it as a pick-up line), and Miracles, and the Energy of Money.

How much does it cost? Tuition is a low, low $2000. It’s even cheaper than it sounds, because they assure us that most students can complete a full Ph.D. program in only a year — it’s so quick and easy, they even recommend that you get two doctoral degrees! I’m feeling slow and inadequate now…it took me five years to get just one.

What’s particularly amusing is that PZ points out the school has. . .

. . .accreditation from the American Alternative Medical Association and the American Association Of Drugless Practitioners. That really should count as just one, though: their webpages look identical, only the names, fonts and backgrounds have been changed, and they all trace back to the same small town outfit in Gilmer, Texas. They seem to be in the business of selling certificates to hang on a wall (only $285, they accept both Visa and MasterCard), so at least they seem to be UMS’s peer institutions!

Go on. Click the 2 links above in PZ’s quote. I dare you to look at the 2 sites and not reach the conclusion that they’re the same organization. That’s the worst part of this, I think. They’re not even good hucksters.

JREF’s Pigasus Awards for 2008 Announced

Every year, the James Randi Educational Foundation gives out awards for those who spread the most amount of pseudo-scientific woo over the past year. You can view the winners here.

I’m particularly pleased with the JREF’s pick for the category of, “To the Performer who fooled the greatest number of people with the least effort in that twelve-month period.” The winner was my nemesis Jenny McCarthy.

Buyer Beware the Brassage? The Naked Truth About ‘Healthy’ Underwear – ABC News

It’s so rare to see an mainstream news source doing a straight skeptical story on a quack medical product that I forgot what it looked like. But thank you ABC News for exposing this total crap! Click the link and watch the video as ABC News tears these frauds a new one.

This is so typical of pseudo-scientific charlatans. They lead potential customers to believe their product has medical benefits and that medical experts were behind making the product but they keep the benefits as vague as possible to avoid a lawsuit.

Then when you express even the slightest bit of skepticism about their claims, they dishonestly try to deflect it by playing the victim card. A classic example is this recent interview with $cientologist spokesman Tommy Davis:

But way to go ABC for sticking to your guns and nailing these assholes with their sham medical product and especially for pointing out that chiropractors ARE NOT REALLY DOCTORS!

ABC, please, please, please do more stories like this where you get interviews with actual doctors challenging the claims and really scrutinize their claims.

Update:

Best Amazon Book Review of “The Secret” EVER!

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid ever hearing of this piece of shit book, here’s everything you need to know about it right here. Now onto this one review of it on Amazon:

The Secret saved my life!,

December 4, 2007

By	Ari Brouillette

Please allow me to share with you how “The Secret” changed my life and in a very real and substantive way allowed me to overcome a severe crisis in my personal life. It is well known that the premise of “The Secret” is the science of attracting the things in life that you desire and need and in removing from your life those things that you don’t want. Before finding this book, I knew nothing of these principles, the process of positive visualization, and had actually engaged in reckless behaviors to the point of endangering my own life and wellbeing.
At age 36, I found myself in a medium security prison serving 3-5 years for destruction of government property and public intoxication. This was stiff punishment for drunkenly defecating in a mailbox but as the judge pointed out, this was my third conviction for the exact same crime. I obviously had an alcohol problem and a deep and intense disrespect for the postal system, but even more importantly I was ignoring the very fabric of our metaphysical reality and inviting destructive influences into my life.
My fourth day in prison was the first day that I was allowed in general population and while in the recreation yard I was approached by a prisoner named Marcus who calmly informed me that as a new prisoner I had been purchased by him for three packs of Winston cigarettes and 8 ounces of Pruno (prison wine). Marcus elaborated further that I could expect to be raped by him on a daily basis and that I had pretty eyes.
Needless to say, I was deeply shocked that my life had sunk to this level. Although I’ve never been homophobic I was discovering that I was very rape phobic and dismayed by my overall personal street value of roughly $15. I returned to my cell and sat very quietly, searching myself for answers on how I could improve my life and distance myself from harmful outside influences. At that point, in what I consider to be a miraculous moment, my cell mate Jim Norton informed me that he knew about the Marcus situation and that he had something that could solve my problems. He handed me a copy of “The Secret”. Normally I wouldn’t have turned to a self help book to resolve such a severe and immediate threat but I literally didn’t have any other available alternatives. I immediately opened the book and began to read.
The first few chapters deal with the essence of something called the “Law of Attraction” in which a primal universal force is available to us and can be harnessed for the betterment of our lives. The theoretical nature of the first few chapters wasn’t exactly putting me at peace. In fact, I had never meditated and had great difficulty with closing out the chaotic noises of the prison and visualizing the positive changes that I so dearly needed. It was when I reached Chapter 6 “The Secret to Relationships” that I realized how this book could help me distance myself from Marcus and his negative intentions. Starting with chapter six there was a cavity carved into the book and in that cavity was a prison shiv. This particular shiv was a toothbrush with a handle that had been repeatedly melted and ground into a razor sharp point.
The next day in the exercise yard I carried “The Secret” with me and when Marcus approached me I opened the book and stabbed him in the neck. The next eight weeks in solitary confinement provided ample time to practice positive visualization and the 16 hours per day of absolute darkness made visualization about the only thing that I actually could do. I’m not sure that everybody’s life will be changed in such a dramatic way by this book but I’m very thankful to have found it and will continue to recommend it heartily.

Ari, you made my day. Thank you for that.