# Now I'm affected by Dowsing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287 "2012-03-30T15:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/21 "2012-03-30T19:02:59Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > That is assuming of course the concept that **that crap actually worked**. Isn’t that the purpose of the tests in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/22 "2012-03-30T19:05:35Z")
Please come back and tell us if the dowser gave the money back. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/23 "2012-03-30T20:02:40Z")
[quote=“Ravenman, post:19, topic:617287”] [Yes,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADE_651) but it seems to be the Iraq military that is really into those devices to detect explosives. [QUOTE] Do you know how many times we told them those things didn’t work? I’m not talking about the local soldiers. I mean talking to high ranking Iraqi officers. But since they hate dogs they would rather put their faith in dowsing than a bomb sniffing dog. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/24 "2012-03-30T20:39:24Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Please come back and tell us if the dowser gave the money back. Yeah, I’m afraid the only positive thing here is that you may get some grim amusement by watching the dowser backpedal and weasel out of his guarantee. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/25 "2012-03-30T21:15:07Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Isn’t that the purpose of the tests in the first place? I think that’s how the inspectors notate that the septic field is satisfactory: “Crap is working. So is piss” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/26 "2012-03-30T22:45:48Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Eh. I have exactly no experience with septic fields, but when I looked up “saturated drain field” to find out what it meant, every page I looked at indicated it involves too much water not being able to drain the way it should, for various reasons. Seems like a dowser should be able to detect the difference between a “saturated drainfield” and “no drainfield,” if what they’re looking for is water. > > That is assuming of course the concept that that crap actually worked. I guess saturation with water can be another problem. But a dowser shouldn’t be able to tell anything about what’s going on underground. Sticks are just sticks, they don’t detect water unless you poke them in the ground and they come back wet. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/27 "2012-03-30T23:44:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > In his book _Flim Flam!_ James Randi reproduces engineering instructions and a drawing fro m some (un-named) company, telling you how to construct and use a dowsing rod. I’ve heard of people getting Army training in this, too. There’s widespread and institutionalized belief in dowsing and similar hokum. Are they the same people who are trained to stare at goats? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/28 "2012-03-30T23:58:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Randi also pretty much debunked dowsing by proving they couldn’t find a series of water pipes (with water flowing in them) that he had buried. But Randi is a doubter and a doubter will screw up any kind of wild talent.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/29 "2012-03-31T00:04:48Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Then the real estate company called shenanigans. That’s Shenanigan’s Septic Service." I know that company. Their full name is “Shenanigan’s Sewage & Septic Sucking Service,” and their motto is “Satisfaction guaranteed or double your shit back.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/30 "2012-04-01T06:04:27Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I know that company. Their full name is “Shenanigan’s Sewage & Septic Sucking Service,” and their motto is “Satisfaction guaranteed or double your shit back.” I swear to God I will pistol whip the next person who says shenanigans! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/31 "2012-04-01T08:30:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If the mortgage company had accepted that fakir’s word and bollixed the deal, I would have been all over their ass with threats to go public with their methods. Your assumption that such a revelation would hurt their business is adorably naive. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/32 "2012-04-01T09:20:52Z")
I was doing soil tests at an over-65 community a few years back. One of the residents, a retired Professional Engineer had gone around with his dowsing rod to locate any water lines. :rolleyes: We hit a water line used for watering the lawn on the first hole. I forget what his excuse was. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/33 "2012-04-01T18:51:50Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Maybe I should have put this in the Pit, but I don’t like the pit. I have yet to start a Pit thread, but Lanzy, if I were you, I sure would have. Inquiring minds want to know: could a dowser hold a forked stick over a computer and be able to tell if he/she was in the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![Faruiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@Faruiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faruiza)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287/34 "2012-04-01T19:42:50Z")
That’s silly. And stupid. I just ran in here to post that whatever you do, do NOT use Hydrogen Peroxide or caustic soda to flocculate the soil if your drain field fails. It will make the problem worse in the long run and is detrimental to the environment. Also, bio agents like Rid-X and their ilk are not only unnecessary, but might mess up your tank by jacking around with the natural order of waste breakdown. This is your oddly placed public service announcement. Carry on! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-im-affected-by-dowsing/617287.md?page=1)