# The Hutchison Effect **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565 "2000-11-24T19:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bcullman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bcullman/32/8207_2.png) [@bcullman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcullman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/1 "2000-11-24T19:48:04Z")
I was watching something on TLC about “Strange Science” and they had a story on a man name Hutchison from Canada, who, in the late 70’s, bought a whole bunch of surplus electronic Navy equipment, set it all up in his apartment, turned it all of and started experimenting. Some of the things he observed were: [li]Levetation of objects, including heavy ones[/li][li]Metal sheering apart[/li][li]Metal combining with wood[/li][li]A 2 inch thick steel beam turned brittle on one end, while the other end was unaffected.[/li][li]Small fires appearing simutaneously (a few on concrete where nothing was seemingly available to burn[/li] All of this pheonomenon are grouped together into what is know referred to as “The Hutchison Effect”. Much of this was captured on film, and shown on this televison program. Other facts: Hutchison is not a trained scientist, he is a big fan of Tesla, and much of what he discovered seems to be related to emf. From what I have read, many of these things he saw are similar to what people in haunted houses see. Others have said that these effects are the same that were observed in the “Phillidelphia Experiment”. Has there been any other discoveries in the field? ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/2 "2000-11-24T20:14:19Z")
Never heard of the Hutchison Effect, but you may be interested to know that Cecil did cover the Philadelphia Experiment ([Did the U.S. Navy teleport ships in the Philadelphia Experiment?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_293.html)) in a column a while back. Conclusion: bunkum. [This page](http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Thinktank/8863/HEffect1.html), on John Hutchinson’s web site, gives a brief rundown on the effect. Given that part of this explanation is “some temporary changes in the crystalline structure and physical properties of metals are somewhat reminiscent of the ‘spoon bending’ of Uri Geller,” I tend to be skeptical of the entire thing. ---
**Author:** ![bcullman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bcullman/32/8207_2.png) [@bcullman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcullman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/3 "2000-11-24T22:48:25Z")
I would like to point out that the program had a few minutes of actual footage of all these events. Unfortunately, I’m having problems finding this video on the web. At any rate, although there are a few souces out there willing to debunk the philidelpia experiment, no one has gone out on a limb and debunked this Hutchison effect video. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/4 "2000-11-24T23:17:53Z")
Combining metal & wood is no trick. It’s called “electroplating”, & jewlers do it all the time, though not with wood. Stiil, no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/5 "2000-11-24T23:32:42Z")
Bc…, do not forget that TLC is not an institution of hihgher learning. And they do not claim to be. They are in the business of selling commercials and compete by trying to attract your attention. I am not saying that all their programs are lies, but I would not start a new branch of science trying to study or to prove or to disprove anything I saw on TV. So, my advice: if you are interested in anything you saw, try to read about it in academic peer review journals or at least in Scientific American. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/6 "2000-11-24T23:37:47Z")
Has anyone ever been able to duplicate this “Hutchison” effect? Aside from what it’s original observation by Mr. Hutchison, has it ever been studied or observed? After reading the webpage of Mark A. Solis, I’m very skeptical. What’s Mr. Solis’s background? Does he have any experience to give the explainations he does? How does he know that his explainations are right? It sounds very similar to the claims of people who promote perpetual motion machines and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/7 "2000-11-25T02:14:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Combining metal & wood is no trick. > > It’s called “electroplating”, & jewlers do it all the time, though not with wood. Stiil, no big deal. \*\* Care to explain how you electroplate something that is non-conductive? As for the OP, If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/8 "2000-11-25T15:19:47Z")
Shiva, “electroplating” refers to covering non-conductors with metals. Exclusively. If you want to know “how”, use a search engine. But if you believe in something, God or “Hutcinson effect”, persuaion would not work. ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/9 "2000-11-25T19:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peace \* > \*\*Shiva, “electroplating” refers to covering non-conductors with metals. Exclusively. If you want to know “how”, use a search engine. > But if you believe in something, God or “Hutcinson effect”, persuaion would not work. \*\* The only thing worse than ignorance is arrogant ignorance, **peace**. Because I didn’t want to _think_ I knew what I was talking about, I actually used a search engine. Maybe next time you can take your own advice. From [How things work - Electroplating](http://www.iao.com/howthing/eleplat.htm): > [@](#): > > Electroplating is the process of producing a metallic coating on a surface by electrodeposition - i.e., by the action of an electric current. Such coatings may perform a mainly protective function, to prevent corrosion of the metal on which they are deposited: e.g., plating with zinc (electrogalvanizing) or with tin; or a decorative function: e.g., gold and silver plating; or both functions: e.g. chromium plating. The principle of electroplating is that the coating metal is deposited from an electrolyte - an aqueous acid or alkaline solution - on to the base: i.e., the metal to be coated. The latter forms the cathode (negative electrode). Care to explain how a metal can be coated if “electroplating” refers to coating of non-conductors, “exclusively”? From [the Encyclopedia Brittanica](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,32903+1+32342,00.html?query=electroplating) > [@](#): > > [electroplating is the] process of coating with metal by means of an electric current. Plating metal may be transferred to conductive surfaces (metals) or to nonconductive surfaces (plastics, wood, leather) after the latter have been rendered conductive by such processes as coating with graphite, conductive lacquer, electroless plate, or a vaporized coating. I recommend Cool-Whip[sup]TM[/sup] with your humble pie. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/10 "2000-11-25T19:50:46Z")
And here I was getting ready to get a bid on chrome plating the tree out front. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/11 "2000-11-25T21:56:55Z")
Guilty as charged, Doug. I knew all that. Somehow, in my mind, I (incorrectly) separated everything directly related to metal coating, like galvanizing, gold or chrome-covering from electroplating plastics or “bronzing” baby shoes. So, it makes me arrogantly ignorant, as opposed to Shiva who is plain ignorant as far as “Hutchison effect?” But she also sounded so sure that electroplating anything “non-conductive” is impossible. She was correct, in a way, too… I was so jealous of Beatle’s week-end tree plating project, that I have decided to cover my mouse with gold. Then I decided against it: who knows, perhaps electroconductivity will cause it to levitate or exhibit other Hutchison stuff… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/12 "2000-11-25T22:15:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > **Has anyone ever been able to duplicate this “Hutchison” effect? Aside from what it’s original observation by Mr. Hutchison, has it ever been studied or observed?** It has never been duplicated by anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/13 "2000-11-25T22:43:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > It has never been duplicated by anyone else. As far as you know. And of course, before you can duplicate it, you have to demonstrate that the “effect” actually occurs. I think I remember seeing a program on this subject with lots of claims and only brief clips of the supposed levitation. The alleged levitation was not objects hovering. It consisted of a box containing objects which appeared to fall **up** and out of frame. Nothing outside of the box was filmed. It looked a lot like what you get if you film something upside-down. I was not convinced. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by peace_ > Bc…, do not forget that TLC is not an institution of hihgher learning. And they do not claim to be. They are in the business of selling commercials and compete by trying to attract your attention. I am not saying that all their programs are lies, but I would not start a new branch of science trying to study or to prove or to disprove anything I saw on TV. > > So, my advice: if you are interested in anything you saw, try to read about it in academic peer review journals or at least in Scientific American. I second that. ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/14 "2000-11-26T08:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peace \* > **So, it makes me arrogantly ignorant, as opposed to Shiva who is plain ignorant as far as "Hutchison effect?"** Yes, but you have mended your ways by owning up to your mistake. 🙂 Seriously, props to you, **peace** for your humility. Sorry I went off on you, I was feeling a bit _saucy_. But back on topic, is Hutchison the weirdo who claims his levitating thingo went off into space because he couldn’t contain it in his workshop? I love that - “I’d have the evidence but it went into space it worked so well.” ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/15 "2000-11-26T16:06:42Z")
Yes. I think that he is either a calculating charlatan, selling whatever sells. Or he is a blissful idealist who genuinly believes in his stuff and gladly takes any perceived effect as iron-clad prove. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/16 "2000-11-26T16:16:57Z")
I stand by my original reply. One cannot electroplate a non-conductor. One can coat a non-conductor with a conductive material then plate the whole mess ala baby shoes, but it’s the conductor that’s being plated not the shoes. **peace** , I’m male. Don’t assume. Also, I’m not ignorant as the the so-called Hutchison effect. I saw the documentary. It’s fake. period. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hutchison-effect/42565/17 "2000-11-26T21:33:59Z")
OK, Shiva, no hard feelings. We all make mistakes.