Quicksand Fans

My father actually cut down a green y-shaped branch and tried his hand at dowsing for water twice when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I didn't have any faith in it, but it seemed to show the same spot twice. I thought this was silly, since he could see we were at the same spot as last time, and thought he should try again, blindfolded, in order to prove it was taking him and not the other way 'round.

Seems like someone could even try this solo, even if it wouldn't at all be a smart thing to do. (If they wanted to try and prove to themselves it was/wasn't fake or imagined)

Just a story or video idea up for grabs.

The following does not involve quicksand but it is a true story:

About 20 years ago, a colleague of mine (a full professor who should have known better) spent about 200.00 to purchase a "golf ball finder." It was a sort of hand grip device with a wire that projected forward and could pivot from side to side. It supposedly had some sort of secret "chip" embedded in it that made it seek golfballs. {The same marketing company was exposed on national TV, eventually. I think it was '60 minutes.') Anyway, he was convinced it worked and claimed to have tested it for himself. We borrowed it and did a proper, double-blind experiment. We set up a classroom with 10 inverted paper cups. we had one person place golf balls under two of the cups, had that person leave and then had another person use the device to try to find the golf balls. After about 30 tries, the golf ball was found approximately 6 times, which is exactly what is predicted by simple random chance.

I suppose this experiment could be the theme for a series of scenes in which each actress is a subject in an experiment, but it might be funnier if it turns out that the chip actually works except it only finds mud and not water.

YerK wrote:My father actually cut down a green y-shaped branch and tried his hand at dowsing for water twice when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I didn't have any faith in it, but it seemed to show the same spot twice. I thought this was silly, since he could see we were at the same spot as last time, and thought he should try again, blindfolded, in order to prove it was taking him and not the other way 'round.

Seems like someone could even try this solo, even if it wouldn't at all be a smart thing to do. (If they wanted to try and prove to themselves it was/wasn't fake or imagined)

Just a story or video idea up for grabs.

Dowsing can work but it depends on the ability of the "Dowser." I have tried under the supervision of an experienced man & got absolutely no response but he had already found a hidden water pipe so we knew there should have been a "signal." Some of us just aint got it !!!

joedeep130535 wrote:Dowsing can work but it depends on the ability of the "Dowser." I have tried under the supervision of an experienced man & got absolutely no response but he had already found a hidden water pipe so we knew there should have been a "signal." Some of us just aint got it !!!

Or maybe it just does not really work.

@ Fred 888 To some extent it is a matter of belief but I have seen sufficient, positive , results to make me believe that a "receptive " person can get results from dowsing. I suspect it is due to sensitivity to some sort of electrical field--metal detectors work we know-- & I am very insensitive to electrical stimuli.I can handle working,electric fences without any trouble which may explain why I cannot" dowse" but I accept that others can

joedeep130535 wrote:@ Fred 888 To some extent it is a matter of belief but I have seen sufficient, positive , results to make me believe that a "receptive " person can get results from dowsing. I suspect it is due to sensitivity to some sort of electrical field--metal detectors work we know-- & I am very insensitive to electrical stimuli.I can handle working,electric fences without any trouble which may explain why I cannot" dowse" but I accept that others can

Only a double-blind experiment can demonstrate the truth or falsity of dowsing, but my money is on failure to demonstrate truth.

If I remember right, the stick did turn in my hands in a way I could not understand. It didn't seem like it turned in a way my muscles could cause, so that much at least seemed "magic". In the end, though, my father shelled out cash to drill two narrow wells, both of which were dry. After the second well came up dry, I asked why he didn't just drill deeper in the first hole. He asked why I didn't ask that sooner, but he sold the property before drilling again.

At one point, he happened to catch a guy out nearby with a backhoe. He asked the guy how much it would cost to just dig a hole as deep as he could go with the tractor parked. Since the guy was already just across the street, and finished with the previous job, he quoted Dad a very low price, and Dad hired him to dig a hole 10'X20'X8' (with 8' being the depth) at the end of our property that was closest to a neighbor's nice pond. Dad's hole began filling with water as soon as it was dug. If I'd been a bit older, I think Dad might have taken me up on my offer to fill the hole back in with a shovel, but as it was, he was too worried I'd fall in, and I was given pain-of-death orders to stay FAR from this hole. (which I reluctantly obeyed)