This $60,000 "bomb detection wand" is much-loved by Iraqi security forces. American military representatives say it's about as useful for finding IEDs as a ouija board. [New York Times]
Iraqi forces love this "magic wand" bomb detector; US thinks it's junk.
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It's a *dowsing rod*! Silly me, I thought they were supposed to detect water... but heck, why not explosives or contraband ivory too?
Signal No. 1 that the 'wand' is a scam:
"Jim Mitchell, the head of [manufacturer] ATSC, based in London, did not return calls for comment."
The ending of this story is darkly hilarious. Very darkly.
Their website speaks volumes, if it's the actual site -- came up first.
http://www.ade651.com/ade651in.html
The technology is the "proprietary application of electrostatic ion attraction"
They say they can remotely detect drugs, too. Even ivory and cash,
"Additional substance Available (possibility of encoding new substances)"
Hmmm...
Yeah. It remotely detects dynamite, heroin, and -- score! -- cash.
Like a pill that cures colds, obesity and poverty.
Pretty sweet.
(It also detects "human research." Yikes.)
Incredibly, the device claims to be able to detect all kinds of substances, even differentiating banknotes from common paper - and all without the use of any power source. Each substance is "programmed" by inserting a barcoded card into an attached box. Without power, I wonder how the thing is supposed to read the barcode???
Incredibly, the device claims to be able to detect all kinds of substances, even differentiating banknotes from common paper
That's easy. The bank notes are impregnated with cocaine.
Considering the miraculous capabilities of his device, ATSC CEO Jim Mitchell is totally missin' out on the big money in remote detection: Detecting actual remotes. Of the television sort.
To say nothing of car keys.
Iraqi forces aren't the only ones using that silly dowsing rod. The Estonian Rescue Service likes to use it as well. Even after receiving the yearly bullshit award from the Estonian Skeptic Association(similar to Randi's Pigasus), they still continue using it.
Why must common sense be so uncommon :(
We've been down this road before. Being from Houston, I laughed myself silly at the TV news reports of those guys being busted and about the sheriffs and school superintendents being suckered by the Quadro-Tracker.
Ade651.com is owned and administered by ENOM, Inc. (Om Nom Nom), of Bellevue, Washington. They seem to have at least one unhappy">http://www.ripoffreport.com/Internet-Services/ENOM-INC-0001183199/enom-inc-0001183199-ripoff-d-a7md7.htm">unhappy customer.
Om Nom Yoho Renge Kyo
It's like my magic rock that protects me from tiger attacks.
"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."
So a trained operator can find things out in the open with this device. It would be funny if lives weren't at stake.
Jeez, I bet the golf ball finder charlatans are pissed off they missed this boat. http://www.mnglobal.com/
They only charge $29.95 US for their magic dingus.
I especially love the part in this kludgey old ball finder site about "don't ask us to reveal our scientific principles".
Should say don't look behind the curtain, just for old times sake.
Will it increase the beta waves in my $400,000 home stereo system? This Black Ivory volume knob isn't doing the trick.
My current six month stint of unemployment is forcing me to think about options normally out of scope. 16K gross for such a device that could probably be knocked off for under five dollars seems like a winner. My first product launch: spectacles to stare at goats.
My first though when I saw this headline was "is it made by Hitachi?"
There is no one alive left to say that it didn't work, so it must work all the time.
If they stopped hating on dogs they might have some real bomb detectors. Dogs are smart and effective bomb sniffers, not filthy beasts to be despised, despite what your average Mesopotamian thinks.
Yeah the end of that article is hilarious in a disturbing kind of way.
I agree that the device is bullshit but that doesn't mean it has no effect- the question is whether or not would-be bombers believe this thing could catch them trying to get through a checkpoint.
Of course 60 Gs is a lot to drop on a possible deterrent based on fictional technology.
Simple way to see if this thing is real or not. Program it to detect bullshit. If it detects its self, it's BS. If it doesn't it's BS.
Did you notice on the website where they listed the range?
On land: 650 meters
Under water: 100 feet
From an Airplane: +3 Miles
No wonder they cost $60,000 each.
Thank goodness Iraq now has a responsible government!
Couldn't this be settled with a simple empirical test?
Take a lot with 10 cars. Place an explosive in one. See if the "magic wand" can find it. Rinse, repeat while it keeps a track record of 1 in 10 correct answers: same as just guessing.
That test only works if the participants agree to double-blind conditions. Most people who believe in dowsing either don't know what a "double blind" test is or don't understand why it's so important to determining the efficacy of things like this.
If any "would-be bombers" were GOING to be deterred by the belief that this device would catch them, the release of this NY Times article just took that possibility away!