(How) Do divining rods work?

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apoe

Member
Feb 3, 2014
28
0
0
I think some people in this thread still believe the Earth is flat.

Expected less stupid on a tech enthusiast site.

Either that, or very elaborate troll, 10/10.
 
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DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,606
166
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Divining rods DO work. For years, I have used a couple of pieces of bent wire coat hanger to find underground pipes and conduits. Many times, I have found buried services which have not been located by sophisticated equipment or have been wrongly indicated on drawings. It does not seem to matter what the pipe material or content is. It does not seem to matter if I am wearing rubber-soled shoes or other footware with electrical insulating properties. It does not seem to matter if a trench was dug and, after consideration, the pipe was laid elsewhere and the trench was backfilled. It does not matter if the work was completed fifty years ago. My theory is that the dessicated material at the surface of the earth has, by natural process, been laid in a general orientation with the magnetic poles. In addition, the atmosphere is mainly composed of ionized gases. The dessicated materials, sea water and other surface materials are mostly ionized compounds and, as such, are like little magnets. So, you could illustrate this phenomonum by drawing lines parallel to longitudinal lines on the earth's surface. The lines will deviate from the parallel, due to the deviation of the earth's magnetic field, as shown on marine charts. The ionized compounds in the atmosphere, adjacent to the ground will orient themselves roughly parallel to the lines of longitude. If you then dig a trench, you will disturb this natural rythm and cause an electromagnetic potential, in the soil, from one side of the trench to the other. In reaction, the immediately adjacent atmospheric compounds must reorient themselves to align with this anomaly. The human body is polarized. There are quite strong differences in polarity between one side and the other. When you walk across a disturbance while holding a bent rod in each hand, the abrupt interaction between your polarity and the disturbed properties of the air and soil adjacent to the backfilled trench causes the rods to turn. Ususlly the rods consistently turn towards each other but, in some cases, consistently turn away from each other. I am a retired Professional Engineer and I would have no hesitation in demonstrating the effectiveness of this technique to any of the sceptics. So, while I know it does not work for some, it will for most. Initially, when I witnessed someone using this technique, I was derisive. I soon became a convert. Since then, I have chosen unknown areas, worn blind folds, avoided indications which could initiate preconception and tested the system time and again so that now I can say without any hesitation: Divining rods DO work.

Look, 100's of people have made the exact same claim you're making. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM who had their ability tested were found to have zero ability.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
67,344
12,100
126
www.anyf.ca
Best way to test is to get someone to locate all your stuff using the rods. Then call for an actual cable locate, see if they mark the same spots.

Now if the guy doing the locate shows up with divining rods... doh!
 

DBent

Junior Member
Feb 17, 2014
3
0
0
The other day at work, we needed to find several buried empty 4 inch PCV conduits which go between several of our buildings on our complex.

One of the structural engineers who was assigned to the project had these 2 L shaped rods which he called divining rods. he held them loosely in each hand, and then would walk a straight line, and when he walked over top of this empty conduit they would turn and straighten pointing opposite parallel directions showing the lay of these underground conduits.

He reliably located several underground gas lines, water lines, sewage pipes, and the empty counduits we were looking for, and i know he wasnt cheating, because, this guy was only ever here a few times before... no blueprints, no outside knowledge, some of these things were installed 15 years ago.

it ovbiously worked, as we found that where he marked the location, he was within inches of the spot.

Looking it up on the internet, all i can find is a bunch of spiritual mumbo jumbo... it isnt magnetism, as PVC isnt magnetic. How are these rods able to locate such underground features so reliably.

I know they work, I've used this method to find buried communication cables on the airport, water pipe plastic or iron or a penny all it takes is patience and concentration (while walking) not to grip the rods , (wire, brass welding rod whatever you happen to be using) too tight as that inhibits them from freely turning in your hands. Keeping them parallel to the ground and your hands 90 degrees from the ground (straight up) prevents turning bias. You can find conduit runs in a concrete floor or in the ceiling . I started using this method in 1967 . Try it it comes in handy when you don't have the $1,000.00 cable finder , besides there is no battery's to buy. DBent
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
I know they work, I've used this method to find buried communication cables on the airport, water pipe plastic or iron or a penny all it takes is patience and concentration (while walking) not to grip the rods , (wire, brass welding rod whatever you happen to be using) too tight as that inhibits them from freely turning in your hands. Keeping them parallel to the ground and your hands 90 degrees from the ground (straight up) prevents turning bias. You can find conduit runs in a concrete floor or in the ceiling . I started using this method in 1967 . Try it it comes in handy when you don't have the $1,000.00 cable finder , besides there is no battery's to buy. DBent

There's a million dollars waiting for you if you're right.
 

Zeldak

Member
Nov 6, 2005
49
0
0
It's simply hard to explain the inexplicable. Glad you found the stuff you needed to find.
 

Zeldak

Member
Nov 6, 2005
49
0
0
A local prospecting store sells these things alongside legitimate prospecting equipment. I can't help but think that if they worked REALLY well, the shop owners wouldn't have to mess around running a small shop. Wouldn't they just take their sticks and go find the motherlode?
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,599
19
81
A local prospecting store sells these things alongside legitimate prospecting equipment. I can't help but think that if they worked REALLY well, the shop owners wouldn't have to mess around running a small shop. Wouldn't they just take their sticks and go find the motherlode?
The Economic Argument.

If I was a privately-owned or publicly-owned company, I sure wouldn't want to be wasting thousands, millions, or billions of dollars on expensive equipment to find the underground stuff I'm looking for. I'd throw a few dollars at a few fancy magical sticks and be done with it.
 

silicon

Senior member
Nov 27, 2004
886
1
81
The other day at work, we needed to find several buried empty 4 inch PCV conduits which go between several of our buildings on our complex.

One of the structural engineers who was assigned to the project had these 2 L shaped rods which he called divining rods. he held them loosely in each hand, and then would walk a straight line, and when he walked over top of this empty conduit they would turn and straighten pointing opposite parallel directions showing the lay of these underground conduits.

He reliably located several underground gas lines, water lines, sewage pipes, and the empty counduits we were looking for, and i know he wasnt cheating, because, this guy was only ever here a few times before... no blueprints, no outside knowledge, some of these things were installed 15 years ago.

it ovbiously worked, as we found that where he marked the location, he was within inches of the spot.

Looking it up on the internet, all i can find is a bunch of spiritual mumbo jumbo... it isnt magnetism, as PVC isnt magnetic. How are these rods able to locate such underground features so reliably.

You will find some who will swear on the bible that divining rods work. And some who only think its a bunch nonsense. If divining fits in your belief structure then who could say that its not true and vice versa. If you went back in time, say 300 -400 hundred years ago and proclaimed one day man will fly like a bird in a machine then you would have been burned at the stake.
 

Mr. Pedantic

Diamond Member
Feb 14, 2010
5,039
0
76
You will find some who will swear on the bible that divining rods work. And some who only think its a bunch nonsense. If divining fits in your belief structure then who could say that its not true and vice versa. If you went back in time, say 300 -400 hundred years ago and proclaimed one day man will fly like a bird in a machine then you would have been burned at the stake.

We still can't make men fly like birds in a machine...
 

DSF

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2007
4,902
0
71
can you provide a link to the double blind test?

How many would you like?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing (Scientific Appraisal section)
http://www.skepdic.com/dowsing.html
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/b...tiscience-kills-dowsing-edition/#.U0LkWahdVuA
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/debunking-dowsing-5028261/?no-ist

Edit: Be sure to read past mentions of the Betz study that seems to imply a certain dowsing success rate to find analyses of the validity of that study.
 

silicon

Senior member
Nov 27, 2004
886
1
81
We still can't make men fly like birds in a machine...
True. I seem to recall icarus tried but failed miserably. Maybe not fly like birds but at least fly with or among them. But not so close to suck them into the motors. LOL
 
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silicon

Senior member
Nov 27, 2004
886
1
81
How many would you like?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing (Scientific Appraisal section)
http://www.skepdic.com/dowsing.html
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/b...tiscience-kills-dowsing-edition/#.U0LkWahdVuA
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/debunking-dowsing-5028261/?no-ist

Edit: Be sure to read past mentions of the Betz study that seems to imply a certain dowsing success rate to find analyses of the validity of that study.

Real science speaks the truth, usually, and I agree that dowsing is largely bunk. But and this is a big but, you will find many who really believe it.
 
May 11, 2008
19,498
1,163
126
The other day at work, we needed to find several buried empty 4 inch PCV conduits which go between several of our buildings on our complex.

One of the structural engineers who was assigned to the project had these 2 L shaped rods which he called divining rods. he held them loosely in each hand, and then would walk a straight line, and when he walked over top of this empty conduit they would turn and straighten pointing opposite parallel directions showing the lay of these underground conduits.

He reliably located several underground gas lines, water lines, sewage pipes, and the empty counduits we were looking for, and i know he wasnt cheating, because, this guy was only ever here a few times before... no blueprints, no outside knowledge, some of these things were installed 15 years ago.

it ovbiously worked, as we found that where he marked the location, he was within inches of the spot.

Looking it up on the internet, all i can find is a bunch of spiritual mumbo jumbo... it isnt magnetism, as PVC isnt magnetic. How are these rods able to locate such underground features so reliably.

The divining rods have nothing to do with it. It is they guy himself. He could do the same trick with 2 hammers, a bicycle with the turning of the steer or anything else. Now how he does it, that is open for debate.
 

Subyman

Moderator <br> VC&G Forum
Mar 18, 2005
7,876
32
86
I'm going to dedicate a weekend to trying dowsing. I know it is hogwash, but I must try.
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,202
4,401
136
Real science speaks the truth, usually, and I agree that dowsing is largely bunk. But and this is a big but, you will find many who really believe it.

You can find people that believe just about anything, they are called voters. But reality does not care one whit about belief.
 

DSF

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2007
4,902
0
71
Real science speaks the truth, usually, and I agree that dowsing is largely bunk. But and this is a big but, you will find many who really believe it.

The fact that some people believe it works has nothing to do with its validity. It isn't largely bunk, it is totally bunk.
 

Phanuel

Platinum Member
Apr 25, 2008
2,304
2
0
This thread might be proof that zombies exist and that we're too late to stop them.
 

nonymoosee

Junior Member
Apr 3, 2014
9
0
0
All the smart tech people and no one knows how divining rods work? It's easy, so you grab it by the shaft, stroke up and down until it shoots water out the end. I've been doing it everyday since I was a kid.
 
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Sunrise089

Senior member
Aug 30, 2005
882
0
71
This is probably the single most disappointing thread I've read on this forum :(

"I saw someone use rods and find something" /= proof

"Some buried things generate magnetic fields" does not explain why one should supposedly use coat-hangers, pvc pipe, or even wood as detection devices over sophisticated scientific instruments.

And unless I've missed it, none of the believers in the rods has addressed why multi-national gas and oil firms ignore the rods, but your local 'old timer' farm hand has supposedly mastered them ;)

Sheesh...

EDIT:

But it does work, just not reliably and not for everyone.

This is also true of, say, chemotherapy. That doesn't make it untestable. It should be trivially easy to have the people who claim it DOES work for them to do some tests where they show a statistically significant improved rate of success, even if that falls short of 100%.
 
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