This is a sort of party trick someone showed me a while ago.

Take two wire coat hangers and cut them into L shapes, with the short
side about 10cm and the long side about 20cm (the long part of the
coat hanger). Take two plastic pen casings from biros or something and
put the short end of the L in this.
Then, holding the plastic casings, so the metal is free to swing about
you hold them in front of you, parallel, facing away from you about
20cm apart.
If you pass over anywhere there is water under the ground the wires
will move and swing to cross each other.
I was very skeptical when I heard this, but then tried it and it
really works! Try it yourself if you don't believe me! I was able to
map out the drains around the house, and the person who told it to me
has put it to use in construction.

Anyway, the question is HOW?

I suspect it wouldn't work without a human being attached (holding the
wire) (ie it wouldnt work if they were just mounted on some inert
trolly) but I'm not sure...

Any theories would be great, or if anyone knows for sure - even better!

Robin

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 23 Sep 2004 13:46 PDT

I don't really know how to adequately answer your question. What you
are asking us to do is to prove a theory that has been debated
unsuccessfully for centuries. Suffice it to say that most experts
believe the success rate of "water witching" or "dowsing" as it is
called by some is relative to chance more than anything else. In fact
there is a standing $1 million dollar reward for anyone who can prove
they undeniably possess the skills to find water using this method.
The prize remains unclaimed but you can bet that if anyone COULD do
this "for real" the prize would have been claimed long ago.

Let me know if this answers your question as accurately as it is possible to do so.

THE SKEPTICS DICTIONARY
http://skepdic.com/dowsing.html

THE RANDI PARANORMAL CHALLENGE
http://skepdic.com/randi.html

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

---

Clarification of Question by robince-ga on 23 Sep 2004 13:58 PDT

I guess that pretty much does answer my question...

I didn't realise it was such a new-agey paranormal phenomena... As I
say it presented to me as a sort of party trick by someone who is not
at all that way inclined and I found it seemed to work convincingly...
I had imagined there would be some scientific explanation...

As you say the unclaimed reward seems to be the most conclusive proof
that it doesn't really work!

Thanks,

Robin

Dear robince-ga;

Very well then. Since you are agreeable to my source as an answer I am
officially closing your question and, just as you did, I am
considering it answered. For formality sake, I will repost my links
here where you will find the most accurate answer available under the
circumstances:

THE SKEPTICS DICTIONARY
http://skepdic.com/dowsing.html

THE RANDI PARANORMAL CHALLENGE
http://skepdic.com/randi.html


Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions
about my research please post a clarification request prior to rating
the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final comments
and I look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank
you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher


INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINES USED:

Google ://www.google.com




SEARCH TERMS USED:


Water witching

Dowsing

Devining

Divining

The casual reader should be careful in assuming that something is
'false' simply because it has not passed a "Randi Challenge."  James
Randi has admitted that there are phenomenon that occur that are
outside of the range of reasonable chance and scientific scrutiny. 
You won't hear that as publicly as he boasts his disection of those
that fail is tight-knit tests, but he being a good friend of a good
friend I know there is another side to it.

Ask yourself this - if it is scientifically invalid then why has the
practice lasted so long?  The responded to this question did not
provide much of the counter-arguement, which is a shame.  Finding
water with rods, sticks, pendulum, or other 'instrument' is a practice
that is at least a millenium old, if not more.  The Vatican has been
using a map dowser to locate water for almost 300 years.  I can't cite
an online reference - so hearsay, for now.

The Skeptics Dictionary makes some statements that are as outright
contestable as the works they claim to dispute.  I can detail these,
but not for free.  The Hans-Dieter Betz work they site is a wonderful
article that I recommend the curious read in greater detail.  Continue
exploring the research, and above all else, test it yourself. 
Regardless of scientific validation, if it works for you when you need
itm what else is valid?


-Zak

Nevertheless, $1 million dollars TALKS and the fact remains that to
date no one has been able to claim it.

tutuzdad-ga