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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2009 : 13:11:36
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Suckers!
BAGHDAD — Despite major bombings that have rattled the nation, and fears of rising violence as American troops withdraw, Iraq’s security forces have been relying on a device to detect bombs and weapons that the United States military and technical experts say is useless.
The sensor device, known as the ADE 651, from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Iraq has bought more than 1,500 of the devices.
The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works “on the same principle as a Ouija board” — the power of suggestion — said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod.
Still, the Iraqi government has purchased more than 1,500 of the devices, known as the ADE 651, at costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Nearly every police checkpoint, and many Iraqi military checkpoints, have one of the devices, which are now normally used in place of physical inspections of vehicles.
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I dunno, but it seems to me that the prices they're paying for these pieces of flummery would give them enough pause to check them out to see if they actually work. Or does that make too much sense?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 15:31:10 [Permalink]
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| I would snark out Niven & Pournelle's "Think of it as evolution in action," except in this case it was probably some Iraqi official enriching himself through kickbacks who bought the fake devices. And some other poor schlubs who had to use them. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2009 : 15:31:51 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
Suckers!
I dunno, but it seems to me that the prices they're paying for these pieces of flummery would give them enough pause to check them out to see if they actually work. Or does that make too much sense?
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From the article:
| The Iraqis, however, believe passionately in them. “Whether it’s magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,” said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate for Combating Explosives. |
Snip.
“I don’t care about Sandia or the Department of Justice or any of them,” General Jabiri said. “I know more about this issue than the Americans do. In fact, I know more about bombs than anyone in the world.” |
General Jabiri is clearly a moron and he is probably getting people killed, fer-crying-out-loud.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2009 : 16:03:54 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
General Jabiri is clearly a moron and he is probably getting people killed, fer-crying-out-loud.
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I'm betting he's getting rich on the deal, while staying well clear of any explosives himself. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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dglas
Skeptic Friend
Canada
397 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 16:17:30 [Permalink]
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| This is all just part of some "fire & forget" God's plan Mr. Bidlack can take comfort in that. |
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- dglas (In the hell of 1000 unresolved subplots...)
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The Presupposition of Intrinsic Evil
+ A Self-Justificatory Framework
= The "Heart of Darkness"
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 17:28:22 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by dglas
This is all just part of some "fire & forget" God's plan Mr. Bidlack can take comfort in that.
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Oh my... I suppose that was necessary.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 00:34:18 [Permalink]
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Got hit with a little insomnia tonight, so I decided whaddaell? Why not run a google on this thing so loosely being called a "device?"
Didn't take long; there'a lot out there. Here's the Wiki:
The ADE 651 is a device widely used by Iraqi police, produced by ATSC (UK) , that claims to be effective at detecting the presence and location of explosives.[1] Many skeptics doubt its effectiveness, including James Randi, who is offering US $1 million to anyone who can prove its effectiveness,[2] and retired USAF Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack.[1]
It is claimed that the ADE 651 failed to prevent many of the bombings in Iraq.
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Messiahs come and messiahs go, dragging their spavined prophets with them, Great wars can effect change, albeit seldom for the better. The only constant in all the needless turmoil is the immortal woo-woo.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 09:49:27 [Permalink]
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I heard about that story on Rachel Maddow:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#33629480
Warning: Gratuitous 30-second commercial before the above video.
I wasn't aware that Hal Bidlack was one of the people quoted in the story. I did question Rachel saying "No offense to the dowsers out there". I will say, though, that "dowsing" for water for yourself affects far fewer people than buying several thousand pieces of junk to "dowse" for bombs.
This story also reminded me of part of a talk Michael Shermer gave at TED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_jwq9ph8k
About a minute into the video, Shermer shows a device, consisting of a plastic box with an antenna attached, which was being sold to dowse for marijuana in students' lockers.
All of the above devices are dumb to me. |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
| Edited by - podcat on 11/09/2009 09:53:08 |
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They have dowsing in Iraq, too! Dangerous dowsing.
