How many here watch American Woodshop with Scott Phillips? Anyone catch the episode a few weeks back where he used (in all seriousness) a pair of divining rods to determine where his water lines were? He was digging post holes for an archway/pergola.
I was stunned... here we have a fun show with some useful techniques being taught, only to be sideswiped with such bunk. My uncle tried to teach me divining when I was much younger, and although the science behind it sounded plausible to some degree, even at that young age I felt something just wasn't right. Time and time again divining has been proven in double blind tests to be pure hokem, yet people still swear by it. Prior knowledge of line location was the major factor in affecting the rods (i.e., it's the user, like the horse who could do math), consciously or not.
All of that aside, what bugged me the most was his suggestion, nay, his flat out statement that divining would help you track down your water mains and avoid punching through them. I can see someone who has no clue where their water mains are getting out there with a post digger and going to town. Gusher city...
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