Ghost Hunting Demonstration

[RemieV]

Hey, everyone. SAPS is giving a demonstration of the problems with ghost hunting equipment to the group DFW Ghost Hunters
( http://www.dfwghosthunters.com/ )

I'm looking for issues with the experiments and demonstrations I've designed. The demonstrations will operate sort of like a fair - you can wander around to different areas, test out the types of equipment, and see how the equipment can easily be fooled.

Section One: IR Thermometer

This is probably the most complex setup. I have a cheesy diagram to go with it.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8688/irthermometerexperimentei9.png

Okay, ghost hunters use IR thermometers to measure "cold spots" in locations. This doesn't work because IR thermometers are designed to measure surface temperature of objects, not air temperature. This demonstration will show that. From position one, the person will take a temperature reading. They will be facing the heating pad. The thermometer has a laser pointer (which I'm not sure if I'll recommend using. The laser pointer is not what makes it measure the surface temperature, it just shows what it's measuring. But I get the feeling that if they use the laser pointer, they will think that the temperature reading is coming from the surface because of the pointer and not the thermometer itself.) so you can see when it's measuring the heating pad. I imagine the temperature of the heating pad will be around 100 degrees. The person will then move to position 2 and take another temperature reading. Position 2 will be the same distance from the piece of air we are trying to get a reading from as Position 1. In other words, the temperature reading should be the same. But it won't be. Position 2 will actually measure the surface temperature of whatever surface is off to the right. LostAngeles had a very good idea - that I throw in three thermometers that really do measure air temperature. One measuring the heating pad, one measuring the piece of air we are trying to measure with the IR thermometer, and one measuring the temperature of whatever surface is off to the right, for comparison results. Expensive test, no? Let me know if you can think of another way to improve it.

Section Two - Trifield Meter

This one is going to be a lot simpler. I'll just have an appliance plugged in that gives off definite readings, and people can test the kinds of readings they get when it is plugged in but not turned on, plugged in and turned on, and what sort of reading they get from the outlet itself. They can also see how far away you can be and still get a reading.

Section Three - Dowsing Rods

Ten numbered opaque buckets with lids will be lined up in rows. One will contain water, the rest will contain sand. The buckets will have tape around them marking off a line that the dowser cannot cross. (So no nudging will occur.) Everyone who wishes to have a turn can have one, and after they will fill out a sheet of paper and print their name and the bucket number they believe holds water. At the end of the demonstration it will be revealed which one contains water and there will be a comparison between the number of correct answers given and the total number of answers given. This is going to be really hard because SOMEONE has to set up the experiment - and it will probably be me. I will still be in the area, but I'm going to stay away from that particular demonstration and let another SAPS member, who will not know which bucket contains water, conduct the experiment. I will not watch or observe the experiment or speak to anyone about it until its completion.

Section Four - Paranormal Photography

The members of the ghosthunting group have been invited to bring any photographs they have of paranormal anomalies. Richard, a SAPS correspondent and photographer, will be on hand to answer any questions about how such an image might naturally occur, and also to present his own created paranormal photographs for comparison.

So that's the demonstration. If anyone has any ideas for ways to improve it, please let me know.

Thanks a lot

 

[Old man]

Section Three - Dowsing Rods

Ten numbered opaque buckets with lids will be lined up in rows. One will contain water, the rest will contain sand.

If the water in the 'water' bucket is cooler than the surrounding air (and air humidity is high enough) someone might be able to see condensation on that bucket. I'd put the targets in a smaller container, and cover each of them with the bucket.

 

[RemieV]

Good idea. Thanks

 

[CLD]

Get one of those Motorola walkie talkie sets at Costco. Show how the EMF meter goes nuts when they are used. Tell the participants to imagine that the air is full of these kinds of RF signals, taxis, police, fire, etc. some coming from miles away.

 

[Plasmadog]

This is not so much about the equipment used, but I would add another exhibit demonstrating the effects of resonant frequencies on heavy objects. People tend to think that to move a heavy object requires a lot of force, but vibrations at the right frequency can have quite an impressive effect. I've only seen a couple of episodes of Ghost Hunters, but in each one there were examples of objects seen to shake and move. They didn't attept much of an explanation, but I would bet that these things were caused by very subtle vibrations, maybe from nearby road or rail traffic, that just happened to be at the resonant frequency of the object that is seen to move, or the section of flooring that the object is sitting on.

It should be fairly easy to set up a demonstration like that. Get an electric motor with an offset weight on the shaft, and connect it to a speed controller. Attach it securely to a suitable stage, and place a few heavy objects on the stage near it. Let people adjust the speed until the objects are seen to move.