• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

IIG testing dowser $50K challenge

Susan Gerbic

Graduate Poster
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
1,527
Investigators To Test Dowser In Hollywood,CA

$50,000 Award on the Line

Hollywood, CA: The world’s largest paranormal investigations team, the Independent Investigations Group (IIG), has for over 12 years examined claims concerning psychics, dowsers, wacky medical claims, telepaths, UFOs, and ghost stories. The group, in conjunction with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI, formerly CSICOP), offers $50,000 to anyone who can prove paranormal ability under scientific test conditions.


A preliminary test for the $50,000 prize is scheduled

for this Saturday, March 17th, at 4pm PDT

at the Center for Inquiry in Hollywood

4773 Hollywood Blvd.

Live U-Stream Link
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/10643314



The press is welcome to attend, but must register with the IIG to observe. (see contact numbers below)

This weekend’s test features Lewis Rees, 71, who claims to be able to detect water using dowsing rods. Rees will travel to Los Angeles this weekend from Phoenix, AZ to be tested for his alleged ability. To confirm this age-old belief, Mr. Rees will dowse 15 cardboard boxes, each of which conceals a 1 gallon plastic jug. Fourteen of the jugs will contain dry sand, and one of the jugs will be filled with water. He will have to accurately choose the jug with the water in each of 3 trials. Rees claims he can do this with 100% accuracy, and so must guess correctly all three times to qualify for the $50,000 prize.

The odds to do this by chance alone are 3375 to 1. If Rees fails, he will become ineligible to apply for the $50,000 for one year.

The IIG was founded in January of 2000 in Los Angeles by James Underdown, Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry- Los Angeles, an educational not-for-profit dedicated to scientific inquiry and secular values. There are now 6 IIG groups in the U.S. and Canada. The original group in Los Angeles is joined by groups in Denver, Washington D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco Bay Area, and Alberta, Canada.

“The whole idea was to get people participating in their own quest for the truth about extraordinary claims.” Underdown said. “Being a part of an investigation is much more powerful than just reading about it or seeing it on TV.”

CSI and IIG investigations and investigators have been featured in numerous television shows including History’s Mysteries, Proof Positive, Weird or What?, Oprah Winfrey Network’s Miracle Detectives, Penn and Tellers’ ******** and many others. Numerous books are based on these organizations inquiries, and countless articles have appeared in Skeptical Inquirer magazine and dozens of other publications.
 



Sorry for the very late notice people. As you may know testing a claimant for the $50K challenge is very time consuming with a LOT of back and forth emails. Because it is raining in LA today and rain is predicted tomorrow we had to make 100% sure that our claimant was comfortable with dowsing inside before announcing the event.
 
Can I ask if there will be an unblinded test first, i.e. will Mr Rees have the chance to verify that his dowsing rods respond to a jug of water and not to a jug of sand when he can see which is which?
 
Looks like there's a link to a live stream in the O.P.

Ward

Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.
Don't post before breakfast.

:boxedin:
 
He claims he can detect "disturbed ground", just like Dowser Don.
 
Judging from the chatroom-like comments on the ustream page, he seems to have failed on the first of the 3 tests. I agree it's been hard to decipher what's going on with the sound muted (for all but several seconds) ...

now placing water in a box for round 2
 
Same for me. Ya know, I really hoped he would be correct.
 

Back
Top Bottom