What's New Robert L. Park June 11, 2010

WHAT=92S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 11 Jun 2010   Washington, DC

1.  FAKE BOMB DETECTOR: THE HIGH COST OF IGNORANCE.
According to a story in The Independent (UK) on Tuesday, the investigatio=
n=20
into the sale of fake bomb detectors has been expanded to a number of fir=
ms=20
in the UK. It seemed comical fourteen years ago when we learned that=20
golfers were buying fraudulent golf-ball finders (WN 12 Jan 96).  The=20
Quadro Tracker was nothing but an "antenna" mounted on a pistol-grip with=
 a=20
swivel that was free to rotate 360=B0.  An almost imperceptible deviation=
 of=20
the swivel from horizontal would cause the antenna to rotate under the=20
force of gravity to its lowest point. To a credulous observer it might se=
em=20
to be controlled by some mysterious external force. Quadro soon began=20
marketing them to law enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense=20
for $995 each to search for drugs and weapons.  It failed a simple=20
scientific test.  Sandia National Labs took one apart and found it=20
contained no internal parts.  The FBI shut Quadro down and arrested its=20
officers (WN 26 Jan 96).  However, the device soon reappeared in the UK a=
s=20
the ADE 651, sold by ATSC for prices as high as $48,000.  At least 1,500=20
were sold to the government of Iraq as bomb detectors at a cost of millio=
ns=20
of dollars, as WN reported in January (WN 29 Jan 2010).  The fake bomb=20
detectors have reportedly contributed to hundreds of bomb deaths in Iraq=20
and Afghanistan, including British and American troops.

2.  MAGICAL THINKING: DOWSING IS NOT ILLEGAL IN THE US OR THE UK.
In spite of the heinous nature of the ATSC crime, it may be difficult to=20
obtain a conviction. The defense of those charged with selling fake bomb=20
detectors will be that they believe the devices work. Their defense will=20
point to the hundreds or thousands of people who openly market their=20
services to dowse for water or other substances.  Sometimes called water-
witching, dowsing is said to rely on supernatural influence over the=20
muscles of the person holding a willow fork or an ADE 651.  Dowsing doesn=
't=20
always work, but what does?  The prosecution will find itself hip deep in=
=20
arguments over how an ADE 651 differs from prayer.  Magical thinking will=
=20
be with us until children are taught that observable effects result only=20
from physical causes.  It must be taught at the time they are learning=20
their first language.   =20

3.  CONSTELLATION: PULLING THE PLUG ON A LIFE=96SUPPORT SYSTEM.
Although NASA  spent about $10 billion on the Constellation program since=
=20
2005, the program is currently in a costly vegetative state from which it=
=20
won=92t recover, but Congress hasn=92t agreed to cancel Constellation. At=
 issue=20
is a clause in contracts with the prime contractors, including Lockheed=20
Martin and Alliant Techsystems, which says the contractors are responsibl=
e=20
for cancellation costs.  That's a standard clause in most federal contrac=
ts.

4.  LIES: THE ANIMAL THAT TALKS OFTEN TELLS LIES. =20
The Polygraph can't tell a lie from the sex act. But four years ago we=20
predicted that functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, might (WN 23=20
Jun 2006).  This week in a Tennessee court case the defendant sought to u=
se=20
fMRI to demonstrate his veracity.  The judge did not allow it. Good! The=20
only thing worse than a lie detector that doesn't work, would be one that=
=20
does. It would be the ultimate invasion of privacy.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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