On: Ban on unscientific "bomb detector" after $85M sal...

[Hexstream]

"Mr McCormick told the BBC in a previous interview that "the theory behind dowsing and the theory behind how we actually detect explosives is very similar"."

That about sums it up...

[watmough → Hexstream]

I'm not trying to suggest this device works.

On the other hand, we hired a guy to dowse and dig a water well when I was a kid. He dowsed, and drilled a well.

Just an 'anecdatum'.

[science4sail → watmough]

I'm under the impression that groundwater is reachable from almost anywhere, provided that one digs deep enough.

[InclinedPlane → science4sail]

Yup, that's why they call it a water table. There are exceptions if one happens to live in very dry areas with interesting geology, but generally any piece of land is good enough for a well if you dig deep enough.