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WATER
DOWSING
Some people say they can
detect the presence of water
underground by “dowsing” with
specially shaped sticks. It doesn’t
actually work, though! In fact,
it has to do with something
called the ideomotor effect.
HOW DO THEY DO IT?
AN OLD TRADITION
Dowsing began in the sixteenth century
and was mainly used to find the best
place to dig a well. Water companies
in some countries still use dowsing to
locate leaks, even though scientists
have found no proof that it works.US_060-061_Water_Dowsing.indd 60 12/09/2018 15:50