Fake Bomb Detector ADE 651

The ADE 651 is a dowsing rod, that has been sold to military-forces around the world as a substance detector for explosives and contraband. The Iraqi government alone spent £52 million on the device. Although it has been proven to be completely worthless and exports have been banned by the UK, it sadly is still in use in Lebanon up to the present day.
This video would be a hilarious example for the lack of critical thinking, if the consequences weren't that tragic.

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67

+4 1. sux2bu commented 8 years ago

I think someone is due a very large refund plus an explanation as to why they were sold a worthless piece of crap that was promised to be able to do something that it did not do.

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+8 2. Pyranthos commented 8 years ago

Hes clearly a fraud that needs to be imprisoned, if not executed. His snake oil isn't just robbing people of their money, its costing lives.

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+6 3. kirkelicious commented 8 years ago

#2 well, many snakeoil salesmen, that cater to the consumer marked have lost lives on their conscience as well. Many useless and very expensive products claim to heal you from potential lethal medical conditions. The difference, that shocks me here is the large scale of scientific illiteracy displayed by governments around the world. Everybody that makes important decisions should know about the importance of blinded randomized trials, when it comes to claims that are to good to be true.

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+6 4. Mitak commented 8 years ago

#1 I am not sure how he will refund the lives lost due to his snake oil device.

I am amazed how such a massive sale can happen for a device like this and in UK!? Apparently England has laws no better than some 3rd wold country if devices like this are able to make such sales. Or has a corruption problem reaching very high ranks. Either way this is ridiculous.

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+2 5. loadrunner commented 8 years ago

They can't do anything if it is sold as a religious item. What probably is the case.

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+4 6. bndbnd commented 8 years ago

this is even better than the oil change scam

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+1 7. Klemm commented 8 years ago

This is how you report on a scam. Vs the oil change story that was just revolting to watch.

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+1 8. drunkmonk commented 8 years ago

That son of a bitch

Though of course. Knowing these kind of cases from the past, in a corrupt government, there is no reason not to think that it's all on purpose and that it's all a scam and a way to get richer from government funds, from both sides. I mean... I have hear a ton of cases like that. And I have not heard of any cases where a company so plainly scams a government. (usually it's vice versa)

good video

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0 9. Pyranthos commented 8 years ago

That is true #3, tho the other snake oils I was referring to were the things like "hair gain" or "weight loss", scams of that nature.. You are right though, there are plenty that equate to life or death as well. Its also worth point out though, that this particular salesman's sales are affecting people's livelihoods that aren't even involved in the transaction.. So its a bit more severe than the 1 on 1 cases.

21

+3 10. racemi commented 8 years ago

I can not believe that anyone actually bought this item. They must be extremely ignorant. Didn't any of the people who bought them have them checked out by an independent testing lab? This is pure stupidity. Yes the man selling them is committing fraud, but the people buying them are committing mass stupidity! It takes two to tango....

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+1 11. huldu commented 8 years ago

#10 It's probably more complicated than that. Something like this was obviously tested and found to be complete crap. Money being involved, quite a bit of it, tells me quite a few higher positioned officials had a hand in this. In the end it smells like some kind of shaddy deal to make money, they buy these devices and then get a cut from the sells.

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+1 12. kirkelicious commented 8 years ago

#11 actually the incident has been exhaustively studied and the main culprit here is human gullability. If dowsing effects are tested without the proper double blindig procedures they appear very real and convincing. Some austrian government agencies still use dowsing do find spots where they construct wells. Nobody would benefit from corruption in that case, except the grandpa with the dowsing rod. The case has had a huge resonance in the sceptic community, because it illustrates the importance of a basic science education and of critical thinking skills, even for nonscientists.

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+2 13. Judge-Jake commented 8 years ago

This is quite an old story and the perpetrator has been where he should stay in jail for a number of years already. Obviously an utter and complete barsteward with no regard at all for human life and only interested in lining his pockets.

Two things are amazing here the first that he was able to get away with it for so long without anyone taking this piece of junk to pieces for analysis STUPIDS everywhere and secondly that he must have known eventually he was going to get caught what an utter Twat. Apparently the case cost more to produce than the shite that was inside.

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+2 14. ComentAtor commented 8 years ago

Yes, old news but people need to be reminded
I think kids should be thought skepticism in school instead of religion but that's just me
at least a day with James Randi youtube playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruTmqfGJhTI

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+4 15. GhostInShell commented 8 years ago

Would have been amusing if you planted one of those devices near his front door and then covered all around his house bombs of different kind.
Just stick a post-it on the device saying "good luck"

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+2 16. snotraddict commented 8 years ago

Extremely disgusting but a snake oil salesman isn't successful without customers, bribed government officials are the best kind!

Great to hear he's in jail, but the folks that bought off the contract should also be in jail. Hopefully they are.