Controversy

"Maybe dowsing works, maybe it doesn't. If an investigator is out to prove that something doesn't work, he'll likely be able to do so." -  Michael Striker ASC Group, Inc.

http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0101&L=histarch&D=0&T=0&P=22643

"In spite of the large number of investigations made into dowsing, its status remains unclear.  This is largely a result of sloppy experimental procedures and or report writing. 

"For some people, dowsing does appear to be a useful problem solving tool. Dowsers do seem to be goal orientated, and in this reviewer’s experience, most do not care how it works: just as well perhaps, since science has no definitive answer. Critics and proponents alike should pay heed to the ideas of a grade school class that studied dowsing (Boone, 1965)—Conclusions should not be drawn on the basis of one experiment. "

http://www.tricksterbook.com/ArticlesOnline/Dowsing.htm

Divining Mom - a Film by George Kachadorian 

"As we progress we see that this movie is really about the clash between science and religion and that dowsing is a perfect subject to explore it. The director’s parents are the perfect microcosm to represent the never-ending global struggle between both camps. The practical father who made the money and taught his sons how to work an honest day. fix the car, dig a ditch, etc. And the mom who taught the boys music, how to have fun, and probably kept her husband from having a complete breakdown. In the end the mother is such a good dowser she has to get her own phone line and office to keep the crazies away from her husband. They bicker and ride their Harleys and love and balance follow them around. So we are left with the reality of the relationship between science and religion represented in this couple that lives together, keeping things separate, without needing to agree on everything."

http://www.diviningmom.com/

http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/38440