On a recent visit to Oklahoma, I downloaded several iPhone applications for my own amusement. The first of these was an application called “Ghost Radar.” This application, offered by Spud Pickles, claims that it does the following:
“Ghost Radar employs a proprietary algorithm to analyze the quantum flux. This application does NOT detect EMF nor gravity. Readings for various sensors on iPhone/iPod are analyzed to detect QUANTUM fluctuations. Interpretations of the sensor readings are displayed graphically as blips on the radar along with numeric and textual readouts."
The iPhone is quite a handy device. I can check my email on the go, get directions to the nearest brewpub, or tweet the afternoon away. I am, however, dubious that it can do something as complex as analyze the quantum flux. I don't think that Steve Jobs equipped the device with sensors to detect quantum fluctuations, although I can see the widespread appeal of such a feature.
The much more useful feature of the app is described in detail:
" You can temporarily use Ghost Radar as an extra source of light, like a flashlight, in a dark environment. If you’re wandering the dark, using Ghost Radar to search for the paranormal and need a bit of extra light just swipe Ghost Radar from the bottom to the top and the screen will instantly turn a bright white, then tap the screen to return to the radar. On the other hand, if Ghost Radar is too bright for your nightly adventure just swipe the radar from right to left and the screen will go dark, touch the screen again and the radar will return to view. Neither the bright screen nor the dark screen have any effect on the radar doing its job."
Although the description does not directly claim that it is showing the location of someone's deceased loved ones, it implies that the little blips you see on the screen in various colors are proof positive of the afterlife.
"The radar continues to function even when you can’t see it. And with Ghost Radar’s speech synthesizer you will be able to hear when something is happening. Ghost Radar attempts to translate the quantum flux readings into an ENGLISH spoken word. Hopefully the entities you are trying to interact with can manipulate the flux and have Ghost Radar speak their words. Please visit the Ghost Radar support web site http://www.spudpickles.com/GhostRadar/ to learn how to tune into your environment."
I tested the application in several locations and it did indeed spew out random words. (become, rose, air, hungry, and a host of other words that could easily apply to a number of locations and situations) The settings allow you to modify such things as sensitivity, scan frequency, duplicate detection threshold, display impedance, signal timeout, and signal capacitance. No explanation is given as to the meaning of these settings, of course. But they sound science-like, and for most ghost-hunters that is good enough.
Here is what some customers have to say about the product:
“This app does just what they say, and it’s up to you to decide what it means. It’s fun, but for my kids, who are sure the house is haunted, it has been a big help. My son really believes in it and if you lower the sensitivity, he can relax in a room seeing thre is nothing on the screen. He is only 6. When he does see something he only is nervous if it is red. It has made him feel more empowered to know if the “spiritis” are there and talk to them. We talk about them being the spirits of kitties and animals coming to visit. It has been a big help.”
“I downloaded the app last weekend and I have had great results….Being a lead investigator for The Space Coast Resarch (sic) Authorities of Paranormal Science, I feel this is going to be a tool we use often!”
I assumed it would be only a matter of time before some overzealous ghost-hunter or self-proclaimed medium began to espouse the value of this application, and I was correct. Last night, I came across this comment on a social networking site, and responded. I assumed the person was joking.
"Anonymous 1"
Okay so you'll have the laser and I'll have Ghost Radar - I got my ipod touch yesterday so I can run the app I told you about WOOHOO :) :)
Tonya Keyser
That ghost radar app sucks! It spews out random words. Hmmm....remind you of anything? hehe. I got the aura photo one for fun. It is amusing, as is the ghost photo app that places freaky images in your photos.
"Anonymous 1"
Wow that's pretty harsh!! I'm sorry you feel that way. Have you ever used it with a medium that can actually verify the words it's saying? And have you tested it in a location where you know or can go look up the history, it's pretty accurate in my opinion. The ovilus does the same thing and there are many well respected investigators that use that... Read More. I'm just sayin.. people shouldn't knock something if they haven't actually tested and verified whether it is good or not... people speak before thinking about consequences way too much....yeah yeah free speech, I'm just sayin when you affect others with words, maybe you should have facts before speaking. That's just my opinion :)
"Anonymous 2"
I know the puck has had zero success for me, I can honestly say thats one app i'm not happy with. Id have to try the new app myself before making a decision, but I feel like throwing my puck in the trash can.
"Anonymous 1"
I haven't used the puck personally but everyone that has, hasn't had good things to say either :( I do personally like the ovilus.. and Ghost Radar has been accurate so far. We were at IHOP and my friend had it on and it said food and hungry and rose (there was a rose on the table)... and it hasn't said any of those words again.
"Anonymous 2"
cool beans love hearing success stories!
Tonya Keyser
I have used the ghost radar. I bought it to test it, and have brought it out in numerous locations. I am less than impressed, although it did provide some amusement. As far as testing it with psychics, to date psychic phenomena has not been proven. I don't feel that it is wise to test one unknown with another unknown. In addition, I feel ... Read Morethat it is fruitless to try to use the combination of two unproven methods to attempt to get information from something else that has yet to be proven (ghost phenomena). I mean, it is ok if all you are attempting to do is confirm your beliefs for yourself (although it would not be logical to do so, or be anything remotely resembling science, you are not hurting anyone), but it is not scientific or sound research practice. I wasn't trying to impact others with my words in a negative fashion with my comments. I actually thought you must be joking about the "ghost radar" app, because it is, in my opinion, simply ridiculous :-) I think that your "hits" with it are due to confirmation bias. First of all, the chance that any of those words would be hits at any time are pretty high. It spits out high frequency words....words that are universally meaningful in many situations, just as the ovilus does. And, just because "well respected" paranormal researchers wax poetic about some device does not mean it equals sound, scientific practice. Lights and bleepy noises and random words do not prove anything. Science is in the research methodology, not in some device that someone on television or at a conference said that we should utilize on investigations. Show me an article in a peer reviewed scientific journal that provides good evidence for why this should be used,. and I'd be happy to consider that information and perhaps change my opinion. Until then, it's just a parlor trick and yet one more reason for the skeptical community to laugh at what members of the paranormal community do.
"Anonymous 1"
I really can't write the response I would like to without either offending you or getting me all fired up, and I'm having a great day and don't want to ruin that....so I'm just going to leave it at this... to each his own. Skeptic does not mean disbelieving of everything. I am a medium and I am still skeptical - that just means I don't believe in ... Read Morethings automatically. There is a difference between a cynic and a skeptic. One day something will happen to you that you cannot explain yet it makes you believe in things that are unseen in a different way. And as a side note, no one believed in parallel dimensions, and thought people that did believe were crazy and now SCIENCE HAS PROVEN IT- String theory.
Tonya Keyser
I rely upon evidence, not belief, when making my decisions. So "disbelief" is really irrelevant. I don't even put "belief" in the equation at all. It doesn't make sense to me.
As a side note, string theory is a theory. It is not proven. I hear people in the paranormal community make such leaps frequently. (i.e., throwing around terms like "quantum mechanics" when they are backed into a corner in a discussion with someone who falls on the more skeptical portion of the spectrum)
Yes, there is a difference between being cynical and being skeptical. And, there are varying degrees of skepticism. I have experienced things for which I have no current explanation. But that just means I don't have an explanation. It does not mean that I have experienced a "ghost." I think that it is far too easy and convenient to immediately make the leap from "I can't explain this" to "This is proof of the afterlife."
But that's just how I roll.
"Anonymous 1"
ROFL. So Einstein's theory of relativity is just a theory then? I think I just heard him laugh. I assume then that you don't believe in God since science has not proven God's existence?
Amanda Gerringer-Wagaman
Actually, yes, Einstein's theory of relativity SI just a theory. When something can be proven in science it becomes a law.
http://wilstar.com/theories.htm
That link will help you differentiate between laws, theories, and hypotheses. This is a huge problem within the paranormal community. People try to use terms to which they do not fully understand then say they can scientifically back up their claims. I'm not being crappy here, but this is why the paranormal community is often laughed at by the scientific community. If people would conduct more intellectual research instead of hands-on investigation (which in my opinion is NOT usually research) we would all be better off. ...
Lastly, please don't bring religion into this because that is all strictly a belief system.
"Anonymous 1"
Belief system... isn't anything either believing or not believing? Even when there are facts people don't have to believe....it's proven every day that such is the case in this world. oy vey. Shakes head and walks away knowing that an open discussion cannot be had when open minds are not present.... will not proceed to bang my head against BRICK ... Read Morewalls.... have a nice night everyone. I'm off to hang out with friends, have some good laughs, good times and open-minded conversation....ahhhhhh... I feel better already.
And thus ends a typical discussion between a skeptic and a believer....with a typical and closed-minded response!
From this exchange, several things were confirmed for me:
1. Don't assume someone is joking about something just because you think their claim is so ridiculous that they *must* be joking. You may very well offend them and close them off to hearing what you have to say. I am frequently guilty of this, because I automatically make the assumption that my point of view makes the most sense to me, so it should make the most sense to everyone.
2. Making inroads to change and promoting the use of critical thinking and scientific practices in everyday life is indeed an uphill battle. It is an uphill battle because of misinformation, a lack of understanding by the general public about what "science" even is, and the need people have to confirm their belief systems.
3. When backed into a corner, ghost-hunters or other paranormal enthusiasts will often resort to any or all of the following:
a. You are a cynic. You disagree with me, so you must be cynical.
b. Quantum mechanics
c. When told that string theory is just a theory, "Oh, so Einstein was wrong?"
d. You must be an atheist, and therefore cannot be trusted because you don't believe in
anything.
e. You are closed-minded. You disagree with me, so you must be closed-minded. And a
cynic. And the devil. In a parallel dimension.
Hey, if you want to use a 99 cent iPhone app as proof of your beliefs for your own purposes, more power to you. But your enthusiasm for the blinking lights and random words do not mean that what you are doing is any better than pulling the cord on a child's toy or waving a flashlight around in the air while sprinkling fairy dust around the room. Likewise, your proclamation that I am a cynical, closed-minded atheist and the reason Einstein laughs in the afterlife do nothing to further your case. If you want to do something to prove your point, conduct some research and submit it to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Until then, I'll wallow in my cynical, closed-minded, godless existence, and continue to use my iPhone in a variety of ways that are much more useful.
Several days later, the debate continued....only further solidifying my above comments:
“Anonymous 3”
Ok, I have to jump in here with a few thoughts....
Tonya: You say that you rely upon "evidence" when making your decisions and you go on to state that no such evidence has been scientifically proven. First of all, just because something hasn't been proven and established in "mainstream science" doesn't mean it doesn't exist or isn't real. Everything that has now been "scientifically proven" started out as a theory. Keep in mind that even the "scientific evidence" you speak of is subjective and there will always be skeptics claiming that it is not enough. In all honesty, can you really say that you possess enough knowledge about the subject to even know when it has been "scientifically proven"? Also, the comment you made about paranormal investigators "making leaps and throwing around terms" like the string theory and quantum mechanics when backed into a corner by a skeptic was a complete generalization and the same could be said about a skeptic throwing around the term "scientific evidence".
Amanda: I cannot begin to express what an ill-informed generalization you made when you claimed that "people in the paranormal community throw out terms that they don't understand". Really? I can tell you that, as a paranormal investigator myself, I can and will hold my own in a debate and will NEVER throw out terminology that I don't understand. You went on to state that "If people would conduct more intellectual research instead of hands-on investigation (which in my opinion is NOT usually research) we would all be better off. ..." Get Real!!! It is painfully obvious that YOU are the one lacking in your own research on this subject. It is very easy to sit back and find fault with other people's research and to claim that it is not scientific enough for you. Why don't you instead provide some cold hard "scientific evidence" to support your opinions?
Tonya Keyser
Christy, the burden of proof lies upon the claimant to show proof of their claims.
I am not saying that paranormal phenomena is not a possibility. Not at all. I'm just saying that there is not good replicable scientific evidence of it, and there are certainly no scientific studies published in reputable peer reviewed journals that support claims of paranormal activity.
Scientific evidence is concrete, and based upon something that is testable. Anecdotal evidence, or reports made by individuals, is more subjective, and typically not based upon any pre-determined “test.” Unfortunately, paranormal researchers typically rely upon one or both of the following to support their claims: Eyewitness reports or random data (i.e., "readings" on some type of electronic device or "psychic" impressions, all gathered in a disorganized manner and not based upon any type of test)
I have heard and read information written by no fewer than 50 paranormal researchers who throw the term "quantum mechanics" or "string theory" around in the past month alone. Do ALL paranormal researchers do this? No. However, many do, especially when answering the questions posed by skeptics.
You can question my knowledge/experience all you want, but it does nothing to prove your point. There is still no good evidence that gives substantial support to paranormal claims. To date, no person has successfully completed the Million Dollar Challenge offered by the JREF. If that happened, I would willingly and gladly integrate that information into how I view the world. Until then, however, I stand by my words.
Who the fuck needs a class? You learn from doing. This is a hobby and they are ripping people off that don't know any better. I guess J and Grant don't make enough money from Sci-Fi? Give me a break! Maybe we should ALL teach paranormal classes. 