Skeptoid article on ghost hunting?

[wantobe]

I could swear I heard a skeptoid podcast that talked about the problem with ghost hunters, and the equipment they use not being suited for what they say it is, or something like that. I can't find it now, after a quick perusal through the archives. Does anyone know which episode it was?

Of course, it's entirely possible that my mind is playing tricks on me (it is, after all, smarter than I am) and it wasn't a skeptoid podcast at all. Does anyone know of a fairly good discussion of that topic? I mentioned this information to a lady I know who is writing an article on a ghost hunter here in Virginia, and she'd like to see whatever the hell it is I think I heard or saw.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Cainkane1]

That issue has been addressed by Randi himself but i forgot exactly what he said. Its been awhile.

[Nucular]

I've seen various discussions on this topic, but can't put my finger on any of them right now, irritatingly. Strange - I'd have hoped a good sceptical discussion of 'ghost hunting' methodology would be obvious and accessible (though it could be me being cack-handed on Google).

Anyway, the basic gist of the discussions I've seen have had two main points as regards use of 'scientific' intrumentation:

1) The equipment generally lugged into creaky old houses by wide-eyed insomniacs is usually very sensitive to minor fluctuations, and designed to use in quite specialised situations which aren't ghost hunts. Laser thermometers, EMF detectors, movements alarms, digital cameras, etc. can all give very misleading results when the operators of the equipment either aren't trained in their use or don't understand their method of operation sufficiently.

2) Much of the rationale behind the choice of certain equipment relies on entirely unproven, and in most cases untestable, hypotheses: e.g. the EMF meter, minor fluctuations in which many a ghost hunter has taken to indicate definite 'paranormal activity', is only of any use on a ghost hunt if there is some evidenced link between paranormal activity and electromagnetic phenomena. Of course, since we haven't even got past the first stage of that investigation (i.e. whether ghosts exist at all), there's no way we can conclude that they both exist and are in some way EM-based, so why wave about a big chunk of fairly expensive equipment and meticulously record the inevitably meaningless results?

[Nucular]

Ah, SkepticWiki article on the subject here (http://skepticwiki.org/index.php/Ghost_Hunting), with what look like useful links.

[wantobe]

Thanks for the link, Nucular; I think that article will do nicely. I wish I knew where I'd seen/heard it originally, but the article you pointed me to has the same information.

I'd complain about getting older, but it still beats the alternative.

[Numenaster]

You may have heard it on Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: they covered this very topic to some degree just last week or the week before, and I believe some of the articles on their larger website (the New England Skeptical Society website, that is) go into detail on it as well.

[repete66211]

Joe Nickel covered the problems with ghost hunters on the SGU some time ago. However, given the popularity of the ghost buster shows on cable recently, it is a topic that could use another visit.

[briandunning]

I guess it's timely that I happen to tune in and catch this thread - The first Skeptoid of the new year is on exactly this topic. What are the tools of the trade, and why their needles are inevitably jumping anyway, ghost or no ghost. :-)

[Nucular]

I guess it's timely that I happen to tune in and catch this thread - The first Skeptoid of the new year is on exactly this topic. What are the tools of the trade, and why their needles are inevitably jumping anyway, ghost or no ghost. :-)

Cool, looking forward to it :)

Hmmm, but the thread starter has already heard this episode! Explain that without recourse to timeslips, precognition or quantum somethings then, go on.

[repete66211]

I guess it's timely that I happen to tune in and catch this thread - The first Skeptoid of the new year is on exactly this topic. What are the tools of the trade, and why their needles are inevitably jumping anyway, ghost or no ghost. :-)

Sounds great Brian, but you have your work cut out for you. EVPs alone could take up a whole episode. Good luck. I look forward to hearing it.