Skeptic to save money and lives

Bruce M Hood is a writer and blogger from England, and he has come across information about a bomb-detection device used in Iraq. Bruce raises a lot of doubt about whether this device, the ADE651, works at all.

How To Make A Killing With the Woo Bomb Detector

The “ADE651 device” costs around £35,000 ($60k). It appears to be a telescopic car aerial attached to a black box. Inside there is a plastic card that is supposed to be ready programmed with an electromagnetic ‘resonance’ of what needs to be detected. It is claimed to be based on the principles of nuclear quadrupole resonance but from what I understand that would require generating a magnetic field and sending out a strong pulse – something that seems to be absent in the ADE651 – its powered by body energy! Even if it does use NQR then it seems highly implausible that it can work from an airplane 3 miles up as claimed in the product details. Still, they have already sold an unbelievable £51 million’s worth to Iraq.

The really interesting news here is that Bruce lives close by the company that manufactures the ADE651, and he is in the process of arranging a visit to see the device for himself, together with a physicists friend.

That would be highly interesting however it turns out. If the device doesn't function, then this is a major scandal. If Bruce and his friend goes away unconvinced, then one wonders how the company could get away selling for £51 million of them. If, on the other hand, the device works, then I can't wait to hear how that is. If so, then how could it be that

when a guard and a driver for The New York Times investigating this story, both licensed to carry firearms, drove through nine police checkpoints that were using the device, none of the checkpoint guards detected the two AK-47 rifles and ammunition inside the vehicle. Later, it even failed to detect a grenade and pistol in plain view on the table of the General in charge of the checkpoint, who replied that the operators needed more training.

Do check back with Bruce later on. I'll keep you posted here as well.