[runjake]

I was shocked to randomly drive by a local water utility company and a guy walking in a field holding what looked like dowsing rods in his hands.

I didn't stop to ask, but it wasn't a locate antenna (I am familiar with those, and he didn't have any wires or electronic equipment on him).

I was pretty surprised they were messing around with dowsing, knowing it's scientifically unproven/disproven.

Then again, people still use lie detectors and chiropractics.

[earleybird]

Might not have been dowsing but a geoelectric survey of the inductive/capacitive/resistive variety. The BBC Time Team folks occasionally use these for non invasive surveys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU9aRZK4j84&t=663s