this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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[–] hi_its_me@lemmy.world 92 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Out of curiosity, has there ever been a teardown of one of these to see what kind of snake oil actually powers them?

[–] GloriaTheFox@lemmy.blahaj.zone 71 points 2 years ago (4 children)

The first version was actually patented, so we know how that one worked fully. The latest versions are secretive but they still likely measure the same thing.

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/E-Meter/hubbard-patent.html

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 49 points 2 years ago

Or given that the device’s purpose is to be a prop for psychological manipulation, the current ones might, rather than simply reading out skin resistance, produce some other value more conducive to that purpose. I’m which case, dumping and disassembling the firmware would be as much a threat to Scientology as dumping slot machine firmware would be to casinos and gambling firms. (True story: someone once did this with a slot machine, proving that it was rigged.)

[–] TheRaven 18 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] Cabrio@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)
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[–] hardcoreufo@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sadly midichlorians make sense compared to episodes 7, 8 and 9.

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[–] Bizarroland@kbin.social 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Although you do realize that technically, if their new versions are not patented then they are considered trade secrets right? If you can get your hands on one and patent it then you have a decent pathway to sue the Church of Scientology for patent infringement.

That would be a fun one to work out

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 10 points 2 years ago (3 children)

They could get your patent invalidated if they can demonstrate you copied them

[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 years ago

I like that fundamental misunderstandings of how the law works can still be found on this website, was my favorite part of reddit

[–] Rayston@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago

wouldnt that force them to admit the public patent and all its details are a copy? thus confirming exactly how the device works.....and isnt that something they dont want?

[–] Bizarroland@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

They would still have to pay an inordinate amount of money in legal fees fighting it, and if they invalidate the patent then the publication would go public domain.

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sure, and then they either disappear you, or you have an "accident". Or you just so happened to get beaten half to death in the restroom by a "random" act of violence.

Or anything equally as sinister, but to your finances, possessions, loved ones, or life.

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[–] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Can anyone translate this into Dummy please? What is it doing, according to that patent?

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago (2 children)

It’s measuring resistance, just like a multimeter can. Basically, it’s measuring how “difficult” it is for electricity to reach from A to B. High quality wire will have low resistance, while something like rubber has a very high resistance. This is basically just measuring resistance and moving a needle back and forth on a meter. It’s an Electrical Engineering 101 class project.

[–] johnthedoe@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

What makes certain people have different measurements? I assume that’s what they’re after in the cult to determine who goes where

[–] comrade19@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Our skin layer is about the worst conductor of our bodies but if you have wet salty skin you'll show a higher reading. Maybe that's all the data they need. Maybe they're onto something

[–] CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago

This goes a step further though.

Because they are questioning you while "on the cans", your skin's electrical conductivity will change naturally even if being completely honest. These momentary blips will cause the person conducting the interview to ask you more personal, more intimate questions, with the goal of you over sharing.

Basically they use the flawed technology that is the lie detector and based an entire religion around it.

Honestly not a bad idea, if I'm being completely honest and devoid of human empathy.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Isn't there a name for bullshit devices that produce some ouput that has no bearing on what is being tested? Like that device Dee and Charlie use when they are in the superberry MLM on Sunny in Philadelphia. Like, its snake oil but I thought there was a word for that kind of thing.

[–] jscummy@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

What do you mean? That machine measured stress very accurately and displayed it in standard stress units

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

My biggest issue was the lack of clarity over where one should place their feet. Kinda important

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[–] ElleChaise@kbin.social 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

It's like a voltmeter set to resistance mode. It can detect small changes in electrical energy and show that change on a meter that moves right for higher resistance, and left for lower resistance. In other words, it's a bunch o' bull crap.

[–] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

So it's a lie detector? Lol

[–] quicksand@lemm.ee 10 points 2 years ago

I think it's just a human detector. Or an anything that touches both contacts detector

[–] RanchOnPancakes@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Yes. And just as meaningful as one. (aka not)

[–] carl_dungeon@lemmy.world 58 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Yes. Guy on Reddit a few years ago stole one out of a tent where they were giving free readings and did a full tear down. It’s a cheap Chinese ohm meter with a few extra circuits added for fancy dials and lights. It’s basically a movie prop.

Edit: of course it was part of the purge: https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/8zrlav/detailed_teardown_of_a_scientology_emeter_high/?rdt=44960

[–] hardcoreufo@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Damn I would have loved to see that.

[–] hackitfast@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)
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[–] Etienne_Dahu@jlai.lu 12 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Bizarroland@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago

Given the era, I would suspect more like a single 9 volt battery.

[–] turkalino@lemmy.yachts 8 points 2 years ago

I imagine whoever tries gets sued into oblivion faster than John Deere with a farmer fixing his tractor

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 49 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I might have a solution, just hear me out… what if they just folded their phony religion and left everyone alone? See? Everyone wins!

[–] Cabrio@lemmy.world 39 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Fuck scientology, but honestly, props to Ron. It takes a significant amount of rizz and a good lack of fucks to go from being quoted on how lucrative it would be to start a religion while he was a well known science fiction author, only to make a religion and gain untold wealth.

I mean it's one thing to grift an idiot, but when you tell them to their face that you're going to grift them who's fault is it really?

[–] BakedGoods@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 years ago

Problem is when you start grifting kids. They can't exactly consent. Same issue with any religion/grift really. If it's aimed at a child it's abuse.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 43 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"Repairing" as in "noticing they don't actually do anything beside measuring resistance like any common multimeter from the DIY shop"

[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Do they even measure resistance? Hold the probes on a multimeter. Tell me how much resistance you're measuring. With my MM I'm registering microohms.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

That just goes to show how important proper training is. Without the right scientology certifications you have no idea how many evil alien ghosts living in your soul those microohms indicate!

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

... Do you mean you're measuring megaohms (M) across your body? Or microohms (u) between probes directly? Or milliohms (m)?

I've wet my finger and measured like 30kOhms across a half inch of skin or so. And if you get into your bloodstream, the salty liquid has very low resistance BUT BUT BUT this will kill you if the probe paths across your heart

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

When I first read about this stuff, it said they were just really sensitive EKG machines. Literally just measuring your pulse.

[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 31 points 2 years ago

Zenu forbid everyone finds out their off-the-shelf multimeter from the 70s is just as special and important as their beliefs (not at all).

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Someone should invent an e-meter that's ten times as accurate.

ETA: That might just be a biofeedback device.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's hard to define concepts like "accuracy" when the basic claim is that the gadget can count the evil dead alien ghosts living in your head to hassle you.

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[–] callmemagnus@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago

When Scientology is your ally... You're on the bad track

Not the onion

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

It occurs to me the CoS doesn't need a state law preventing outside sources from repairing their gizmos. An intra-church policy will do just fine.

Similarly the Catholic Church doesnt need to impose a state law against third parties making Uriel's®️ Heavy Duty Double-Divine Holy Water for demon huntering and exorcism when an internal ruling will do as well. The same for Uriel's Fastin-EZ quick-transubstantiation communion wafers (available also in chocolate, mint and sweetcream flavors!).

[–] ours@lemmy.film 5 points 2 years ago

There is a group offering CoS-equivalent services free of charge as a bit of a challenge to it (CoS Lite, CoS Methadone). They do so by acquiring these devices second-hand and I guess maintaining them is needed and the CoS wants to limit their impact by limiting their right to repair the devices.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Zone_(Scientology)

[–] TubeTalkerX@kbin.social 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)
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