An Individual Claims to Be Able to Detect the Presence

question 39

Multiple Choice

An individual claims to be able to detect the presence of graves in an old cemetery by using a "dowsing" or "divining" rod.The rod is a forked twig held in front of the individual as he walks across the cemetery.The "dowser" (person who is using the dowsing rod) claims that depending on which way the twig moves (up and down or side to side) he can determine if there is a grave there and the gender and age of the individual buried at that spot.Which of the following would NOT help evaluate if the dowser is a fraud?

• A) It would help to know if the dowser had any previous knowledge of the cemetery.
• B) It would help to actually dig up the site to determine if the dowser's predictions were accurate.
• C) It would help to at least use X-rays or some other means to examine what might, or might not, be buried in the ground.
• D) It would help to know the dowser's age and affiliation with other dowsers.

---

Definitions:

Amino Sugars

A type of sugar molecule that contains an amino group in place of a hydroxyl group, found in many biopolymers and glycoproteins.

Fibronectin

A high-molecular weight glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix that binds to membrane-spanning receptor proteins called integrins, as well as to components such as collagen and fibrin.

Peripheral Proteins

These refer to proteins that are located on the surface of the plasma membrane, either on the exterior or interior side; they are not embedded in the lipid bilayer.

Integral Proteins

Proteins that are permanently embedded within the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, playing roles in various cellular functions including transport and signal transduction.