SMOKE AND SHADOWS: COPPER DOESN’T CONDUCT?!

PRS creates a hole in a bathroom wall in an effort to find an EMF spike, only to say the spike couldn’t come from a pipe- because it’s copper.

Josh claims to have found an EMF spike in the basement bathroom which he thinks emanates from behind a copper pipe in the wall. Josh says he’s getting a high EMF reading even though the house’s power was off. Ryan gets permission from Sarah to crack open up the wall to see if they can find what’s causing the EMF spike, because the idea portrayed is the spike is a paranormal supernatural phenomenon.

Ryan and Josh take turns whacking the wall, while Eilfie stands poised with a crowbar in her hands as if she’s ready to attack whatever is causing the EMF spike to mysteriously emanate from behind the wall. But once a hole is put in the wall, nothing is seen behind the copper pipe to indicate the cause of the spike. Josh feels “frustrated” at not being able to find the source of the EMF spike.

Ryan asks if the pipes could cause the EMF spike if they were to conduct electricity, to which “Tech Specialist” Sergey with “Electrical Engineer” Josh standing by, briefly explains it can’t be; “Because they are copper.” That is so wrong, since copper is a very good conductor of electricity. That’s why it’s used a lot in electrical wiring.

Since the PRS didn’t offer scientific reasons as to how an EMF spike could emanate from a copper pipe, or apparently from behind a copper pipe- I will provide some possibilities below, of how an EMF spike might occur.

Let’s look how the situation unfolds. Josh uses a TriField™ meter and claims he detects an EMF spike, which shouldn’t happen because it’s a high reading and the power to the house was shut off.

1. Josh made an EMF reading. Changes in EMF readings are believed to detect spirits. So some believe.
EMF INVESTIGATION

11:46 PM
Screen caption appeared before this segment.

Copper conducts electricity, this is a known fact, so the copper pipe could have been the source of the EMF. This should have been known by the “Director,” “Tech Specialist,” and “Electrical Engineer” of the Paranormal Research Society (PRS)- considering their association with Penn State University.

The PRS did not describe other possible ways EMF could have been produced and registered on a meter, but created the perception that since they couldn’t find the “true source” “in” the house, that it might be of paranormal or supernatural in it’s cause. But the fact is, copper conducts electricity, and rational explanations as to possible sources of the EMF spike were not given. It is therefore, my opinion that information was withheld to strengthen the illusion of the paranormal/supernatural where none existed.

First published: 07 September 2009

Written by: Ernie Marsh

Screenshot 3, Paranormal State “Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approximately 7 minutes 4 seconds.

It is my opinion this scene is filler material to create the illusion that something paranormal or supernatural might be about to happen. Remember, this is same lightning scene which is used in a total of three episodes.

Screenshot 2, Paranormal State “Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approximately 6 minutes 51 seconds.

Note: Could this be a re-enactment shot during the day? It’s supposed to be after 11:46 PM at night, but could that be daylight and the outdoors seen through the blinds?

Screenshot 1, Paranormal State “Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approximately 6 minutes 22 seconds.

Using a TriField™ meter, Josh claims to detect an EMF spike coming from the wall behind a pipe. The power was supposed to be shut off when one of the readings was taken, so he wonders how there could be an EMF spike.

2. Josh tells Ryan the EMF spike is coming from behind the wall. This seems to imply that there is a paranormal or supernatural entity behind the pipe, perhaps in the wall, that’s producing the EMF spike.

3. We see a lightning flash before Josh and Ryan start whacking the wall. Perhaps the idea is that lightning is foreshadowing an evil presence... but keep in mind, this is the same lightning used in two other Paranormal State episodes. Paranormal State has repeatedly used filler scenes with brief shots containing items such as spiders, birds, wind chimes, and one or more shots of the moon; perhaps implying there is a connection between the investigation and a paranormal or supernatural event.

4. Ryan whacks the wall while Eilfie stands ready with a crowbar.

Screenshot 4, Paranormal State “Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approximately 7 minutes 21 seconds.

Ryan and Josh take turns whacking the wall. It might be interpreted that Eilfie is ready to strike a dastardly EMF entity that might pop out. Eilfie was not shown hitting the wall or an emanating menace. Perhaps this adds “drama” to this “Real Life. Drama.” show?

5. Now with a gaping hole in the wall and no apparent visible sign of what caused the EMF spike, Sergey makes the erroneous statement about pipes not conducting electricity “Because they’re copper.”

Screenshot 6
Paranormal State
“Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approx. 21 min. 12 sec.
Caption is as it appeared.

Notice that the on-screen caption says “true source” and “in” Sarah’s house. This may (or may not) be important in understanding that the EMF source was known, and wasn’t supernatural or paranormal.

This is part of the conversation that led to Sergey’s erroneous statement about pipes not conducting electricity “Because they’re copper.”

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF AN EMF SPIKE THE PRS DIDN’T TELL YOU
It might appear that since the PRS couldn’t locate the “true source” of an EMF spike that there was a paranormal or supernatural causation for the spike in the wall. It is my opinion that the EMF spike either came from the copper pipe portrayed as not being the source, or from another source not shown. A source that is scientifically explainable. The following causes are only speculation since I wasn’t on location at the time, but none-the-less, could be the “true source” of an EMF spike, and technically not be “in” Sarah’s house. Paranormal State might be using some slippery language to obfuscate an otherwise simple (non-ghostly) cause for the EMF spike.

As a note, the EMF source could have been either in the wall (if it wasn’t the copper pipe), or something like a wire or pipe or other electrically-conductive material attached to or near the wall outside the house. That way, the on-screen caption could be interpreted to the extent that the “true source” of EMF was not “in” the house.

1.Walls do not stop magnetic fields. So, there could have been something either inside the wall, or outside of the wall. I’m referring to materials such as wiring or pipes. The outside of the wall was not shown, and since the PRS didn’t tear down the wall, we can’t be sure if the EMF source came from something inside of, or outside the wall.
2.Nearby wiring could have had an active current running through it.
3.An electric junction box or fuse box mounted to the outside of the wall could have produced an EMF reading stronger than what would come from a single strand of wiring or a pipe.
4.The EMF spike registered in the basement. Although a window can be seen on one of the basement walls, if the location of the wall whacking was below ground, there could have been a power line, such as a distribution line, buried outside near the wall.
5.Wiring either in the house, the wall, or outside the wall, could have been improperly wired.
6.The copper pipe, or another nearby water pipe, could be the source of EMF even if Sarah’s house power was off. Since most properly wired homes are grounded, there could be ground currents passing to the visible copper pipe from neighboring homes, thereby producing an EMF.

6. PRS was unable to find the “true source” of the EMF spike “in” the house. Could this be an indication that the PRS knew what caused the EMF spike, but creatively hid the knowledge of the source by having Paranormal State show a carefully-worded closing on-screen caption?

Below is a screenshot from the end of the “Smoke and Shadows” episode, saying the PRS was unable to find the source of the EMF spike in Sarah’s house. Read the caption carefully. Then I’ll briefly list some possible sources that could cause an EMF spike. It is important to notice how this on-screen caption is worded. The “true source” of EMF was not found “in” the house.

Screenshot 5, Paranormal State “Smoke and Shadows”
Appears at approximately 8 minutes 5 seconds.
Screen caption is as it appeared.

PRS “Tech Specialist” Sergey and how his statement was used to show that the pipe(s) in question couldn’t conduct electricity “Because they’re copper.”