Ganesh and the Milk Miracle

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:30 pm

Anyone know anything about this? Experienced it in person? I read about it at the time and was amazed and have been thinking about it recently. There are lots of sources on the subject. Tons of video out there, and not much of a good explanation.

http://www.milkmiracle.com/

doberman · Post by **doberman** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:03 pm

funny how there is no close-up of the mout that is not milk-smeared. funny how no one has attempted to lift up such a statue. does this mean we all have to turn into hindus now? or is the toast with the face of jesus of mold that went for something like 30'000$ on ebay a more significant sign that the christians are right?

funny how you havent asked yourself those questions.

if you send me all your funds i will tell you the truth, why we are here, where we are going and what comes after death.. you will be so amazed to find out.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:04 pm

I found this, which is the only source I found of someone actually testing the drinking rather than just watching it.

Seeking to explain the phenomenon, scientists from Indiaâ€™s Ministry of Science and Technology travelled to a temple in New Delhi and made an offering of milk containing a food colouring. As the level of liquid in the spoon dropped, it became obvious that after the milk disappeared from the spoon, it coated the statue beneath where the spoon was placed. With this result, the scientists offered capillary action as an explanation; the surface tension of the milk was pulling the liquid up and out of the spoon, before gravity caused it to run down the front of the statue. This explanation did nothing to reduce the numbers of faithful rushing to the temples, however, and queues of people carrying pots, pans, and buckets of milk continued to gather.

I wonder if it really ever stops like people claim? Some say milk pools under the statues and other claim that it doesn't.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:07 pm

funny how you havent asked yourself those questions.

That's why I'm asking. I figure someone tested it rather than just blindly believed. There don't seem to be many sources that actually test this, rather they blindly say "it could have been caused by X" or people defending other religions saying "Gods are not in idols, that's stupid". I'm looking for actual explanations, which is what I do when I don't understand something.

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:15 pm

Ever notice that when you put a glass of whiskey and water on the rocks in front of Heli, it dissapears...

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:18 pm

Hmm.

*pours a glass of whiskey without the rocks and looks away*

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:38 pm

(Slams whiskey, steps back)

It's a miracle!

doberman · Post by **doberman** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:48 am

[quote="helitack"]Ever notice that when you put a glass of whiskey and water on the rocks in front of Heli, it dissapears...[/quote]

just the same happens to me all the time.. and afterwards i feel so enlightened that i can hardly walk.. :D

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:24 am

Watch the milk shoot out of my elephant.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:33 am

Have any video footage of that?

dana · Post by **dana** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:46 am

MikeVDS wrote:Anyone know anything about this? Experienced it in person? I read about it at the time and was amazed and have been thinking about it recently. There are lots of sources on the subject. Tons of video out there, and not much of a good explanation.

http://www.milkmiracle.com/

Mike, you evil man. Don't you know you're opening the eplaya's least favorite can 'o worms?

Of course for me, it's one of my favorite cans of deliscious goulash.
I'll take woo woo in any flavor! yumm! (kiddin of course. I leave most of it alone.)
Am I simply gullible? No. Seen too much wierd shit happen before my eyes, in too many situations when there was absolutely no huckster anywhere nearby (in fact most of the time I was by myself.) And I trust my understanding of reality and my most important sense of skepticism.
Are people routinely scammed and fooled by such things? Of course.
My explanation? (inedible, untenable, unmeasurable, and generally too difficult)

[by the way, your avatar looks very cool. Is that a mask you made? Can you post a bigger version? I've done a little metal forging myself, so I'm curious.]

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:29 am

When I was a child I saw unexplained things. Some I remember clearly others I was told about and have no recollection of. After about the age of 3 I can have not seen anything that is not easily explained. I don't believe in ghosts etc, though I would love to see one. I'd gladly sleep in one of those houses that people claim to get lifted out of their beds and get scratched up. I don't believe it would happen but if it did I'd probably piss my pants and be happy about it. It's pretty hard to convince me of something without strong evidence. That's why I was wondering about the Ganesh. I thought if people knew more about it, did it themselves etc that it would be fun to gather evidence on.

The helm was created by Lars Hansen
http://www.albion-swords.com/inhouse/lars.htm [commercial site]
There are more and high quality photos of it on his site as well as other work.

doberman · Post by **doberman** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:38 pm

well, hopefully this year will be my first-timer at the playa.. and you should know, i have seen and experienced things that others would just be blown away by them. most have never touched me, except for some of the mind-altering (substances) kind..

but listen well: i hope to see and experience things on the playa that will blow my mind away. and i dont mean to get laid. and not substance related. thats why i brought up my initial question that i wondered why you never asked yourself the questions i had asked..

this weekend i was out again after a looooong time, first thing happened to me was some sister that wanted to get close, second was this sm-session right in the club that went on the whole night. third was one of the most beautfiul girls i have ever seen that tried to chat me up.. african-origin even, for exotics, my favourite.. did i mention i went home all alone?

i dont believe in anything anymore as long as its too real, as i would not recognize it to be true.. skeptical switzerland, this is me!!!

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:29 pm

...and you make useful knives...

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:40 pm

That helmet is really cool! (Way too hot to where at BM, at least during the day, still I wouldn't mind owning it.)

Anyway, I really haven't seen or experienced much that can't be explained away logically. I have known people who have researched the supernatural, but they report that field is too full of frauds and/or people who don't know how to do scientific research (or want to see results so badly they find them anyway) to be useful.

Aw, heck. I've been on the computer too long and am really rambling.

B.

dana · Post by **dana** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:57 pm

MikeVDS wrote:When I was a child I saw unexplained things. Some I remember clearly others I was told about and have no recollection of. After about the age of 3 I can have not seen anything that is not easily explained. I don't believe in ghosts etc, though I would love to see one. I'd gladly sleep in one of those houses that people claim to get lifted out of their beds and get scratched up. I don't believe it would happen but if it did I'd probably piss my pants and be happy about it. It's pretty hard to convince me of something without strong evidence. That's why I was wondering about the Ganesh. I thought if people knew more about it, did it themselves etc that it would be fun to gather evidence on.

The helm was created by Lars Hansen
http://www.albion-swords.com/inhouse/lars.htm [commercial site]
There are more and high quality photos of it on his site as well as other work.

Yeah, in general all the wierd-ass woo woo stuff can be explained away. But for some things you just have to toss them around in your head. Calculate the rough odds of whatever it was "just happening". After you experience enough million to ones, you start to think "OK, something beyond the mere scientifically explainable definitely appears to be going on."
Gathering evidence is kind of a fool's errand though. The reason why should be obvious.

[And thanks for the link to the helm! I might have to check it out again a few times. I fell so in love with metal work when I was learning it, but I still don't have my own forge and power hammers, etc. get the house done first...]

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:29 pm

Gathering evidence is kind of a fool's errand though. The reason why should be obvious.

I would agree if I were trying to prove something to those who believe. I'm just trying to explain things for myself. The video looks pretty weird and a lot of people saw it, so something happened. I'm comfortable with the explanation I quoted before though. Still pretty neat looking to see the elephant "suck" the milk up.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:35 am

Still pretty neat looking to see the elephant "suck" the milk up.

I wonder if Uri has one on his alter.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_062.html

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:04 am

If you're thinking about replicating this on the playa, remember that the miracle of evaporation is also an option.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:27 pm

to my bloodshot eyes it appears in all the videos that the spoon is tilted just enough so that the milk runs down the front of the statute. Look closely, you can actually see the milk trickle down the front of the statute. One statute is sitting on cloth to absorb the spilled milk. This is one miracle not worth crying over.

The more fascinating phenomenon is the inate desire of humanity to experience something beyond the ordinary. Some have milk slurping elephants, some have Burning Man. I suppose.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:19 pm

The Central Myth Debunking Authority suggests that the statue is made of porous ceramic which wicks the milk away in capillary effect - miracles at your fingertips, impress your friends!

Won't I look stupid when I am proved wrong?

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:28 pm

Wouldn't the statue start to smell of sour milk...? (Although wiking is probably the most likely explanation.)

B.

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:15 pm

So its like the Chia Pet material? sucking up milk - thats gotta stink after awhile.

later all

dana · Post by **dana** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:27 pm

MikeVDS wrote:
Gathering evidence is kind of a fool's errand though. The reason why should be obvious.
I would agree if I were trying to prove something to those who believe. I'm just trying to explain things for myself.

Actually that's not quite the point I was trying to make either. Nothing that exists and is measurable in a conventional scientific sense is ever likely to show that it contravenes any known scientific principle or the "laws" of physics.
A "miracle" that you come across somewhere else (like on the net) really has little more value than the "gee whiz" factor. But if you experience a miracle in your own life directly, that's another matter. That would bring in the question of your own relationship to that occurence or thing. So the first question is always - do I have an underlying agenda here? What would happen if you had a bonafide mysterious occurence happen in your life? Would you be compelled to ignore it (rationalizing that it must have a normal explanation?) Or conversely, would you demand that the explanation for it be supernatural (even though it might be something quite ordinary?) And then, what meaning does it have in your life? Is there a context for this thing to suddenly drop into?

[If you have a perverse desire to really wallow in these questions, you might check out the thread 'why are you an atheist?' I thought it had a few good moments, but largely incoherant thrashing.]

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 10:27 am

dana wrote:What would happen if you had a bonafide mysterious occurence happen in your life?

Some days, when one's attention is fully engaged, merely opening one's eyes in the morning is a baffling miracle. What is life, after all, and consciousness, and reality? Those who look for miracles in statues seem to be to be missing the point.

dana · Post by **dana** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:31 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:
dana wrote:What would happen if you had a bonafide mysterious occurence happen in your life?
Some days, when one's attention is fully engaged, merely opening one's eyes in the morning is a baffling miracle. What is life, after all, and consciousness, and reality? Those who look for miracles in statues seem to be to be missing the point.

Yeah, pretty much.
But it's still pretty cool to have some totally wierd-ass experiences drop in from time to time. They're part of what takes the place of the drug experiences I had when I was young (which never had enough value for me to want to continue.)
For me, a miracle has two components. It is something far beyond what expectation would dictate, and it opens one up to greater possibilities, a larger picture or new understandings. (Like a virus that disrupts the structure of your reality, with nice effects...?)
And one of them might even save your life someday!
(The Ganesh thing tends to be just about faith, no better than all the mind traps offered by Christianity.)

[alright, enough being serious about woo woo. I better get over to SED's pithy affirmations quick!]

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:43 pm

I would still rather experiece Heli and the Whiskey Miracle...

dana · Post by **dana** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:49 pm

helitack wrote:I would still rather experiece Heli and the Whiskey Miracle...

Well next time you might have to be a bit faster than CO.
(sneaky little bastard.)

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:23 pm

I would still rather experiece Heli and the Whiskey Miracle...

I'd like to meet the bartender behind the curtain.

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:26 pm

Ganesh and the Milk Miracle

Ganesh and the Milk Miracle

Re: Ganesh and the Milk Miracle