Criticism

Ghost Hunters has attracted various critics and skeptics, such as Joe Nickell of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and Skeptical Inquirer author, Lynne Kelly,^[4] James Randi, Benjamin Radford, and Alison Smith^[5] of Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society.

Critics point to a lack of scientific methodology and critical examination in their investigations as well as questionable production aspects involving editing, action that is rarely captured on tape, and findings that are unsupported by evidence. Tools are used in ways that they are not proven effective, or in ways that they have been proven ineffective, such as infrared thermometers that are claimed to detect cold spots in the middle of rooms when such tools are able only to measure the surface temperature of objects.^[5]

Techniques with thermal imaging cameras, Geiger counters, electronic voice phenomenon, and EMF detectors are used with little to no explanation of how the techniques have been proven to provide evidence of ghosts or other entities. Concerns with regard to how the devices are used are common, such as how Benjamin Radford puts it in an article for CSI, "you may own the world's most sophisticated thermometer, but if you are using it as a barometer, your measurements are worthless. Just as using a calculator doesn't make you a mathematician, using a scientific instrument doesn't make you a scientist."^[6]

"Other gear not typically shown on screen are an Ion Generator — a device that charges the air with electricity and theorized to help spirits manifest, and the White Noise Generator — an audio device that makes a static background noise and theorized to act as a catalyst for assisting entities in making EVPs.^[1]

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The White Noise Generator is interesting. A majority of the EVPs sound like noise to me. The audio clips where the true audio signal (usually voices of the investigators) is much stronger than the EVPs are especially sketchy.

Yeah, I have long thought that on a ghost hunt I would want something that charges the air in some way with energy, to permote the therory that ghost draw energy from their surroundings.

The white noise maker has me wondering a little though about what kind of sounds they would make on a digital recorder.  Or what effect the Ion generator would have on the varrious equipment, like the K2 meters.

Why would they not talk about these things on the show ever?  In the begining they tried out all kinds of different equipment.