<p>(London, 26/07/2013) Gary Bolton, the former director of Global Technical Ltd and maker of the GT200 'remote substance detector', was found guilty on two counts of fraud at the Central Criminal Court ('Old Bailey') in London on Friday afternoon. At the end of a three week trial, the jury reached a majority verdict of 11–1, declaring him guilty of both manufacturing and supplying a device in the course of fraud between January 2007 and July 2012.</p> <p></p>

<p>From a report by the National News Bureau of Thailand, part of the Public Relations Department (stop giggling there, of course news is subordinate to PR):</p> <p>‘Thailand’s Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has asked the public to stop making comments or criticisms about the controversial bomb detector GT200 procurement.’</p> <p></p>

<p>There has been much speculation as to why the Thai military insist on using the GT200 pseudo-bomb-detector, when the Ministry of Science and Technology has run a test that proved it is ineffective. The device has since been disassembled to reveal that it is no more than an empty plastic box and a telescopic car aerial, and its &lsquo;pre-programmed cards&rsquo; are un-programmable bits of laminated paper.</p>

<p>The Bt800-million GT200 hoax is forcing scientists to encourage Thais to become more rational. It is a fair and modest request, because Thai society is bound to benefit from rational thought.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Tale Number One: Germany, just over 100 years ago.</strong></p> <p>Wilhelm von Osten, a mathematics teacher and amateur horse trainer, owned a horse called Hans. And he combined his two jobs by training his horse in mathematics. And very successfully.</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s been a bad week for the scam artists.</p> <p>Sorawan Sirisuntarin, who markets under the name &lsquo;Pa Cheng&rsquo;, has been charged with violating the Pharmaceuticals Act. She had been peddling a panacea called Maha Bambad at 1000 baht a wee bottle and an eye lotion called Jiaranai Petch.</p>

<p>The device known as GT200 has been used by the Thai military to detect explosive materials and has drawn greater controversy with time as serious doubts of its effectiveness amount among human rights organizations, civil society, and the scientific community.&nbsp;</p>