"I am not aware of any studies that show chartists
are any better at predicting future price than a dowser can find
water with two sticks :-)"
I generally agree with your sentiment regarding charts, but dowsing is alive and well in the West among water drillers. While there isn't any scientific explanation (indeed, I'm not sure it's ever been truly examined) I've personally witnessed the use of dowsing to find water lines, septic systems, and water well locations, including by respected engineers. We all laugh at it, but nevertheless, it is commonly employed. And it's not sticks they use, it's metal rods. Very strange, but true.