Crop Circles

[zelmo]

This past weekend I saw a TV special on Crop Circles, a phenomenon I have been aware of for years but never gave much 'serious' thought to. The whole idea that aliens are trying to communicate with us through strangely compelling circular designs stamped into wheat fields in the dead of night, or that this is the navigational system of choice of a species with technology advanced enough to permit space travel magnitudes more impressive than anything we have thus far achieved, well it all seems a bit fringe-y.
On the other hand, some of the 'work' that has been achieved in the wee hours of the night doesn't seem like it could have been successfully pulled off by a very small team of people, and a larger group would inevitably have someone talking.
Maybe it's teenaged aliens just having a go with the puny humans.

Opinions?

 

[Iscariot]

Opinions?

Human beings are most resourceful when mischief is involved.

 

[munson]

Yeah, I have seen similar programs on it. I personally think it is a group of teenagers doing it. Did it show how they did it? When I saw the special it showed a way you could do it by using a board and a couple ropes, and just walking around in a very calculated circle (or other shapes).

 

[Rt&Dzine]

I'd be disappointed if this was the work of aliens.

 

[Cromulent]

Personally I just think it is the (very impressive) work of pranksters.

 

[leekohler]

Yeah, I have seen similar programs on it. I personally think it is a group of teenagers doing it. Did it show how they did it? When I saw the special it showed a way you could do it by using a board and a couple ropes, and just walking around in a very calculated circle (or other shapes).

Then why has no one ever been caught doing this? If it were simply mischievous teens, I would think they would have slipped up by now. Someone would have let the secret out. This has been going on far too long to simpy be the work of a few teenagers.

 

[arkitect]

I personally think it is a group of teenagers doing it.

Why teenagers?
Crop circles are most certainly human created, but not by teenagers… I doubt any group of teenagers would be able to carry out something of that complexity and skill — while working in the dark… All that hard work? I think not.

 

[leekohler]

Why teenagers?
Crop circles are most certainly human created, but not by teenagers… I doubt any group of teenagers would be able to carry out something of that complexity and skill — while working in the dark… All that hard work? I think not.

Exactly. The last thing on my mind as a teen was doing something that complicated. I just wanted to party and get laid. More complex intellectual pursuits came later.

It's interesting to me how this occurs though. Who would be doing this? Why? And why has no one ever been caught doing it? It seems like such a labor intensive thing.

 

[drlunanerd]

 

[sushi]

Then why has no one ever been caught doing this? If it were simply mischievous teens, I would think they would have slipped up by now. Someone would have let the secret out. This has been going on far too long to simpy be the work of a few teenagers.

Good point.

Why hasn't someone been caught doing this?

Additionally, most can't keep a secret for very long, let alone years.

 

[arkitect]

Who would be doing this? Why? And why has no one ever been caught doing it? It seems like such a labor intensive thing.

From the National Geographic: Link

"In 1996 a circle appeared near Stonehenge and the farmer set up a booth and charged a fee," said Lundberg. "He collected £30,000 (U.S. $47,000) in four weeks. The value of the crop had it been harvested was probably about £150 ($235). So, yeah, they're happy."

Enuff said…

I'll tramp about in my field for a couple of hours for that kind of profit.

 

[Consultant]

There are shows that debunks the alien theory by showing how people can make crop circles easily in a few hours.

Yeah, I have seen similar programs on it. I personally think it is a group of teenagers doing it. Did it show how they did it? When I saw the special it showed a way you could do it by using a board and a couple ropes, and just walking around in a very calculated circle (or other shapes).

Yup. Very bored people. No aliens are ever caught either.

 

[leekohler]

From the National Geographic: Link

Enuff said…

I'll tramp about in my field for a couple of hours for that kind of profit.

Good article. It looks like some are easily explainable, and some not. Thanks for the link.

 

[Iscariot]

Someone would have let the secret out. This has been going on far too long to simpy be the work of a few teenagers.

Tons of people have let the secret out. I remember seeing a special on TV when I was a kid that had lots of people not only talking about the circles they made, but videos of them making them. All it takes is a bit of mathematical know-how, it's actually very geek.

Here's a video of a group making a crop circle of the Firefox logo [link]

 

[leekohler]

Tons of people have let the secret out. I remember seeing a special on TV when I was a kid that had lots of people not only talking about the circles they made, but videos of them making them. All it takes is a bit of mathematical know-how, it's actually very geek.

Here's a video of a group making a crop circle of the Firefox logo [link]

Well thanks! I guess I've just seen too many X-Files episodes.

 

[munson]

Thanks for providing some real info on this. I remember seeing/reading/hearing it, but couldn't cite my sources, so I looked like an imbecile.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Tons of people have let the secret out. I remember seeing a special on TV when I was a kid that had lots of people not only talking about the circles they made, but videos of them making them. All it takes is a bit of mathematical know-how, it's actually very geek.

Indeed, there are a number of groups of hoaxers out there – loads of people were at it a few years back when there was a spate of crop circles here in the UK over a couple of summers.

Thing is though, such things have been reported around the world (including mysterious ice and snow formations in colder parts of the globe) for many, many years – the first known recorded one in this country occurring back in the 17th Century. I don't see how all of these can be the work of hoaxers, but I'm equally sceptical about the fact that they're the work of aliens as some people claim. I think a more likely explanation is something along the lines of rare weather or atmospheric conditions – and I think that the more complex the patterns the more likely a hoax is.

Mind you, one 'theory' that I did like was that they are extraterrestrial in origin but rather tha being some complex attempt to communicate with us they're simply massive 'advertising hoardings' left by alien big business to promote their wares to other visiting ETs.

 

[Gelfin]

Ah, like extraterrestrial practical jokers. The circles presumably are Intergalactic Standard for, "Note: the farmers and trailer park residents on this planet produce starship fuel in their lower digestive tracts."

No doubt alien teenagers have been cracking themselves up for years with that one.

 

[Zombie Acorn]

Tie a rope down in the middle of the field as an anchor point and off you go.

 

[EricNau]

It's interesting to me how this occurs though. Who would be doing this? Why? And why has no one ever been caught doing it? It seems like such a labor intensive thing.

Has no one been caught? I suspect that's simply part of the fabricated folklore surrounding this phenomenon.

Check out John Lundberg, a professional crop circle maker (and filmmaker). His site is: http://www.circlemakers.org (which is equally as complicated as his crop circles, I might add).


With certainty we can attribute many crop circles to human activity. Therefore, it's most logical to also attribute samples without such evidence to human activity rather than invoking the paranormal.

Here's an analogy: When the police arrive to the scene of a burglary, there is usually evidence of a human break-in, no? When this evidence is absent (i.e. there is no evidence), do the police assume it was an experienced human burglar, or an alien species?