Crop Circles...

[fajrdrako]

Beulah and I watched a DVD called Alien Sign: The Message - The Crop Circle Mystery, which I had bought for $1 in the Great Glebe Garage Sale.

Especially with that absurd title, I didn't expect much in the way of content. I got it because I find crop circles beautiful. But it turns out to be a taped lecture from 2002 by Colin Andrews, who speaks intelligently, if not always grammatically - I cringed every time he said, "this phemonema is..." But he covered all the most interesting aspects of the subject without sensationalism.

And by gum, those crop circles are beautiful.

I don't believe they are hoaxes, or extraterrestrial messages, or special signs from heaven. I think... insofar as I have any theory whatsoever, inchoate though it may be... that it's some sort of physical process of nature, like snowflakes or water crystals, that occur under certain conditions. I have been known to say it's probably some sort of electromagentic effect, but since watching Lost last week I feel hesitant to say that.... Perhaps some form of bioenergy? Floral energy? Geophysical energy?

A few links for later consideration:
Colin Andrew's Crop Circle Research site (artistically appalling...)
Circles Phenomenon Research International (Andrew's organiation)
CIA conspiracy stuff
Crop circle connector
The Circle Makers (Those who make 'em as a hobby?)
Crop Circle Research - a quick glance, this looks like a good one
The Crop Circular
The Skeptic's Dictionary
Crystalinks - nice picture
Crop Circle Search
Crop Circle News
Wikipedia item
Crop Circles Quest
Canadian Crop Circle Network

Comments

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Blokes in the West Country with planks and plastic rollers. I've seen films of them making them, and it is not irrelevant that over 95% of UK crop circles are apparently made within 50 miles of where they live.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

LOL. I can just see them with their equipment, sneaking out in the middle of the night!

If the books are correct, though, there are aspects to the crop circles that can't be created by the people doing it with planks and rollers - so the 'hoax' circles and the ones that are just plain weird can be easily differentiated.

My favourite was the crop formation created in the shape of a bicycle - along the route of the Tour de France.

I don't know what the reality is, but I do enjoy the things as art.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any that can't be done with a plank and a bit of rope to hold it by while you trample down. The circular ones are the easiest, even the ones with dozens of spiralling circles, but the one I saw the film of had a lot of straight lines as well.

And yes, they do sneak out, and it's a bit tricky because the nights are short in the crop circle season.

As to other aspeces, not everybody who studies them finds the non trampling aspects, and some of them apparently turn out to be the consequences (not the cause) of lodging.

And William of Ockham is whispering in my ear about natural phenomena or aliens producing Tour de Franche bicycles, plus the fact that even snowflakes and other crystals are NEVER as regular as the circles

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any that can't be done with a plank and a bit of rope

If you've seen any at all, you're way ahead of me! I am not convinced, either way; I don't fully trust the arguments on either side of the question. Whatever it is, it's fun to watch it happening.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

I agree they are beautiful, but I think they're people made. If it had been some natural phenomenon, I'd expect two things
a. historical reports of similar things, and I, at least, have never heard of any pre-WWII;
b. more 'natural looking' shapes. Natural phenomena don't tend to occur in perfect concentric circles or squares. That tends to be a human thing.

I have heard that the plants in crop circles produce odd readings.

I dont' tend to be the skeptic type, but these just don't have the right vibe for me. But they are beautiful.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

This particular DVD had a record and a drawing of a crop circle from the 17th century. I'd never seen anything that early, either.

The crop circles aren't generally concentric, though they do have right angles.

I think there's something odd going on, but I don't know what it is. If it's man-made, it's harder to believe (for numerous reasons) than if it is not. But if it is not, what causes the crop circles? No idea.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean only concentric, of course, although that's a fairly common type, but they tend to be based on rather basic geometric shapes, which is not how natural phenomena go.

In general, I'll go with the 'no idea' thing.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There seems to be no theory about crop circles that explains what's going on. So scratching my head and wondering and reading what gets published is just another interesting intellectual game that I don't really expect an answer for. But it's fun to speculate.