 They are large geometric patterns appearing in fields of corn, wheat, and barley. The patterns are created when certain areas are flattened while other areas are left untouched. Some people believe that they are messages from intelligent extraterrestrial life. Others say they are made by humans. Is there any benefit to the study of crop circles?
The first known reported crop circle occurred in 1678 England. It was known as the “Mowing Devil” and depicted a devilish figure cutting a circle in a field. Crop circles not only in England, but other parts of the world including, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and India. The modern crop circle phenomena did not begin until the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was during this period in the late 1970’s when two men, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, began claiming responsibility for the crop circle development in the English countryside. They claimed that by using simple geometry, a wooden plank, and some rope, the design of the crop circle could be accomplished in a matter of hours at night, thus leading to the overnight development of the circle without knowledge to the landowner and miraculously appearing. Many people believe that this claim ended the mystery of the crop circle and its origins. Researchers, on the other hand, say otherwise. Researchers examine the location and weather patterns of the area. They also scrutinize the affected crops and surrounding soil with sophisticated techniques such as x-ray diffraction analysis. Electromagnetic energy readings are also taken inside and near the crop circle along with analyzing the pattern circle, e.g, comparing some complex patterns with hieroglyphics or other ancient symbols. After all the testing and data analysis, researchers, having pondered the question of crop circles for decades, still haven’t come up with an explanation as to why they exist. There are other theories as to how crop circles are made. Some suggest that it is nothing more than swirling winds called vortices. These are similar to “dust devils”. The spinning columns force a burst of air down to the ground, which flatten wheat and other crops. Vortices are common in hilly areas of southern England. Dr. Terence Meaden of the Tornado and Storm Research Organization in Wiltshire, England, says the vortices that create crop circles are charged with energy (his idea is called the Plasma Vortex Theory). When dust particles get caught up in the spinning, charged air, they can appear to glow, which may explain the UFO-like glowing lights many witnesses have seen near crop circles. But the question remains: How can a few seconds worth of spinning air create such intricate and perfectly defined crop circles? A few researchers have theorized that small airplanes or helicopters stir up downdrafts that push the crops down into patterns. Recreation attempts so far have not been successful in producing the downdrafts necessary to make the perfectly round edges seen in most crop circles. Some researchers believe that the Earth, in fact, creates its own energy, which forms the circles. One possible form of Earth energy is electromagnetic radiation. Scientists have, in fact, measured strong magnetic fields inside crop circles, and visitors have sometimes reported feeling a tingling sensation in their bodies while or near the circles. In the early 1990s, American biophysicist Dr. William Levengood discovered that crops in circles were damaged much in the same way plants are heated in a microwave oven. He proposed the idea that the crops were being rapidly heated from the inside by some kind of microwave energy, thus explaining certain joints in the crop having an explosion-like appearance at the bend. Possibly the most controversial theory is that crop circles are the work of visitors from other planets- sort of like alien calling cards. People who agree with this theory say that the circles are either the imprint left by UFO landings or messages brought to us from afar. Some eyewitnesses claim to have seen flying saucer-like lights and strange noises emanating from the crop circle sites. The crop circle phenomena is still open for debate. Will we ever find out the reason for their existence or will we lay dormant like the broken crop? Is it just another tourist money grab? Will we ever have an answer? #QUESTIONEVERYTHING  We all remember learning in history class that Christopher Columbus set sail across the Atlantic ocean in 1492 with three ships to discover the new world. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus never set foot in what we call mainland North America. The explorer believed he had reached the East Indies. He was actually in the modern day Bahamas. Let’s remember that sailing vessels had been around for centuries along with explorers.
Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer from Iceland. His father, Eric The Red, had founded the first European settlement on what is now called Greenland in 980 A.D. Born in Iceland around 970 A.D., Erikson likely grew up in Greenland before sailing east to Norway when he was around 30 years of age. It was here that King Olaf I Tryggvason converted him to Christianity, and inspired him to spread the faith to Greenland’s pagan settlers. But shortly thereafter, Erikson instead arrived in America around 1000 A.D. To this day, many believe that Leif Erikson is actually the man who discovered America first. There are varying historical accounts of his discovery of America. One saga claims that Erikson sailed off course while he was returning to Greenland and happened upon North America by accident. But then there’s another saga about him stating that the discovery was intentional- and that he heard about it from another Icelandic trader who spotted it but never set foot on the shores. Intent on going there. Erikson assembled a crew of thirty five men and set sail. While these tales from the middle ages might appear to be mythical, archaeologists actually discovered tangible evidence supporting these sagas. Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad found remains of a Viking settlement in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland in the 1960s- right where the Norse legend claimed Erikson had set up camp. Not only were the remains clearly of Norse origin, they were also dated back to Erikson’s lifetime thanks to radiocarbon analysis. And yet, many people still ask, “Did Christopher Columbus discover America?” While it appears Erikson had beat him, it was the Italians that accomplished something the Vikings could not: They opened a pathway from the Old World to the New. Conquest and colonization were quick to follow the 1492 discovery of America, with life on both sides of the Atlantic forever changing. Columbus returned to Spain and was greeted as a hero. After being instructed to continue his work, Columbus returned to the Western Hemisphere across three more voyages until the early 1500s. Throughout these expeditions, European settlers stole from the Indigenous people, abducting their wives, and seized them as captives to be taken to Spain. As the number of Spanish colonists increased, the Indigenous populations across the islands decreased. Countless Native people died from European diseases such as smallpox and measles, to which they had no immunity. Settlers often forced the islanders into forced labor in the fields. Those resisting were either killed or sent to Spain as slaves. Though Columbus is generally hailed as the man who discovered America, he was plagued with ship troubles during his final trip back to Spain and was marooned in Jamaica for a year before being rescued in 1504. Columbus died two years later still incorrectly believing that he’d found a new way to Asia. Perhaps this is why America itself was named after Columbus and instead was named after a Florentine explorer named Amerigo Vespucci. It was Vespucci who put forth the idea that Columbus landed on a different continent that was completely separate from Asia. Nonetheless, the Americas had been home to indigenous people for millennia before either of them had ever been born- with even other groups of Europeans preceding Columbus. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING  The Central Intelligence Agency sure can come up with some strange and off-the-wall spy techniques. Here’s an operation that you might not believe. In the 1960s, the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology embarked on an ambitious project known as Operation Acoustic Kitty. The goal was to create a unique type of spy: a cat equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment.
The idea behind this unconventional approach was to leverage the innocuous nature of cats to gather intelligence in situations where human spies would be conspicuous. The CIA believed that cats, with their ability to roam freely and blend into various environments, could be the perfect covert operatives. To bring this vision to life, the agency subjected cats to surgical procedures, implanting miniaturized listening devices in their bodies. The aim was to train these feline spies to sit near foreign officials, secretly transmitting their private conversations to CIA operatives. Operation Acoustic Kitty was a project that pushed the boundaries of espionage technology. The cats underwent extensive modifications, basically transforming them into cyborg-like creatures. Microphones were implanted in their ears, while radio transmitters and antennas were skillfully woven into their fur. The CIA’s team of scientists and engineers worked tirelessly to ensure that these spy cats would be capable of carrying out their surveillance missions without drawing suspicion. The concept of using animals for espionage was not entirely new. However, Operation Acoustic Kitty took this idea to a new level by combining advanced technology with the natural ability of cats. The project was a testament to the CIA’s willingness to explore unconventional methods to gain a strategic advantage during the Cold War era. Despite the ambitious nature of Operation Acoustic Kitty, the project faced numerous challenges. Have you ever tried training a cat? Training cats to behave as reliable spies proved to be a daunting task, as their independent nature and unpredictable behavior made them difficult to control. Additionally, the surgical procedures and integration of surveillance equipment posed significant risks to the well-being of the feline operatives. The CIA’s ambitious Acoustic Kitty project aimed to use a specially trained cat to eavesdrop on conversations near the Soviet embassy in Washington D.C. The first mission was to take place in a park outside the embassy, where the spy cat would capture a discussion between two men. With high hopes, the CIA agents released the cat near the target location. However, the mission took a disastrous turn almost immediately. According to some reports, the unfortunate feline was struck down by a passing taxi moments after being released by his handlers. Despite the CIA’s effort to train the cat to sit near the target and record conversations, the first Acoustic Kitty project ended in complete failure. The project's abrupt end highlighted the challenge of using animals, particularly cats, in espionage operations. Despite the agency’s belief in their ability to train cats for espionage purposes, the project was cancelled in 1967 after being deemed impractical for real world use. But don’t worry about the cats anymore. The CIA is using more robotic animals now such as the robotic fish like Catfish Charlie. Never underestimate the ability of our spy agencies or any agency for that matter. They will go to extreme lengths to gather information. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING  In school as kids, kids everywhere had to take some form of science class. In most cases, it was Biology, a branch of science that deals with living organisms, including but not limited to ecology, evolution, genetics, microbiology, physiology, and zoology.
Remember dissecting the frogs? But in recent decades, we’ve come to hear the term Cryptozoology. What is that, you ask? Cryptozoology is the study of animals whose existence has not been confirmed by the larger scientific community. It is considered a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated. The study of cryptozoology came to be through the work of Ivan T. Sanderson, a Scottish botanist and zoologist educated at prestigious Cambridge in the United Kingdom. After working in counter-espionage for the British Naval Intelligence during World War II, he began to focus on his academic pursuits. Sanderson used the media to bring information about the natural sciences to a wider audience. In the late 1940s, he began making regular appearances on radio and television programs in New York lecturing on zoology and animal life. In the 1950s, Sanderson became increasingly interested in the study of the unexplained, including ufology and cryptozoology. Sanderson founded the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU) to look into such topics as UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Sasquatch, the Bermuda Triangle and other cryptids. Sanderson was also an author on the various subjects mentioned, including “Invisible Residents: The Reality of Underwater UFOs”; “Pursuing the Unexplained: Puzzling Mysteries of the Natural World”; “Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life” to name a few. Although Sanderson died in February 1973 of brain cancer in New Jersey at the age of 62, the study of Cryptozoology continues. Although Cryptozoology is not regarded as a true science, college training in biology, zoology, or a related field can be helpful for individuals considering this career path as a degree is not needed. You may be wondering who the heck would hire a cryptozoologist. Well, the answer is museums and research centers that focus on the study of natural history, anthropology, or folklore. Just so you know, a cryptozoologist salary, as of 2021, was $64,724.00 with a high of $120k in San Jose, California. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll find out more about these cryptids like the Dover Demon in Massachusetts; the Lizard Man of Scrape Ore Swamp in South Carolina; or even the Mongolian Death Worm of the Gobi Desert (Remember the movie Tremors?) #QUESTIONEVERYTHING .  Ah, yes! It's that time of year again to celebrate all things Irish. If you've been under a rock for a few centuries, I'm speaking of St. Patrick's Day. An annual celebration of Irish culture and heritage.
But why? St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th to honor the death of St. Patrick in Ireland. Born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, he was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped but returned about 432 CE to convert the Irish to Christianity. By the time of his death in 461, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools. Some of the legends that have grown around him include that he drove the snakes out of Ireland and used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. The Irish have celebrated Ste Patrick's Day as a religious holiday for over a 1 ,OOO years. Although not an official holiday in the United States, it is still celebrated with music, food, the color green, and of course, beer. Who doesn't love a pint or twelve? It was immigrants to the United States who transformed St. Patrick's Day into the unofficial holiday that it is today. One of the first cities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a parade was Boston in 1737, followed by New York in 1762. One icon of the Irish holiday is the Leprechaun. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small bodied fellow' Belief in leprechauns in all likelihood stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. On a side note, leprechauns have their own holiday on May 13. So now that you know a bit of St, Patrick's Day, here's an Irish blessing to al} and please saying it in your best Irish voice. "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction." Cheers and #QUESTIONEVERYTHING  Energy. A product that the world cannot live without. It powers everything we do in today's world. From mops that are used in cleaning to the clothes we wear daily. From the sports our athletes play to the ballpoint pens that are used in educating students and in the business world. But where does this energy come from and can the human race continue with the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas? Let's look at big oil.
Oil is formed in the Earth when the remains of ancient marine organisms are buried under layers of sediment and subjected to intense pressure over millions of years, causing the organic matter to transform into hydrocarbons, which we call oil. Dating back to ancient China in 600 BC, the earliest known oil wells were drilled in China as early as 350 BC. using strong bamboo bits to a depth of nearly 800 feet. The oil was extracted and transported through bamboo pipelines and was burned as a heating fuel. It wasn't until 1859, when Colonel Edwin Blake successfully drilled the first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, marking a turning point in the oil industry. The discovery of the Spindletop geyser in Beaumont, Texas in 1901 led to a major boom in oil production and further development of the industry. It was John D. Rockefeller, who established Standard Oil, that dominated the American oil industry in the late 19th century and became the world's first oil baron. Standard Oil quickly became the most profitable in Ohio, controlling nearly 90% of America's refining capacity. At the current consumption rate, the United States has enough oil to last another 227 years. This figure is based on an estimate of 1.66 trillion barrels of technically recoverable oil. This study was released by the Institute for Energy Research in May 2024. The Unites States also has large shale deposits, which could provide an additional 114 years of oil. There is a lot of oil that is currently inaccessible or too deep to quantify. Some of this oil is located in Antarctica and in deeper parts of the Earth's core. The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a reliable safeguard against short-term oil crisis. However, it is unlikely that the U.S. would run out of oil entirely. American renewable energy (wind, solar, tidal, bio-fuel, hydro-electric, and geo-thermal) has hovered between a low of 5.37% (in 2001) and a high of 11.44% (in 2019) since 1949. Nuclear energy, not used until 1959, topped out at 8.89% in 2002. In all, alternative energy use in the United States has never topped 20% of total energy use. Further, international agreements have failed to put a dent in America's fossil fuel use. In the years since the U.S. signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 to reduce greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2050, American fossil fuel use has only minimally fluctuated between a high of 81.22% in 2015 and a low of73.08% in 2020. With only 25 years until the 2050 net zero emissions deadline, no statistical increase in the use of alternative energies, and no clear policy changes, how can we expect alternative energies to replace fossil fuels? And let's be real. Oil is used in the production of green or renewable enrgy! What's needed instead are reasonable interim steps, not pie in the sky policy making that will force everyday Americans to further change their lifestyle. Responsible programs can better assist down the road to eventual cleaner energy use. With doomsday-like predictions looming about climate change, it's essential to focus on realistic, broad based approaches that are already advancing environmental progress. There will come a time (not in my lifetime) that green(renewable) energy will prevail over fossil fuels. Maybe in the next couple of centuries. In the meantime, I, along with most everyone else on this third rock from the sun (that's Earth for those who don't know our solar system), will continue using the fuels provided. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING  We've all heard of them at one point in time or another. I'm referring to secret societies. You know the groups: The Freemasons, Skull and Bones, etc.
What is their purpose? What function do they service in the world? Do they actually decide what they think is best for the common folk? Are these societies even real? A secret society, by definition, covers a large range of membership organizations or associations that utilize secret initiations or other rituals and whose members often employ unique oaths, grips (handshakes), or other signs of recognition. Elements of secrecy may vary from a mere password to private languages, costumes and symbols. Secret societies are, by their very nature, are made up of persons presumably orientated toward similar aims and or goals. The ends usually manifest the characteristic that differentiates a given secret society from all others; that is to say, the ends are secret. Moreover, admission to membership almost always involves explicit obligation to preserve such secrecy, and penalties and violations are likewise explicitly stated. Secret societies would lose their reason for existence if secrecy were entirely abandoned. Many fraternal organizations, for example, maintained the secrecy of their rituals well into the 21st century, although, such as the case of college fraternities and sororities, these survived largely as formalities. Other academic societies- most notably, Yale University's Skull and Bones (remember I mentioned them) and other similar groups at other Ivy league schools- have traditionally guarded their secrets much more closely. In most instances, the core of the binding secrecy is to be found in the society's ceremonies. In many secret societies, the ceremony is cast in dramatic form and fashion and contains episodes taken from holy books, revered legends, and episodes thought to be of crucial historical importance. Let's ask former 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush about the ceremonies and secret rituals in the Skull and Bones since he was a member. We can't ask his father, the 41 st President George H.W. Bush since he passed away and was also a member of Skull and Bones. The Freemasons loom large in American history. Thirteen of the thirty nine who signed the U.S. Constitution were Masons. Founding Fathers like George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock all counted themselves as members of the fraternal order. But who are the Freemasons? The Freemasons can trace their routes to the Middle Ages in Europe when most craftsmen were organized into local guilds. Cathedral builders, by nature of their profession, had to travel from city to city. They identified one another via signs of their trade, like the builder's square and compass in Freemasonry's now iconic symbol. The earliest reference to the masons is in the Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript, which was published in 1390, but Freemasonry, as we know it today, was founded in 1717, when four London lodges merged to form England's first Grand Lodge. Freemasonry quickly spread across Europe and to the American colonies. Freemasonry is not a religion, though members are encouraged to believe in a Supreme Being, or "Grand Architect of the Universe." Masonic temples and secret rituals have brought them into conflict with the Catholic Church. The Church first condemned the Freemasons in 1738 and has gone on to issue around twenty decrees against them. In 1985, Roman Catholic Bishops restated over 200 years worth of these strictures in the face of an increased number of Catholics joining the order of the Freemasons. The rituals around becoming a Freemason are shrouded in secrecy, but have entered the public imagination in film and TV and were even parodied on an episode of"The Simpsons". Membership to the Freemasons is open to all males over the age of 21, and women can join an associated group known as "The Order of the Eastern Star." The existence of these two secret societies is real and do exist to this day. Do they help or hinder humankind? Are there others that have shaped world politics? Possibly. As I always say. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING The Pilgrims Ate What For Thanksgiving? |
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