 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 |
KWMC
|
RSS Feed
