Crop circles

From RationalWiki

Jump to: navigation, search
Pseudoscience Alert
This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline.
Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology.
Remember: just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right.
Part of the series on
Pseudoscience
Popular pseudosciences
Random pseudosciences
Resources

Crop circles are geometric designs of crushed or knocked-over crops.

Initially made by two old Englishmen, who thought up the idea in a pub when they should have been reminiscing about the good times with their beshhtt friend evah,[1] the phenomenon grew during the 1990s, thanks to publicity in the tabloid press and many copy-cat pranksters.

Contents

[edit] Paranormal expanations

Rare photograph
Gullible people, however, believe they are made by flying saucers, even though the original pranksters 'fessed up to it. The assumption is that although the aliens are intelligent enough to evade the radar detection systems of the entire earth, they are not smart enough to notice they have left evidence of their landing, or to find something better to do than knock over crops. Others believe that they are the result of plasma vortexes, various forms of secret government activity or some kind of "Earth Energy".[2]

Reg Presley, lead singer of 60s rock band The Troggs (creator of hits such as "Wild Thing" and "Love is All Around") is a keen ufologist and has funded research into crop circles, many of which he believes to be the work of extraterrestrial travelers. He also believes in a government conspiracy to keep the truth hidden, and that the earth is gradually changing shape.[3]

[edit] Natural explanations

People who like to appear too skeptical to cite aliens but don't want to spoil the fun by mentioning "hoax" like to use natural phenomena as an explanation. These include isolated tornadoes or ball lightning. However, many crop circles are geometric patterns far too complex to be the result of these natural phenomena. Both the hoax-theory and the alien-theory proponents point to these as evidence of an intelligent source, though they obviously disagree on where it comes from. (They're both wrong. Crop circles are actually made by the Fair Folk!)

[edit] Real explanations

These explanations, both paranormal and natural seem unnecessary when it is known that teams of perfectly ordinary human beings construct crop circles for a hobby[4] (which every one should have). There are several websites dedicated to cataloging notable examples of this variety of earthform art and competitions are even held to see who can do the best. Numerous techniques and tools are also well known.

None of the supernatural theories explain why, during the quarantine of the British countryside during the foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001, the number of crop circles being made fell dramatically, to rise again when the footpaths were re-opened.[5] Except, of course, if the aliens were afraid of exposing their livestock to such a disease - or were busily engaged in spreading that particular plague themselves.

[edit] See also

[edit] External Links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ↑ | Doug and Dave down the pub
  2. ↑ FAQ, Crop Circle Connector
  3. ↑ BBC Local News Story, 2002; Reg Presley review at Dark Star (a pseudoscience site).
  4. ↑ Circlemakers
  5. ↑ Disease brings poor crop of circles
Retrieved from "http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Crop_circles"
Personal tools