U.S. Physicists Explore the Mystery of Crop Circles

In an article from the current edition of Physics World, Richard Taylor, director of the Material Sciences Institute at the University of Oregon, has put forth a theory that may explain the mysterious crop circle phenomena. Traditionally relegated to the handiwork of highly motivated pranksters brandishing planks and rope and occasionally attributed to the actions of space dwelling aliens, Taylor now believes that the evolution of crop circles, now known for their intricacy, complexity, and precision, may be in direct correlation to advancements in technology that have made tools like lasers, magnetrons, and GPS readily available. Oddly enough, crop circles date back as far as the 17th century, and according to knowledgeable researchers, have become much more intricate since then resulting in the mathematically sophisticated designs we see today. Modern designs can feature up to 2000 individually and complexly arranged shapes and are typically produced overnight. Based on the analysis conducted by Professor Taylor and his research team, the findings in Physics World suggest that crop circle artists are now most likely using magnetrons and GPS devices. Magnetrons are tubes that use electricity and magnetism to generate intense heat and are typically used in microwaves. According to their research, magnetrons can actually mimic the same type of radiation usually detected on and around the flattened stalks at some sites. And in another related study, researchers claimed they were able to reproduce crop circle intricacy by using a hand held magnetron and a twelve volt battery. While the verdict is still out, Professor Taylor’s initiative definitely amplifies the growing desire to get to the bottom of a mystery that has been around for hundreds of years now. That fact in itself seems to suggest an undeniable twilight-zone quality and if there really are people out there wielding gadgets in an effort to convince the world of galactic chicanery, well then it looks like they come from a long line of like-minded souls who in the past seemed to want the exact same thing, probably even more so seeing as the first hot air balloon wasn’t invented until 1783.