Mysterious Suburban Chicago Crop Circles

NBC 5 Chicago ^ | 7/26/02 | NBC 5 Chicago

[Dengar01]

Timing Suspicious On Mysterious Suburban Crop Circles
Could Eerie Mystery Have To Do With Movie Release?

Is it a case of mysterious crop circles -- or an elaborate movie hoax?

A soybean farmer in Naperville said the broken, concentric rings that appeared in a field off Diehl Road left him scratching his head.

"Have you ever heard of something so crazy?" Steve Berning said. "Unbelievable."

Berning said the circles appeared last weekend and damaged more than 10 percent of his 8-acre field.

The circles do resemble similar ones seen in England, but in this case, the timing of their appearance in the western suburb is a bit suspicious.

Two weeks from now, "Signs" hits the big screen. The movie starring Mel Gibson involves -- you guessed it -- mysterious crop circles.

William Leone, an investigator with the Mutual UFO Network, said soil analysis could determine whether the circles have human or extraterrestrial origins.

But Illinois Farm Bureau spokesman Dennis Vercler scoffed at that idea.

"Since I don't believe in UFOs -- at least not soybean-destroying UFOs -- I have to assume whoever did this did it intentionally as a malicious prank," Vercler said.

Meanwhile, Berning doesn't seem overly upset about the circles.

"There's some damage, which upsets me," Berning said. "But I'm more curious than anything. I"ll always be asking questions."

[Dengar01]

What's funny is this crop circle (in Naperville, IL) was recently reported in the paper to be a hoax comitted by bozos with weedwackers. And now this thread has turned into an incredible debate. Gosh I love Free Republic.

[discostu]

The jury is WAY in on cold fusion, at least the version of cold fusion that was touted in the late 80s, it was a hoax. The Hitler diaries was a forgery that the world went gaga over for about 72 hours (long enough for the forger to sell the diaries to Rupert Murdoch), Piltdown Man was a "missing link" around the turn of the 20th century some guy dug up in his backyard that turned out to be a statue or some such (it's one of the most famous scientific hoaxes, the connection to Piltdown_Woman would be that by taking that handle she makes it quite clear she is a skeptic).

The big problem with scientists is how they approach something new. Because all scientists are hoping to find the big revolutionary thing that completely changes their field, the first thing they tend to think when somebody comes out with something new is how it's going to change the field. Rather than taking a skeptical view point and wondering if the person is full of crap, they assume he's genuine and start running with it. This is why they're notoriously easy to BS.

[balrog666]

Just because you have no idea of what Dr. Hawkins is saying doesn't mean his theorems are "trivial"..

He's saying the mathematical equivalent of "2+2=4". They are not theorems, they are calculations. Next time, buy a clue.

Oh, and you still haven't explained the Sacred Geometry in this:

Is there a hidden message here?

[FormerLurker]

Rather than taking a skeptical view point and wondering if the person is full of crap, they assume he's genuine and start running with it.

I've found just the opposite to be true. Most if not all of the true scientists and mathematicians I've personally met are hardcore skeptics themselves, and aren't easily fooled about ANYTHING.

[discostu]

Given the "revolutions" science has gone thorugh in my life time (only to find out in a couple of weeks that it was a bad magic trick) I'd say you're personal experience doesn't match the world. Scientists are the sucker born every minute.

[FormerLurker]

He's saying the mathematical equivalent of "2+2=4".

Not quite balrog. I'm still waiting for you to provide but ONE of Euclid's Theorems. I highly doubt you know any of them..

They are not theorems, they are calculations. Next time, buy a clue.

Er, do you know what a calculation is? Since you apparently have no clue whatsoever about what you're talking about, let me fill you in...

3 entries found for calculation.

---

cal·cu·la·tion   Pronunciation Key  (klky-lshn)
n.

1. 1. The act, process, or result of calculating.
   2. An estimate based on probabilities.
2. Careful, often cunning estimation and planning of likely outcomes, especially to advance one's own interests.

---

calcu·lative adj.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

---

calculation

\Cal`cu*la"tion\ (-l[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [OE. calculation, fr. L. calculatio; cf. OF. calcucation.] 1. The act or process, or the result, of calculating; computation; reckoning, estimate. ``The calculation of eclipses.'' --Nichol.

The mountain is not so his calculation makes it. --Boyle.

2. An expectation based on circumstances.

The lazy gossips of the port, Abhorrent of a calculation crost, Began to chafe as at a personal wrong. --Tennyson.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

---

calculation

n 1: the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods [syn: computation] 2: problem solving that involves numbers or quantities [syn: computation, figuring, reckoning] 3: planning something carefully and intentionally; "it was the deliberation of his act that was insulting" [syn: deliberation]

Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

---

Oh, and you still haven't explained the Sacred Geometry in this:
{balrog's nasty image}

There isn't any Sacred Geometry in your image as it's obviously a fake. However, there does appear to be a hidden message in it for you though. It has something to do with finding Uranus and probing it with the euclidiated appendage...

[FormerLurker]

Not all that long ago this thread would have lasted a whole 5 minutes. Thanks to Jim Rob for the ability to discuss more "controversial" topics these days...

[PatrickHenry]

Sacred, alien-inspired placemarker.

[balrog666]

However, there does appear to be a hidden message in it [snip} It has something to do with finding Uranus and probing it with the euclidiated appendage...

Yes, I thought that aspect of it would be sacred to you. Here's another one:

Is this a message from aliens?

[Jedi Master Yoda]

I saw the Crop Circle Controversy program on the History Channel yesterday.

There were a few things from the show that I took note of:

1. Evidence of pre-1978 crop circles was presented. This is the time before Doug and Dave began hoaxing circles. The most interesting things about these older circles was that they were very simple, and had been discovered in places where UFOs had recently been sighted.

2. Crop circles were found all over the world, not just in Great Britain, during the time Doug and Dave claimed to be hoaxing crop circles.

3. Magaret Thatcher (one of my favorite people) ordered a military investigation of crop circles. The British government must have thought that the issue of crop circles was serious enough to warrant an investigation. Since the investigation was to be done by the British military, I would guess that national security implications were a factor.

4. Crop circles were found on the property of Prince Charles, and therefore the royal family. One would think that security at royal owned land would be at a high level and therefore make it more difficult for hoaxers to trespass.

5. One of the world's leading crop circle researchers (I believe Colin Andrews is his name) said that in all of his years of study, 80% of all crop circles could be explained as hoaxes. He said that the remaining 20% of crop circles were still unexplained.

Overall the show was interesting and thanks again to Momaw Nadon for posting the airdate and channel of the program.

[FormerLurker]

Thanks for the excellent reporting Jedi...

[PatrickHenry]

Self-search list placemarker.

[Momaw Nadon]

New crop circle at Windmill Hill near Avebury, Wiltshire. Reported 2nd August 2002. This photo was taken with a digital camera.

[Momaw Nadon]

[Momaw Nadon]

New crop circle at Nursteed, near Devizes, Wiltshire. Reported 11th August 2002.

[FormerLurker]

That formation in post#755 looks like a real one to me. It's a little bit beyond what a couple of "galoots" with ropes and planks could accomplish I would say...

[Momaw Nadon]

Amazing new crop formation found at Crabwood Farm House, near Winchester, Hampshire. Reported 15th August 2002.

[Lx]

It's an alien pizza delivery guy. Note the use of sacred geometry used to place the pepperoni pieces.

[balrog666]

Nice artwork on someone's part. I hope the farmer got paid enough.

[FormerLurker]

Thankfully, I think this was created at the hands of humans. Unlike the dot matrix pattern of a human face found near the radio telescope in Chilbolton, this image uses line graphics, which is MUCH easier to create with known methods of "hoaxing" crop circles. Whoever did it WAS quite talented though. From what I've read of the image you posted Momaw, it too was also located near Chilboton...

Here's a series of pictures of the earlier human face formation for comparison..