Disney Making Fake Crop Circles?

GuNgA-DiN writes: "It seems that Disney has been busy trying to promote their upcoming movie 'Signs' (by M. Night Shyamalan). There is an interesting article from some guys who REALLY follow and study crop signs: Paul Anderson of the Canadian Crop Circle Research Network has reason to believe that they will be creating some man-made formations to promote the forthcoming movie. Anderson cites a competition or sweepstakes currently being promoted on the official 'Signs' website." Remember, patronize only genuine alien-swirled crop circles!

Comments

Crop circle nonsense/fun shenanigans.

[deglr6328]

The latest issue of Scientific has an enligtening short article on the fine mischief of crop circles. (no doubt released in a timely manner in an effort to counter some of the nonsense from the release of the movie Signs.)

Re:Sad.

[The_Shadows]

Where is the Amazing Randi when I need him?

He's right here.

For those of you who don't know, James Randi is dedicated to exposing supernatural hoaxes of all kinds. He has an excellent method of exposing psychics. Anyone who claims to have powers can take simple psychic tests. If they pass they even get, IIRC, $1 million. He's never paid a dime.

He also does work with every other kind of proported supernatural occurence. His site can be a fun read (if only to see what some idiots try and get a way with :).

Crop circle originators -- Bower and Chorley

[mrflip]

The crop circles were made by a couple of fellows from Winchester named Doug Bower and Dave Chorley. They made the circles for years at night, and Bower even kept the secret from his wife for seven years. When they finally told the public, few people believed them, and the UFO crowd still insists that the hoax was not the crop circles but the claim of authorship. (ObNeologism: ("cereology" -- those who study crop circles.) Never mind that Bower and Chorley have the original designs and dates, signed the drawings with "DD," and other supporting evidence. Of course, there is also Doug Bower's statement that he was programmed by UFOs to make the circles. Sigh.

Some links:
An interview with Doug Bower
An article by Carl Sagan on crop circles
Circlemakers, an art group creating crop circles

flip

Crop circle HOWTO

[Captain Zion]

> fake crop circles?

Well... as long as they're circles, and are made in crops, they're real crop circles...

Anyway, here's an interesting HOWTO you can follow to create your own circles. Here's an excerpt: ;)

The tools you will need are relatively unsophisticated; a 30 metre surveyors tape - this is preferable to string (...), a 1-2 metre board or plank with a rope attached to each end to form a loop - this is known as a stalk-stomper... dowsing rods - these should be made of copper, and purchased from an expensive new age shop.

The "Arecibo reply" crop "circle"

[Captain Zion]

The Arecibo reply crop formation in Chibolton was one of the most interesting "crop circles" out there. Basically it's a 23x73 grid with "pixels" similar to the Arecibo message but with "alien" information instead of human. Very creative! (I'd say it's a great example of geek humour.)

The differences are: silicon added to the list of atomic numbers, different DNA and nucleotides, different "stick figure" and stats, other planets highlighted in the solar/star system and a completely different transmitter.