If one advances an argument that crop circles are fashioned not by humans, but by . . . something else, one has a lot of "splainin" to do, Lucy. Glad it's not my feature because I don't have all that much jazz, to quote Mick.

I could believe that the basic round ones may be made by some

yet undiscovered natural force. But the intricate ones, no way.

And I don't believe for a second they are created by aliens.

If they have the technology to travel all the way here, undetected

by the way. WHY when they got here would the only thing they

do is make pretty patterns in crop fields???

If "aliens" are responsible, they have too much time on their hands. I have landscaping issues, if these aliens are interested.

/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> exactly. maybe earth is just a rest stop on the way

to some other planet. and while they are resting they let

the alien children "doodle" in the crops haha

Goes to explain all that E-coli bacteria.

/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

Very interesting sweet cheeks!

Jim, I'd be interested in getting your opinion on what the researchers have to say in this documentary, specifically about the electromagnetic properties of the crop circles and possible causes of that.

The discussion of nature creating complex designs is very cool as well.

The designs are not unexpected, because they're a lot of the same mathematics and geometric patterns that NASA sends out with their deep space probes. Math as a universal language as it were. In addition to the obvious references to PI, I saw at least one pattern that clearly referenced the Fibonacci sequence.

As to how they were done, it's not outside the realm of current technology to make them. A maser (microwave laser in simple terms) tuned to 2.45 GHz would do it, but even though virtually everyone has a 2.45 GHz oscillator in their house (hint – you "nuke" your food with it), precise tuning and collimating the beam is not child's play. The microwaves have to be phased together and focused, although for close in work it wouldn't take a genius. A high-powered radar transmitter could do it if it was fairly close to the ground. The "melted nodules" of metal ores in the soil aren't hard to explain either, just leave some foil in the microwave oven once and you'll see. Microwaves at 2.45 GHz make the dipolar water molecules vibrate, and that vibration translates to heat (up to the boiling point of the water). Microwaves contacting metal induce an oscillating current flow, just like in a radio antenna (only far more powerful), and the resistance of the metal creates heat as well. Aluminum ore is smelted and purified by inducing current flow into it (although at much lower frequencies), so it gets plenty hot enough to melt.

If I really wanted to do this as a hoax, I probably could, but it would be a lot of effort to go to for a joke. At a minimum, you would need a blimp (for stealth), a 60KW Capstone Microturbine (compact, lightweight power source), the internals from a few dozen microwave ovens, and a gimbaled feedhorn and focusing dish to aim it. Well within the realm of human ingenuity, but it would be a project for sure.

We know that some of these patterns in the past have been hoaxes, but they were done my mechanical means and were pretty straightforward as patterns go. Either the pranksters have really upped their game, or these are an attempt to prime us for contact. It's a big freaking universe.

Edit: I was slightly off on the frequency (going from memory- my bad), and the exact method of exciting the water, but the principles remain the same.

More:

You found two I missed. lol I'm so fascinated with these circles, and have been following what ever I can find on youtube.

I find just the fact, the circles exist and can be viewed by anyone, is half the battle won over evp's, ghosts, aliens, etc.

People's takes on this, are from intelligent to extreme.

I still want to know "WHO" is doing them!

Getting smaller all the time though.

Not according to all the cosmologists. It's still expanding at a sizable fraction of light-speed.

Or where you speaking euphemistically?

Universe is expanding, as is our understanding, which is more succinct, more precise; which was my point, though made or not exactly. My bad. Clearly.

now there's the Dawkins i know and love /laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />