Crop Circles

Geometric formations made by compressing the plant life in fields are known as crop circles. These formations are usually of unknown origin and are frequently made at night. Crop circles first gained news media attention in the late 1970s, although documented appearances go back at least as far as the 17th century.

Theorists thrive on the idea that crop circles are made by some extraterrestrial force, whether it be electromagnetic force-field, UFO, or some other unknown force. In reality, while the origin of some crop circles in unknown, others are known to be made by prank or as art - simple human creation.

Intricate crop circles of unknown origin can often bring hundreds or even thousands of visitors, which make man-made crop circles an attractive choice to bring travelers and profit to the area. Swirled News: The 'Mowing Devil' Investigated (December 22, 2005)

Numerous theories attempt to explain the appearance of crop circles, including creation by hoaxers, extraterrestrials or weather abnormalities. Believers in non-human origination claim many of the circles are too complex to be created by human beings, especially in the span of one night. They also point to discoveries of energy anomalies in and around the circles as evidence of non human origin.Swirled News: The Crop Circle Phenomenon - A Beginner's Guide

Skeptics note that many crop circles deemed by experts to be non-human creations were actually known hoaxes, suggesting that there may not be reliable criteria for distinguishing between the two. Some just have too few pieces of evidence to have a determinate origin. Human playfulness is also considered the most likely explanation for the increasing complexity of the circle designs over time. As people get more amibitious and discover new ways to create designs, the creativity increases. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry: The 'Mystery' of Crop Circles and Their 'Orbs' of Light (September 2002)

A crop circle such as this is a good candidate being mad-made, due to the nearby road giving a path to access the area easily and leave the area evidence-free.