Crop circles are created by artists using lasers, GPS technology and microwaves, not UFOs, FOX News reports.
Richard Taylor, director of the Materials Science Institute at the University of Oregon, told FOX News that today’s designs are more complex than ever, with some featuring up to 2,000 different shapes. Mathematical analysis revealed that construction lines invisible to the eye are used to create the patterns, he added.
The difference between today’s crop circlers and those of the past is that artists today use lasers and GPS technology, as opposed to the ropes, planks of wood and bar stools that were once used, Taylor continued.
The most innovative technique, however, involves using microwaves to force corn stalks to fall over and cool horizontally. One research team claims to used a handheld magnetron ripped from a microwave ovens and a 12V battery to create crop circles. That technique could possibly explain the speed and efficiency of modern-day crop circlers and the incredible detail their designs exhibit, Taylor said.
But "crop circle artists are not going to give up their secrets easily," Taylor wrote. "This summer, unknown artists will venture into the countryside close to your homes and carry out their craft, safe in the knowledge that they are continuing the legacy of the most science-oriented art movement in history," Taylor said.
Richard Taylor, director of the Materials Science Institute at the University of Oregon, told FOX News that today’s designs are more complex than ever, with some featuring up to 2,000 different shapes. Mathematical analysis revealed that construction lines invisible to the eye are used to create the patterns, he added.
The most innovative technique, however, involves using microwaves to force corn stalks to fall over and cool horizontally. One research team claims to used a handheld magnetron ripped from a microwave ovens and a 12V battery to create crop circles. That technique could possibly explain the speed and efficiency of modern-day crop circlers and the incredible detail their designs exhibit, Taylor said.
But "crop circle artists are not going to give up their secrets easily," Taylor wrote. "This summer, unknown artists will venture into the countryside close to your homes and carry out their craft, safe in the knowledge that they are continuing the legacy of the most science-oriented art movement in history," Taylor said.
