Science

Magazine Overview

Title: Science
Issue Date: September 23, 1991
Volume: 138
Publisher: Time Inc.
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Science features an article titled "It Happens in the Best Circles," which reveals that two British artists, David Chorley and Douglas Bower, have been responsible for creating many of the mysterious crop circles that have appeared globally over the past 13 years.

The Crop Circle Phenomenon

The article begins by describing the astonishment of Pat Delgado, a retired engineer and investigator of crop circles, upon seeing a large, intricate pattern in a wheat field near Sevenoaks, Kent. Delgado, who co-authored a book suggesting these patterns were created by a "superior intelligence" or extraterrestrials, was convinced of a non-human origin.

However, his exultation was cut short when Graham Brough, a reporter from the tabloid *Today*, introduced him to David Chorley, 62, and Douglas Bower, 67. These two landscape painters confessed to creating the Sevenoaks circle and admitted to having made as many as 25 to 30 new circles each growing season for the past 13 years, sneaking around southern England at night.

The Hoax Revealed

Chorley and Bower explained that their hoax began in 1978 as a prank conceived in a pub, inspired by UFO sightings and crop circles made by Australian farmers. They used simple tools: a 1.2-meter-long wooden plank, a ball of string, and a modified baseball cap with wire as a sighting device. One artist would hold the string at the center while the other, holding the plank, would walk in a circle, bending the crops with the plank and the weight of the grain heads.

Their early efforts went unnoticed until 1981, when one of their circles was spotted, reported in the press, and promptly attributed to extraterrestrials. Chorley recalled laughing so hard they had to stop the car. They decided to admit to the hoax only after enthusiasts began seeking government funding.

Impact and Reactions

Delgado, upon hearing the confession, expressed dismay, stating, "We have all been conned." The admission effectively ended one of Britain's most popular mysteries, which had revitalized interest in flying saucers and spawned a new field of study called cereology.

Cereology is practiced by groups like the Circles Effect Research Unit, headed by physicist Terence Meaden. Meaden had argued that a weather phenomenon, possibly ball lightning, was responsible for flattening crops and creating bright lights. Japanese scientists, including physicist Yoshi-Hiko Ohtsuki, also investigated, with Ohtsuki proposing that ball lightning generated by microwaves flattened the crops. His findings were published in the journal *Nature*, leading *The Economist* to suggest the mystery might be solved.

Despite the confession of Chorley and Bower, some researchers, like Delgado, are regrouping. Delgado stated, "These two gents may have hoaxed some of the circles, but the phenomenon is still there, and we will carry on research." Urologist Joan Creighton of *Flying Saucer Review* noted the enduring human fascination with mystery.

The Hoaxers' Technique

To create a crop circle, Chorley and Bower would first make a scale drawing of the intended pattern. They would then go to the field at night with their equipment. One person would anchor the string at the center of the planned circle. The other would attach the other end of the string to a plank, held horizontally at knee level. By walking in a circle around the center anchor, bending the grain with the plank, they created the patterns. They noted that the heavy heads of the wheat tended to keep the stalks bent down.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article highlights the human fascination with mystery and the tendency to attribute unexplained phenomena to extraordinary causes, such as extraterrestrial intelligence. It contrasts the scientific investigation of these phenomena with the creative and often mischievous actions of individuals. The editorial stance appears to be one of debunking sensational claims with factual reporting, while acknowledging the enduring appeal of the unknown.

The article is a case study in how a widely publicized mystery can be resolved by the confession of its creators, shifting the focus from the paranormal to human ingenuity and a desire for amusement. It also touches upon the emergence of pseudo-scientific disciplines like cereology in response to such phenomena.