CROP CIRCLES REDUX - The 1992 Competition

When I did a search on ATS for mention of this competition I found a few threads that mentioned it but photos nor video were included. To correct that situation I created this thread 'cause crop circles are still making the news resulting in continued belief in "aliens did it" and adding new converts to silly belief-dom.

I've never been a crop circle (agriglyphs) done by aliens enthusiast. I just could not consider that alleged aliens would bother with local signs when, in reality, logic dictates that if they were really that playful crop circles would have been made using clouds or fleets of crafts for the whole world to see and change life on earth. Besides, while there were/are the usual believers that went bananas (and are still going bananas over each new circle that appears), no one came forth with a real, logical explanation for the creation of circles. They were always constructed in fields where no one was there to witness them being made. And since they were all made by humans, their activity could be hidden by the normal tram lines or other means.

So as you can read in the material below, fancy or complicated crop circles were not that difficult to construct. In the time-lapse video of one such construction, after it was made public no one would accept that a bunch of happy-go-lucky humans could create such a "complex" design. The documentary aired hosted by well known celebrity Judd Nelson. I have the full documentary on videotape.

So for you still holdouts that continue to believe that aliens that traveled from another far-away part of creation to come here and leave unexplainable mysteries here is a treat to convince you that humans are creative beyond mondo and humor is a driving force.

en.wikipedia.org...
"On the night of 11–12 July 1992 a crop-circle making competition, for a prize of £3,000[39] (partly funded by the Arthur Koestler Foundation), was held in Berkshire. The winning entry was produced by three Westland Helicopters engineers, using rope, PVC pipe, a plank, string, a telescopic device and two stepladders.[40] According to Rupert Sheldrake the competition was organised by him and John Michell and "co-sponsored by The Guardian and The Cerealogist". The prize money came from PM, a German magazine. Sheldrake wrote that "The experiment was conclusive. Humans could indeed make all the features of state-of-the-art crop formations at that time. Eleven of the twelve teams made more or less impressive formations that followed the set design".

The Crop Circle Making Competition - Rupert Sheldrake
www.sheldrake.org...

Circlemakers timelapse crop circle


Design given to contestants

The ‘standard design’ for competition entries, which were judged in accordance with astonishingly
rigorous criteria by a team of five. Rules and detailed instructions ran to four pages. Competitors
were given up to five hours to complete the pictogram, having received it only 24 hours in advance.
Permitted to enter the field at 10pm, they had to finish the job by 3am in darkness with only the light
of the moon to assist. Additional points were awarded for not being seen. Invigilators were equipped
with night-vision binoculars. The huge competition-cum-experiment was sponsored by the German
science magazine PM and the Koestler Foundation in association with The Guardian.

Photo taken from helicopter of results

Resembling some vast extra-terrestrial printed circuit board, competition entries viewed from a
helicopter. Some idea of the immense scale involved may be had by spotting the man on the ground,
midway up the left of frame. The feeble effort by circle sceptic, arch-rationalist and future chairman
of Northern Rock Matt Ridley is just about visible in the top left-hand corner.

Pretty cool stuff, Id love to hear from them about their methods of marking out on the ground, I had a long discussion with someone on here who said it was impossible that they could be made by humans, i had a theory that they would use strings with pivot points and measurements pre marked ect. Whatever way they do it, its a neat skill...

Well Those lines look pretty bad to say the least, unless most crop circle photos are doctored. Although on second glance the straight line may be dividers between competitors.

Error occurs most times I want to see a video so I couldnt watch it.

ok clicked a second time and watched the vid. So yeah they are good. But they have a light shining down on them don't they? Maybe that is what they always do, bring in a noisy gas powered light plant. Maybe it is so far out nobody will notice.

I'm not saying aliens.... but....

a reply to: klassless


Let us as least acknowledge that drawing circles, straight lines and variously shaped boxes designs are child's play (should I say human's play?) and are typically definitive of kind.

How about an analysis of some of the more complex forms that have appeared over night? I'll admit that about anything is possible today with GPS, computer programs and laser sights. And since we have domestic craft similar to UFOs, they could be used to create the complex designs to throw suspicions on to aliens and off the existence of exotic domestic craft.

There are few simple answers associated with anything about UFOs, and the favorite trick of skeptics is to throw out the word "logic" at intervals to justify their definitely one-sided anthropocentricism, always laughable in a larger sense that they just can't seem to grasp.

a reply to: klassless

this does not explain the numerous other phenomena in crop circles like for example bent nodes.
www.bltresearch.com...

originally posted by: ColaTesla
Pretty cool stuff, Id love to hear from them about their methods of marking out on the ground, I had a long discussion with someone on here who said it was impossible that they could be made by humans, i had a theory that they would use strings with pivot points and measurements pre marked ect. Whatever way they do it, its a neat skill...

Go to Google Images, type - crop circle making teams - and some of photos will show individuals at work. YouTube may also show some but I was disappointed that there were a small amount of photos and videos.

originally posted by: tinner07
Well Those lines look pretty bad to say the least, unless most crop circle photos are doctored. Although on second glance the straight line may be dividers between competitors.

When crop circles began to appear they were basic, non-sophisticated designs. And it stayed that way while the world began to take notice and the subject began to be discussed widely. The competition was in 1992 and it looks like it wasn't the first or last one.

But think of it this way: regular crop circle makers were not competing so they could take their time and hone their skills to eventually produce mind-blowing glyphs. The competing teams were under pressure to be winners with a nice cash reward and possibly other unnamed perks. And whoever finished first could be proud of that distinction. I think that with all of the faults they did a fantastic job.

Error occurs most times I want to see a video so I couldnt watch it.

ok clicked a second time and watched the vid. So yeah they are good. But they have a light shining down on them don't they? Maybe that is what they always do, bring in a noisy gas powered light plant. Maybe it is so far out nobody will notice.

Yeah, they have indirect lighting 'cause it's being filmed for the benefit of the public to be able to see the action that normally happens in the dark of night! The camera was placed at the end of a very high crane. They could have used infrared light but the desired effect, clarity, would have been lost. This was obviously a one-time event and we have been enriched because of it.

I'm not saying aliens.... but....

Don't say it, say humans!

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: klassless


Let us as least acknowledge that drawing circles, straight lines and variously shaped boxes designs are child's play (should I say human's play?) and are typically definitive of kind.

Ergo! I am sure that if aliens had been involved they would have impressed us with out of this world glyphs! How about a glyph that shows something that is at the limit of our best telescopes yet still recognizable by scientists who would issue a world-wide wonderment at the appearance on earth of something outrageously distant? Now THAT would be a topic!

How about an analysis of some of the more complex forms that have appeared over night? I'll admit that about anything is possible today with GPS, computer programs and laser sights. And since we have domestic craft similar to UFOs, they could be used to create the complex designs to throw suspicions on to aliens and off the existence of exotic domestic craft.

Analyses have been done and the answer is "I'm not saying it was aliens...but it was aliens!" (thanks Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, "The Hair Guy" ). You named some of the equipment that might have been employed by some circle makers. But I disagree that there are human aircraft that are similar to UFOs. Except for blimps, everything else require motors, wings, etc. Suspicion can't be thrown at aliens since they are still fantasies.

There are few simple answers associated with anything about UFOs, and the favorite trick of skeptics is to throw out the word "logic" at intervals to justify their definitely one-sided anthropocentricism, always laughable in a larger sense that they just can't seem to grasp.

You don't seem to understand what "logic" means, especially when used by some skeptics. And you also don't seem to understand skepticism. It is NATURAL to be a skeptic, we are all born skeptics until our impressionable minds are overwhelmed with beliefs. Especially religious beliefs. There's a skeptic inside all believers but there are no believers inside all skeptics. It's difficult, nay, impossible, for believers to understand skepticism or atheism. But it's easy for skeptics/atheists to understand believers.

originally posted by: NobodiesNormal
a reply to: klassless

this does not explain the numerous other phenomena in crop circles like for example bent nodes.
www.bltresearch.com...

Well, that sounds like you're impressed but perhaps you haven't see any of the many documentaries that explain all of those "anomalies" quite logically. No miracles except by those who gather up a bunch of the cereal, submit them to laboratories which then make outrageous claims. Keep in mind that authorities are human and errors are constantly made. An example of such is computer specialist Jim Dilettoso who embarrassed himself a few times with his erroneous assumptions. He was featured in many documentaries dealing with the Phoenix flares and, I think - not sure, STS-48 and others.

What leads you to question seemingly natural explanations is perhaps due to the crop circle self-appointed "experts", such as Colin Andrews who, for some reason see unnatural in natural and their high education doesn't come to their rescue with logic, common sense and reason. There are no "experts" in crop circles, UFOs, aliens, etc.

a reply to: klassless

there have been numerous experts that have gone into the crop fields and gathered the evidence first hand analyzed it and come to the same conclusions that the bent nodes are not the result of physical stress,

your armchair opinion does not hold as much weight as their real world observations and expertise, no matter how much you might think it does.

originally posted by: NobodiesNormal
a reply to: klassless

there have been numerous experts that have gone into the crop fields and gathered the evidence first hand analyzed it and come to the same conclusions that the bent nodes are not the result of physical stress,

your armchair opinion does not hold as much weight as their real world observations and expertise, no matter how much you might think it does.

Look, it's really simple. Either humans created the agriglyphs which resulted in bent nodes OR aliens created the agriglyphs and however they did it it resulted in bent nodes.

I'm not a conspiracist and I go with the easiest explanation and there's no way that I'm going to select aliens. It's definitely my armchair (really sofa) opinion. If you are an alien believer you have more problems with reality than I do.

a reply to: klassless

this does summarize rather well your lack of scientific method, you preemptively draw only two polar extreme conclusions, and exclaim your intent to assume only the one you are most comfortable with,

meanwhile reasonable experts understand there are many many plausible explanations and more important then opinion over them is to analyze the evidence and follow where it leads without prejudice or bias.

your admitted bias precludes you from that aim, that of the scientific search for truth.

but sure, 'must be dudes with boards cause aliens are dumb', whatever rationale comforts you...