Crop circles are made by aliens
| Crop circles are made by aliens | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Elaborate crop circles in English fields are created by extraterrestrials or unexplained natural energies." | |
| Domain | Paranormal & Supernatural |
| Tactic | Fabrication |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1970s |
| Origin | Circles appearing in fields in southern England from the late 1970s, promoted by UFO enthusiasts and "cereologists" |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Paranormal & Supernatural | |
Crop circles became a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s, as increasingly complex patterns appeared in fields in southern England. Many enthusiasts attributed them to aliens or mysterious energies. In 1991, two men from Southampton, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, revealed that they had been making circles since the late 1970s using planks, rope and a wire sighting device, and demonstrated their method for journalists.
The claim
Researchers argued that the precision of the patterns and alleged changes in plant stems could not be explained by human makers.
What the evidence shows
- Confession and demonstration. Bower and Chorley made a circle that a leading crop circle researcher declared genuine before they revealed it.
- Teams of artists. Later groups openly created ever more complex designs, including commissioned ones for advertising.
- No physical anomaly. Claims about altered plants have not held up under controlled testing.
Sources
- Today (UK newspaper), Bower and Chorley revelation, September 9, 1991.
- Joe Nickell and John F. Fischer, "The Crop-Circle Phenomenon: An Investigative Report," Skeptical Inquirer 16 (1992).