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Fields of mystery
01Apr08
Megan Heazlewood will give a lecture on the crop circle phenomenon this weekend.
WHATEVER your theories about their production, there is no question crop circles are an intriguing and beautiful phenomenon.
Blue Mountains resident Megan Heazlewood will give a presentation on crop circles at Penrith library theatrette on Sunday.
Her presentation will canvass all the different theories on what crop circles are and how they are formed she won't be pushing one particular idea.
But she will be sharing her experiences and showing a video she made of "anomalous" lights moving over an English wheat field where a crop circle was discovered the following morning.
A nurse by profession, but also an artist and science lover, Ms Heazlewood said crop circles provided a "convergence of all my interests".
"As an artist, you cannot help but be fascinated and overwhelmed by these creations," she said. "With a knowledge of art, you realise it would not be possible for a group of people with string and boards to make something as geometrically precise and perfect as these designs overnight."
Ten thousand crop circles have been reported worldwide up until 2000.
While crop circles have been found in Australia, it's Wiltshire in England (the home of Stonehenge) that's the "crop circle capital".
For the past two northern hemisphere summers, Ms Heazlewood has camped in a Wiltshire wheat field, and has once woken up to find a crop circle had been formed overnight.
Crop circles are not just circles, but come in many shapes and sizes, including symbols from all religions of the modern and ancient world.
"There are hoaxes, but you can tell, they don't have the precision.
"Being inside a crop circle triggers a very emotional reaction."
Ms Heazlewood feels more research should be done into these phenomena. She said research so far had shown magnetic activity in the circles and evidence of heat generation.
The crops are bent over, but not broken, they grow again they also have fine iron particles in the stems. Sometimes delicate poppies are left standing while the wheat is bent over.
While she's not offering atheory, Ms Heazlewood said one crop circle appeared to be a response to a radio transmission seeking extra-terrestial life.
"These could be the most important things happening on our planet and a lot of people are just dismissing them," she said.
Her talk costs $15 and runs from 1pm-5pm.
