If you were asked to name a truly wonderful British film, chances are it was filmed at Pinewood Studios. Its great reputation has resonated worldwide, the scene for a thousand iconic images. Pinewood Studios recently had an inspiring exhibition, Water on Lens. It featured underwater photographs from movies such as The Da Vinci Code, Casino Royale, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, as well as television features and music videos. Here are 23 images taken from those underwater shoots as well as a few extra underwater stage filming photos.

Pinewood Studios

(image credits:Mirror,livejournal,Mirror,Pinewood Group)

Filming in water can be a complex and costly exercise, but Pinewood Studios does not excessively waste precious water. Instead they keep their underwater stage permanently filled. The water tank is sized 20m x 10m x 6m deep, holding 1.2 million litres of water. This a globally unique water-filming facility captured images for Water on Lens  to share with us like The Golden Age at top left. Beneath that photo is actor Alan Davies in a scene shot underwater for the TV series Jonathan Creek. Both the top right and the bottom pictures were captured as actors and actresses performed underwater with a complete filming crew.

From Motorcycle Stunts to Commercials

(image credits:BBC)

James Blunt plunged into the water to promote his performance on the British Awards show in 2005, the same year Pinewood Studios started…after after 5 years of being in concept and design. He is in the top two photos. Many advertisements have been filmed at the worldwide prestigious studios, including a commercial for The Quays Shopping Centre in Northern Ireland, shown on the bottom left. In the bottom right image, EastEnders filmed a dramatic car accident involving Peter Beale.

The Studio

(image credits:Mirror)

For a deeper insight into the craft that goes on to film underwater, here are more images to impress you with the work done at Pinewood. The top left photo is from Houdini while the top right picture was taken during filming of Mr. Nobody. Also included above are filming shots from an Oil of Olay commercial, Jaws, and Atonement.

From Sports to Fashion

(image credits: image credit:BBC)

Rugby is a beloved sport to many fans worldwide. The top image was taken in an advertisement for rugby. Underwater action sequences give the impression of weightlessness when bubbles are removed in post production. In the bottom photo, Hollywood actress Kiera Knightley submerged in water while dressed in haute couture dresses and jewelery as part of a charity shoot for Fresh 2o.

Baby to Blue Screen

(image credits:shortlist,Pinewood Group)

Water facilities available at Pinewood Studios include numerous stages with tanks incorporated into the floors, an exterior tank with a blue screen backing measuring 240 x 60 feet, and an underwater filming facility. Amazing results can be achieved for films, TV and commercials from underwater blue screens that are permanently on site to “wet for dry” appearance. The photo with the baby, upside down and submerged underwater, is a stunner. Also pictured above is the famous blue screen which can make any image at all seem to be the background. It takes a large group of people to successfully shoot and film a car falling into the water and sinking.

Imagine

(image credit:short list)

The capsule collection from Water on Lens provided a rare and behind-the-scenes view into one of the world’s most prestigious film and television studios and its underwater stage. Commercial diver and underwater photographer Phoebe Rudomino captured all the iconic moments on camera for Water on Lens, including the graceful and intriguing shot above. She stated, “U Stage provides such a secure and comfortable water filming environment that we’re able to produce almost any type of underwater production shoot. From working with horses and fire to the world’s top actors and models, the scenes are truly fascinating to capture.”

Boxing

(image credit:shortlist)

In this underwater boxing match, synchronised swimmers Emily Kuhl and Asha Randall of Aquabatix showed off their competitive streaks. What you don’t see in the shot is the massive crew for lighting and filming and even for holding the oxygen tanks.

Bond & Golden Age

(image credit:short list)

The photo on the left was a famous filming moment when the elevator plunged into the water during Jame Bond: Casino Royale. The frantic horse trying to swim in the choppy water was captured in this photograph during the filming of Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

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Great Trango Tower, Pakistan

(images via: Pakwheels and Cairns.com)

The Great Trango Tower in the Karakorum Range of the Himalayas in Pakistan is 20,608 ft (6,286 meters) high and features the ultimate cliffhanger: the greatest nearly vertical drop on the planet. That’s James Pitman of South African Expeditions, above right, standing triumphantly atop Great Trango. Don’t look down, James…

(image via: ABC)

In 1992 a couple of Australian BASE jumpers asked themselves what all BASE jumpers ask at one time or another: where could we perform the Highest Altitude World Record BASE jump? Glenn Singleman and Nic Feteris not only made the leap from the top of the Great Trango Tower, they recorded it on video for posterity – so anyone and everyone would believe they actually did it. Feteris and Singleman first had to climb Great Trango Tower to get into position for the jump, which began at the 19,537 ft (5,955 meter) level of the Northwest Face. They landed on the northern side of the Dunge Glacier at the 13,779 ft (4,200 meter) level giving them a net vertical drop of 5,758 feet (1,755 meters) – over a mile!

Here’s a video of Feteris and Singleman’s awesome leap into the record books, from the ultimate viewpoint of Singleman’s helmet-mounted camera:

Video of world\’s highest BASE jump, via Sulaco12

White Cliffs of Dover, United Kingdom

(images via: Mkeamy, AGHoyle, Pixdaus and Emma Alvarez)

As an iconic symbol of England, it’s hard to top the White Cliffs of Dover (unless you’re a bluebird). Stretching along the southeast coast and centered on the port of Dover, the approximately 100 million year old cliffs are composed of fine-grained limestone – chalk, in other words. The highest point of the cliffs is at Beachy Head where layers of chalk laid down over many millions of years rise up to 500 feet from the beach below.

(image via: Quadrophenia’s Lost Mod)

One of the most memorable cinematic views of the daunting chalk cliffs comes from the 1979 film Quadrophenia. Jimmy, the doomed Mod who personifies Pete Townshend’s ode to the Mod-Rocker battles of the early 1960s, takes a wild last ride along the top of the cliffs before… well, see the film if you haven’t yet done so. A curious corollary to Jimmy’s fictional final act is the actual suicide of a teenage accountant-trainee and weekend Mod named Barry Prior, whose body and scooter were found at the base of the cliffs in May of 1964. The story was front-page news in the English resort town of Brighton and it’s likely Townshend was affected and inspired by Prior’s sad demise.

Flaming Cliffs, Mongolia

(images via: Echo Vermont, Bukisa and MSN Encarta)

There are few places on earth more isolated than the Flaming Cliffs of Mongolia, a quality that enticed pioneering American naturalist and explorer Roy Chapman Andrews to make a total of five groundbreaking expeditions into the region between 1922 and 1930. Andrews and his team discovered a multitude of new dinosaurs beneath the magnificent cliffs, including the first known dinosaur eggs and complete nests buried beneath the rusty red sands.

(image via: Picsremix)

One key to the Flaming Cliffs’ ethereal beauty lies in the fact that few if any roads, habitations or development mar its timeless vistas. For this reason it fails as a tourist attraction but in this case that’s a good thing.

Kalaupapa Cliffs, Hawaii

(images via: LindiLindi, Kayaking Molokai and My Handicap Parking)

Don’t let their lush, verdant look fool you – the 3,315 ft (1,010 meter) high Kalaupapa Cliffs on the Hawaiian island of Molokai are the world’s highest sea cliffs and a misstep at the top leads to a long, long fall to the Pacific Ocean surf. The cliffs are part of an ancient volcanic caldera; thus their peaceful appearance today hints little at their extremely violent creation.

(image via: NPS)

The view of the community of Kalaupapa from the top of the cliffs is similar to that from a small airplane. The isolation afforded by the spectacular cliffs made the area beneath them ideal locations for housing victims of Hansen’s disease (leprosy). In fact, until the introduction of Dapsone and other sulfone drugs in the 1940s, the settlements of Kalaupapa and nearby Kalawao were restricted to sufferers of this age-old scourge.

Santorini, Greece

(images via: About.com:Cruises and Braindoc)

The rugged cliffs lining the coastline of Santorini testify to this spectacularly beautiful Greek island’s tumultuous history. Formed from layers of pumice, volcanic ash and solidified magma, the 980 ft (300 meter) high cliffs are today the precarious perch for the town of Thira – acrophobics need not apply.

(image via: The Travelogues)

It’s estimated the volcano underlying Santorini has erupted 12 times in the past 200,000 years and the catastrophic eruption of 1650 BC was one of the largest to have taken place anywhere on earth during the past 10,000 years. The eruption’s effects likely caused the collapse of the advanced Minoan civilization located on Crete and, some say, were the basis for the legend of the “lost continent” of Atlantis.

Preikestolen, Norway

(images via: Mountaincat Geology, Tripadvisor and Henk Binnendijk)

Norway’s popular Preikestolen, known colloquially as Preacher’s Pulpit, is a 1,982 ft (604 meter) flat-topped cliff that gives those who make the arduous hike to its summit an incredible view of the Lysefjorden far below. The mainly flat, clear area at the top pf the cliff measures about 80 by 80 feet and is visited by nearly 100,000 people over the course of the average year.

(images via: David Seaton and Scenery Series)

Visitors are advised not to venture too close to the edge of the cliff but that doesn’t seem to stop those who seek the ultimate photo opportunity.

Lokrum Island, Croatia

(images via: Trip Advisor and AzureCroatia)

Formerly the home of Archduke Maximilian Ferdinand, who was for a short time in the 1860s the Emperor of Mexico, the island of Lokrum is situated in the Adriatic Sea just off the coast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. A popular tourist attraction known chiefly for its many semi-wild peacocks, Lokrum’s nude beaches draw visitors from all across Europe.

(image via: Travelpod)

Toward the open sea, Lokrum’s beaches rise to rugged, rocky cliffs. The water below the cliffs is relatively deep and thus safe (a relative term) for cliff-divers.

Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

(images via: Quinet and South.is)

Volcanic cliffs carved by countless storms and relentless ocean waves characterize the steep cliffs of Vestmannaeyjar (The Westmen Isles), an archipelago south of Iceland. The islands were first settled nearly 1,000 years ago by Viking raiders who brought slaves from Ireland (the so-called “westmen”). A little-known incident occurred on the islands in 1627 when they were invaded by Barbary pirates from Algiers! A fleet of 15 ships landed on the main island of Heimaey and the pirates killed or captured nearly half of the 500 or so inhabitants; those who lived were sold into slavery upon the pirate fleet’s return to Algeria.

(image via: Bukisa)

The smaller islands are uninhabited for the most part and their wind-blasted, inaccessible cliffs (the Vestmanna Birdcliffs) serve as a secure nesting place for thousands of Atlantic Puffins.

Mount Asgard, Canada

(images via: Oceandots and UMass)

Mount Asgard consists of a pair of roughly cylinder-shaped granite towers with flat tops and precipitous sides. Located in Auyuittuq National Park, on Baffin Island in Canada’s far north, Mount Asgard takes its name from Asgard, the Old Norse equivalent to the ancient Greeks’ Mount Olympus. The slightly higher northern summit is 6,611 ft (2,015 meters) high and was first climbed in 1953.

(image via: Summit Post)

You may have seen Mount Asgard without realizing what and where it was – the opening scenes of the 1976 James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” featured a BASE jump of the cliff by stuntman Rick Sylvester. The location was portrayed as the Swiss Alps but now you know better!

Tomoiwa Cliff, Japan

(images via: 88-News and Yakuza Boys)

Few are familiar with the Tomoiwa Cliff in Japan’s Gunma prefecture, but this 400 ft (120 meter) high cliff recently loomed into prominence when the body of famed cartoonist Yoshito Usui was found at its base. Usui was the creator of the popular Crayon Shin-chan manga and cartoons, and he was reported missing after failing to return from a hike on 4,665 ft (1,422 meter) high Mount Arafune.

(image via: Hardwarezone)

Eerily, Usui’s camera was found near his body – when the film inside was developed, it showed a disturbing sequence of photographs taken by Usui as he inched closer and closer to the cliff precipice, until… well, you can guess the rest.

Out Of This World Cliffs

(image via: SAI-MSU)

As a postscript, take a look at the cliffs in the above NASA APOD photo – they’re located on Miranda, a moon of the planet Uranus and are estimated to be 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) high! Click this link for a much larger image. Someone falling from the top of Verona Rupes would take about 12 minutes to reach the bottom, plenty of time to watch one’s life pass before their eyes.

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Regular readers of both WebEcoist and WebUrbanist are going to get a double-dose introduction today to the newly-launched Gajitz dot com, a fresh site from the founder of Webist Media. Ecoist fans are familiar with the timeless lists on far-reaching topics that are at the heart of this site. Gajitz, like Dornob (its sibling site focused on design), takes a bit of a different approach, covering more of the latest and greatest discoveries and inventions as well as creative transportation and world-changing vintage and retro tech.

In short: Gajitz brings you most sensational, educational and inspirational content featuring the past, present and future of gadgets, science and technology – from history-shaping photo-edits of centuries gone by to a just-discovered cure for color blindness to self-driving concept cars, space elevators and teleportation devices of the not-too-distant future.

The new site will feature two familiar faces/names: Kurt (often known simply as Urbanist or Ecoist on each of the two Webist sites) and Delana (a long-term veteran author and editor on both sites as well). Like its sibling site Dornob | Design Ideas Daily, Gajitz will be updated multiple times a day with relevant targeted articles on specific subjects – you will be able to sign up for the main site feed as well as following particular topics via main categories and category feeds: Gadgets, Science, Technology, Transportation, Vintage & Retro.

Any time we have news related to new projects within or outside of Webist Media, it is always essential to note how indebted these sites are to the core authors including Angel, Chris, Delana, Mike, Stephanie and Steve, who make this weird and wacky website work Click here to check out Gajitz, and be sure to follow up on Twitter, friend us on Facebook, subscribe to the new RSS feed and spread the word around the interwebs however else you wish. Once again, thanks for reading, sharing your thoughts and lending your support all along the way – you are what keeps us going!

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Sometimes what has seemingly appeared to be true since we can remember is no longer the case, as new scientific discoveries often reveal, thus requiring history books to be rewritten and/or changing the way we previously thought about certain things. Take the case of evolution, with these recent findings on the development of dinosaurs, birds, bats and man perfect examples of how new scientific evidence and research can dramatically alter and even shatter perception and reality.

Mammal Family Tree Topped by Tree Dweller, Of Course

(Images via: University of Toronto)

This past July, researchers identified the world’s first known tree-dwelling vertebrate, a discovery that was 260 million years in the making and ultimately revealed that mammals actually predated the dinosaurs (as opposed to the other way around). Named Suminia getmanovi, this tree dweller lived 30 million years before the first dinosaurs and is actually a distant relative to mammals, including humans. Researchers were able to link this vertebrate’s ancestry to mammals through a feature unique to the Suminia getmanovi and mammals: an opening beyond the eye-socket named a “synapsid.” Apparently, Suminia getmanovi was highly skilled at climbing up trees and clinging onto trunks and branches due to its long fingers and curved claws, which proved advantageous in relation to avoiding larger predators of its time. Also featuring an opposable thumb, this tree dweller was analyzed in a pre-dinosaur mudstone slab that contained more than 15 skeletons of the vertebrate.

Human Evolution Revolution: Tree Dwellers, Not Knuckle Draggers

(Images via: Lazear Science, Kit Comm, 3 Chimps, Alien World)

No need to dust off your Anthropology notes from freshman year of college because human evolution is not as we know it, as least according to North American scientists who claim that humans actually evolved from tree-dwelling chimps and bonobos rather than knuckle-dragging gorillas, as so many textbook illustrations have led us to believe. And how was this discovery made? Well, a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined the adult and juvenile wrist bones of gorillas, chimps and bonobos, finding that gorillas have wrists that extend straight down and are more similar to how elephants walk, while the chimps and bonobos have wrists that allow for bending and more flexibility (like humans). In other words, the researchers concluded that it’s not likely that human bipedalism (referring to movement on the two rear limbs) evolved from knuckle-draggers but rather developed from an ancestor that spent a lot of time in the trees and eventually began to walk upright.

A Real Life, Walking Bat Man?

(Images via: Phys Org, Daylife, Terra Nature)

Continuing on this walking theme, did you know that only 2 of the 1100-known bat species — the short-tailed bat in New Zealand and the vampire bat – actually walk on their feet? If this little known fact is surprising, you haven’t seen anything yet, Bruce Wayne. Recent bat fossil findings reveal that the modern walking bat in New Zealand is actually the descendant of 20-million-year-old walking bats from Australia. Why should you care? Well, it turns out that both the short-tailed bat and the fossil bat – which apparently died off 15 million years ago as a result of climate changes in Australia – share a similar anatomical feature (a groove in its elbow) that functions as part of a specialized muscular system allowing it to move about the ground. What does this mean? Well, it disputes the original idea that short-tailed bats started walking as an adaptive measure to friendly, modern surroundings devoid of predators. As for those ancient walking bats, they were frequently surrounded by predators but were so quick on their feet that they hardly were in danger, except for dramatic climate shifts, of course.

T. Rex and Its Own Mini Me

(Image via: China Confidential)

Evolution keeps throwing us for a loop here as it turns out that the supreme dinosaur predator – Tyrannosaurus rex – is actually the descendant of a newly-discovered dinosaur that was 8 feet long (or 20 percent smaller in length to T. rex), but still dangerous. While packing a smaller frame, this new dinosaur – Raptorex kriegsteini – maintained the massive jaws, quick legs and tiny arms that still allows the T. rex to intimidate and provoke nightmares today, some 65 million years after its extinction. According to fossil records, the T-Rex predecessor actually lived 125 million years ago, and sustained itself on pig-sized dinosaurs and turtles. Interestingly, this discovery was made when the owner of the fossil – illegally excavated from China — asked to have it examined for scientific value. Sometimes stumbling upon something new is a matter of circumstance and luck.

The Missing Link? Not Sasquatch, But A Bird-Like Dinosaur

(Images via: Skews Me)

Oh, how the pieces are coming together. Earlier this week, Chinese researchers unearthed a bird-like dinosaur with four wings. Dating back to some 160 million years ago, this discovery — named Anchiornis huxleyi — could very well be the missing link in explaining the still-mysterious evolution from dinosaurs to birds. Only 20 inches in length and comparable to the size of a chicken, this bird-like dinosaur had feathers that covered its arms, tail and feet; features that Chinese researchers suggest indicate the existence of a four-winged dinosaur prior to the transition to birds. Previously, the idea that a dinosaur was an ancestor to birds was disputed, but not no more after this enlightening discovery.

Of course, this story comes a couple of months after another study observed how changing a single gene can cause similar bird populations to split into distinct species. Past and present, it’s safe to say that birds whistle to their own tune when it comes to evolution.

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Opabinia: Hey Five Eyes!

(images via: Pleschbubble and Discover Magazine)

If Fifties crooner Sheb Wooley thought a “one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater” was weird, he would’ve flipped his Brylcreemed lid over Opabinia, which was a five-eyed one-trunked swimming worm-bug hybrid thingy. It also had a backwards-facing mouth and a fan-shaped tail. Opabinia may seem exceptionally odd to us now but back in the Middle Cambrian era 510 million years ago, it was just another new squid on the block. Er, it also makes for an exceptionally odd tattoo.

(image via: WCU)

Just a few million years after the Cambrian Explosion (of life) began, creatures like Opabinia – and unlike anything alive today – lived their dog-eat-dog lives in warm shallow seas. An undersea landslide occurring in what is now British Columbia buried many of Mother Nature’s early wild experiments with body plans beneath fine-grained silt that solidified to form the Burgess Shale.

Giant Sea Scorpion: Big Bad Bug

(images via: NOVA Online, The Sun and Cochise College)

400 million years ago, the ancestors of today’s scorpions and spiders were the undisputed kings of their watery environment. Growing up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) long, the Eurypterids were mean, mad and VERY hungry – and they packed a pair of viciously serrated claws to back it up. We may have to extend our thanks to the Eurypterids… our very distant amphibian forbears may have finally made the leap to living on land partly in response to predation by these relentless killing machines.

(image via: About.com)

What if the Eurypterids had survived to the modern day? The above photoshopped image by Takeshi Yamada purports to display just such a creature – at just 15-inches long it STILL looks exceptionally freaky.

Ammonites: A Face Only Lovecraft Could Love

(images via: Bored of Jam, Cracked, Marshall’s Arts and CM Studio)

Cross a squid, a snail, Futurama’s Dr. Zoidberg and Great Cthulhu for good measure and you get something approximately like an Ammonite – and one heck of a mess to clean up. These extremely successful relatives of octopi, squids and the chambered nautilus had an exceptionally long tenure as lifeforms go, first appearing about 440 million years ago and vanishing along with the dinosaurs 370 million years later.

(images via: Wikipedia and Espy Jewelry)

Active carnivores and a major food source for ocean-dwelling Mosasaurs and Icthyosaurs, Ammonites are quite numerous as fossils and some of their shells are surprisingly large. Sometimes the mother-of-pearl lining of Ammonite shells fossilizes into “ammolite”, which is used to make distinctly colored jewelry.

Dimetrodon: Sail On Sailor

(images via: UFOnet and Palaeoblog)

Not only is there a sale at Penney’s, there’s a sail on Dimetrodon – get ‘em while they’re hot! Unfortunately Dimetrodon hasn’t been remotely warm for at least 275 million years, give or take a few million. So tell me, is Dimetrodon the weirdest dinosaur, yes or no? The answer is… there IS no answer. It’s a trick question – Dimetrodon isn’t a dinosaur. Living in the Permian period 50-odd million years before the Mesozoic Era even began, Dimetrodon was a synapsid, or mammal-like reptile. He and his kin were the world’s best and brightest until a massive extinction event known colloquially as The Great Dying wiped out 70 percent of the planet’s land-based vertebrate species.

(image via: Lost World Studios)

Oh, that sail? Dimetrodon employed it as an early and somewhat ungainly method of regulating its body temperature. Other mammal-like reptiles and even a few later dinosaurs used the sail method but Dimetrodon remains its fiercest proponent. Literally.

Raptorex: Prehistoric Pitbull

(images via: Daily Mail and The Money Times)

Say you’re the prehistoric version of an urban gangsta and you want an intimidating pet to put the fear of Thog into the ‘hood: you need a Raptorex kriegsteini, in other words, a mini T. Rex. Raptorex roamed what is now northern China 125 million years ago, and you can bet there weren’t any leash laws to hold it back.

(image via: Chicago Tribune)

Nine feet long from tooth to tail, this Mini Me of Master T weighed about 150 lbs (70 kg) but a lightweight it wasn’t – according to discoverer Paul Sereno (above), “What we’re looking at is a blueprint for a fast-running set of jaws.” Nice doggie, good boy.

Terror Bird: The Ostrich From Hell

(images via: Wikimedia, Paleofreak, Dear Kitty and North Florida Herald)

Anyone who thought the asteroid that ended the Age of Dinosaurs ushered in a lasting era of peace and quiet didn’t figure on the Terror Birds. Aptly named and fiendishly beaked, the members of the Phorusrhacid family resembled their dinosaur predecessors in body plan, feeding habits and bad attitude. The last Terror Birds died out a mere 2 million years ago, just before modern humans stepped onto the stage – an excellent bit of good timing if there ever was!

(images via: Boards IE and Scientist, Interrupted)

They say everything’s bigger in Texas… that goes for prehistoric meat-eating birds like 7-foot tall Titanis Walleri (skull shown above), who made life miserable for smaller creatures from Texas through Florida roughly 5 million years ago. “Polly want a cracker” indeed.

So hungry you could eat a horse? Here’s a short video of a Terror Bird running down a filly, sans steak & cheese:

Terror Bird video, via Tier-Welt

Megalodon: The Greatest White Shark

(images via: Vodnazona, Karen Carr Studio, San Diego Natural History Museum and Pibburns)

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”… like, maybe an aircraft carrier, if you’ve got Megalodon in your sights. This 60-foot (18 meter) long extinct shark makes today’s Great White look rather piddling. Megalodon cruised the oceans from 18 million to 1.5 million years ago. What did such a monstrous shark eat? Anything it wanted!

(image via: Gen Con LLC)

Being the largest carnivorous fish ever to swim the seas, Megalodon economized by selecting very large prey, like whales. This begs the question: whales never died out, so why did Megalodon? It may be that warm-blooded whales avoided Megalodon predation by frequenting cold polar waters that were inhospitable to a shark’s cold-blooded metabolism. Better to be chilly than chili, I always say.

History’s freak show has played out for the better part of a billion years and we can be sure Mother Nature still has a few tricks up her sleeve. Even so, we can all be thankful some of the most bizarre and frightening creatures to have evolved on Earth survive only as bits of fossilized bone. Whew!

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Humongous holes can be found scattered across the globe. Some are made by nature like craters or collapsed cave systems, while others are brought about by mankind. Massive man-made holes scar the Earth with greedy pockmarks indicating natural resources being stripped from the land. A few of these holes are so huge that they can be seen by astronauts with the unaided eye. Still others signal a subterranean fire,  open pit diamond mines, and sinkholes. Other holes are a geological phenomena. Here are some of the most massive man-made and natural holes to be found on our planet.

Cenote

(image credits:wikipedia,wikipedia)

A cenote is a sinkhole filled with groundwater. They form when water that was previously supporting the rock ceiling drops and the ground collapses. Sometimes an active cave system is below the rocks like at Dos Ojos (top) in Mexico, the now flooded and deepest known cave passage. There are a minimum of 25 sinkhole entrances in which people from all over come to swim and play.

Craters

(image credits:Mars Anomaly Research,Mars Anomaly Research,NASA)

There are humongous holes all around us, some puncturing the Earth while other space rocks impact other planets. Mars also has many dark holes like MRO at the top. At last count, our planet had more than 170 discovered impact craters. In Arizona and pictured along the bottom, the Barringer Meteorite Crater, also called “Meteor Crater” is almost mile  wide and 570 feet deep.

Holy Holes

(image credits:crooked brains,wikipedia,Mosaic Projects,wikipedia)

How would you like to take a vacation to Zacation? Cenote Zacaton (upper left) can be found near the northeastern coast of Mexico. It is the deepest known water-filled sinkhole in the world with a depth of 1043.31 feet. Crveno Jezero (Red Lake) in Imotski, Croatia, (upper right) is known for its 790 feet high cliffs as well as the many caves in the area. From the bottom of Red Lake to the top of the cliff is distance of 1,909 feet. Some massive holes are created by mankind like Island Copper Mine (lower left) on Vancouver Island. At the time that it was closed down, the mine was the lowest man-made spot on Earth and reached a depth of 1,320 feet below sea level. The Udachnaya pipe (lower right) is a open-pit diamond mine in Russia. This mine is over 1,968 feet deep.

Chand Baori Well

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Built in an arid climate back in the 9th century, the incredible well of Chand Baori, India, was the dependable water solution that would last throughout the year. This famous stepwell is more than 98 feet deep, has 13 floors and 3,500 steps. It is a great example of the architectural excellence from centuries past. With no handrails and a 100 feet plunge to the water, this might also be a great place to dive in?

Bingham Canyon Mine

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Bingham Canyon Mine is the world’s largest man-made excavation. It is located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. When the digging was started over a hundred years ago, it was a landmark development in open-pit mining operations. Stretching 2.5 miles across and 3/4 of a mile deep, even the astronauts could see this copper mine from outer space with the naked eye. For an even better idea of how humongous this man-made excavation is, if the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine were a stadium, it could seat nine million people.

Diavik Diamond Mine

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This diamond mine is located northeast of Yellowknife Canada and produces more than 8 million carats each year. An ice road freezes over in cold weather but it once was the only connection to the huge hole. When supplies could not be trucked in due to icy road hazards, another option was conceived. Due to the remoteness of this mine, an airport was constructed with a 5,235-foot gravel runway that is large enough to land a Boeing 737. This massive hole is extensive, but the life expectancy to continue to rape the land is expected to be 16 to 22 years.

Monticello

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Monticello Dam is located in Napa County, California. When the reservoir is at full capacity and water needs to be drained, this glory hole is used. The glory hole at Monticello Dam is the largest in the world, measuring in with a 87 feet diameter. As the huge hole opens up on the surface of the water, 14,400 cubic feet of water is drained every second. If you shot for adventure here, and jumped in, you would end up shooting out in a jet stream at the bottom of the dam.

Guatemala City

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In northeast Guatemala in 2007, the ground collapsed and created a humongous sinkhole. It swallowed dozens of homes. Three people were killed and 1,000 people evacuated from the area. This sinkhole was 330 feet deep, a result of fluids from a sewer dissolving the rock underneath. To better mentally calculate the size of the massive hole, the Statue of Liberty would completely fit with 22 feet to spare from the bottom to the top of the sinkhole.

Kimberly

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Kimberley Mine, an open-pit mine in South Africa is one of the world’s deepest man-man holes. This Big Hole is 705 feet deep and nearly circular. Mined from 1871 to 1914, up to 50,000 miners dug this hole with shovels and picks, yielding 6,000 pounds of diamonds. It was mined to a depth of almost 3,600 feet. Today the pit is only 705 feet deep, located in the center of town, and filled partway with groundwater.

Mirny

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We’ve all heard of the Bermuda Triangle where aircraft seem to vanish, but in Russia this sink hole is so large that the airspace above it is off-limits to pilots. A few helicopters were sucked by downdrafts into this massive mine. This abandoned diamond mine is the largest man-made hole in the world and is located in Mirny, Eastern Siberia. The mine is 1,722 feet deep and has a diameter of 3,937 feet.  20-foot tall rock-hauling trucks service Mirny Mine along steep roads that snake back and forth.

Belize Blue Hole

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The Blue Hole located 60 miles off of Belize is an almost magical place for divers. The huge blue circle, a blue hole, is an awe-inspiring geological phenomenon. Although there are many blue holes located across the globe, the one in Belize is the finest in the world. Looking down at the circle from above, the dark blue water has a diameter that stretches for 1/4 mile. The depth in the middle of the blue hole is 475 feet deep.

Gates of Hell

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In yet another epic human error against the Earth, there is a massive hole burning with an unholy fervor. Located deep within the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan, the Darvaza Gas Crater, or The Burning Gates give off a fiery glow for miles during the dark hours of night. This huge crater was formed by a catastrophic accident when a Soviet drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. The Soviets could smell noxious gas leaking from the hole and set it ablaze. It has been burning ever since 1971 and the scent of burning sulfur is very strong near the edge of the hole. The Burning Gates measures 196 wide and 65 feet deep.

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Without a doubt, Stonehenge is the most well-known and loved of the prehistoric circular stone megaliths. It’s so well-loved, in fact, that it’s spawned countless copycats. But Stonghenge isn’t the only awesome prehistoric stone circle out there – they can be found all over the United Kingdom, and a few even appear in Europe and North America. Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, these ancient structures are shrouded in mystery. While some of them were used as burial sites, the more common theory is that they were used as ancient calendars or astronomical observatories.

Swinside Stone Circle: Swinside, Cumbria, England

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In the small Cumbrian town of Swinside lies the beautiful Swinside stone circle. It is also known as Sunkenkirk because, as legend has it, the devil pulled into the ground these stones which were meant for a new church. The circle consists of 55 stones (there were originally 60) in a 90-foot diameter circle. Sunkenkirk is generally regarded as one of the best and most important stone circles in Britain; its setting in the midst of the Lake District mountains makes it an extremely picturesque and serene place to visit, once you make the 1km walk to the site from the nearest parking area.

Loch Buie Stone Circle: Isle of Mull, Scotland

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The Loch Buie stone circle, near the town of Tobermory on Mull, once consisted of nine stones. Today, eight of the original stones remain. The circle is remarkably well-preserved and in a truly beautiful setting. Like most other stone circles, the Loch Buie circle is astronomically aligned, with the winter solstice being the perfect day to visit the site.

Avebury Stone Circle: Avebury, England

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Even larger and older than the famous Stonehenge, the Avebury stone ring is a stunning monument to ancient ambition. This stone circle is actually part of a much larger monument, known collectively as the Avebury complex. The complex includes the stone circle, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow. Avebury is geographically close to Stonehenge, and between the two monuments (and on a 200-mile stretch all across southern England) are a healthy spattering of other fascinating monoliths and monuments.

Ring of Brodgar: Orkney, Scotland

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Standing tall and proud in the Scottish isles, the Ring of Brodgar is one of the most recently-built monoliths in Europe. That doesn’t mean you’ll still see freshly upturned earth at the feet of these stones, though; construction took place around 2500 to 2000 BCE. There are several other ancient monuments in the area, including the Comet Stone, several prehistoric burial mounts, the Ring O’ Bookan and the Stones O’ Stenness.

The Stone Circle: Beaver Island, Michigan

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Beaver Island, Michigan, once home to a Mormon monarchy, is now a popular tourist destination. One of the most interesting features of the island is its stone circle, thought to have been erected well over a thousand years ago. However, no carbon dating has been performed on the site or on the stones comprising the circle.  The monument consists of a group of boulders and large stones centered on a rock. The rock and stones sport man-made features like scribbles, holes and pictures, evidently messages from whoever constructed the circle. Its origins, purpose and age are still unknown, but archaeologists are studying the site to see what cultural and historic significance it holds.

Lake Michigan Stonehenge: Lake Michigan, USA

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Just a stone’s throw away (or drop) from Beaver Island’s stone circle is another Lake Michigan mystery: what may be an underwater Stonehenge-like structure. Forty feet beneath the waters of Lake Michigan, this enigmatic stone circle consists of stones which seem to bear carvings of mastodons, proving that the structure is man-made. Research is still being conducted on the site, which is understandably difficult for scientists to see up close.

Machrie Moor Stone Circles: Isle of Arran, Scotland

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The soggy and sphagnum-covered Machrie Moor is home to a large collection of ancient stone monuments. There are six well-documented stone circles as well as several cairns, hut circles and standing stones in the area. It’s not clear why so many circles were needed, but it appears that different circles can be used to observe different phases of the day and year.

Merry Maidens: Cornwall, England

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Wherever there is a stone circle, there is an abundance of folklore to go along with it. One of the common themes is petrification: the idea that the stones were once people who were turned to stone as a punishment or curse. The Merry Maidens stone circle in Cornwall, consisting of 19 wonderfully well-preserved stones, was said to have been formed when 19 maidens dared to dance on the Sabbath. They and two pipers (two outlying upright stones) were petrified as punishment for this indiscretion.

Long Meg and Her Daughters: Penrith, Cumbria, England

(images via: Chris Juden)

Long Meg and her Daughters is the third largest stone circle in England, and is so steeped in folklore and legend that it’s hard to keep track of all of the different origin stories associated with it. The most popular is that the stones were once a coven of witches; a priest (or magician or saint, depending on the story) came upon them conducting a ceremony on the hillside and turned them into stone on the spot. It is widely believed that the stones in the circle are uncountable, and if anyone does happen to count them accurately twice, the spell will be broken and the witches released. Moreover, legend says that if the stones are moved or destroyed in any way, the people responsible for the destruction will be immediately and brutally punished.

Woodhenge: Wiltshire, England

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Though not technically a stone circle, Woodhenge deserves a mention because of its mystery. It is located just two miles from Stonehenge and would have been just as visually striking in its day. Six concentric rings once contained a total of 168 massive wooden posts, with some posts weighing up to five tons each. Today, the post holes are filled with modern concrete place-holder posts to give visitors an idea of what the site may have looked like when it was constructed. Excavations revealed the skeletal remains of a child and a teenager at the site, either or both of which may have been dedicatory sacrifices.

Stanton Drew Stone Circles: Stanton Drew, Somerset, England

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The Stanton Drew stone circles are very closely oriented, with three impressive circles sitting nearly right next to each other. The largest, known as The Great Circle, is the second-largest stone circle in England (after Avebury). Recent archeological surveys have revealed that Stanton Drew was once much more grand than we see it today; in fact, it is said to have once rivaled the grandeur of Stonehenge. The site once included a henge as well as many concentric circles of wooden posts.

Seahenge: Holm-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, England

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Seahenge is another monument that doesn’t fall strictly into the “stone circle” category, but its history and the amount of controversy it’s caused make it good enough for this list. Discovered in 1998 just off the coast of Norfolk, the ancient construct was discovered after the movements of the tide gradually washed away layers of peat covering the timbers. Research into the age of the site tells archaeologists that it was constructed in the spring or summer of 2049 BCE. The original use of the site is still unknown, just like the other great stone (and wood) monuments. A replica of Seahenge is on display at Lynn Museum in King’s Lynn.

Castlerigg Stone Circle: Keswick, Cumbria, England

(image via: Ennor)

Cumbria is known for its many stone circles, and Castlerigg is its most popular – and, arguably, the most visually attractive. This beautiful circle sits on a plateau between some of the tallest peaks in Cumbria. Research into the site’s origins and purposes suggests that it may have once been a ritual marketplace for stone axes. Although the official count varies, there are between 36 and 42 stones in this stone circle. However, this has less to do with the aforementioned folklore surrounding the impossible counting of stones, and more to do with the fact that the soil around the stones has eroded over time, revealing the smaller “packing” stones around the larger ones.

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We live on a small green planet spinning in a mysterious universe, part of a complex and subtle eco-system that we do not yet fully understand. Science has progressed at breakneck speed in the last hundred years and our knowledge of how our world works and our place in it increases every day but even now there is much that science cannot explain. Like the things listed here, for example. These are all, arguably, phenomena of the natural world rather than man-made although in some cases there is doubt even about that. Will we ever be able to unravel these mysteries ? Perhaps, but right now we’re not even sure in some cases what the questions are.

The Taos Hum

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The Taos Hum is perhaps the best-known among a series of phenomena involving a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming not audible to all people. These noises have been reported all over the world but never adequately explained. Some suggest they are paranormal or that they may be the sound of the universe expanding. Others think they are cases of collective delusion. Strangely, the most sensitive acoustic devices , far more sensitive than the human ear, typically fail to detect the humming. Sometimes, of course, a logical reason can be found. The ‘Kokomo Hum’ in Kokomo, Indiana, for example, turned out to be coming from a Chrysler plant but elsewhere these strange ‘hums’ remain a mystery.

Crop Circles

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Crop circles have been reported in nearly every country on Earth. Plain round crop circles first began to be reported back in the 1970s but within the next couple of decades more intricate and complex designs were being found. Believers suggest they might be a form of communication from extraterrestrials or from the earth itself. Others think they may be caused by freak wind and weather conditions. Some can be explained away as man-made hoaxes but not all. Those who say they are natural phenomena point to several peculiarities found in the affected crops, such as woven stalks and cellular changes in the grain. There have also been reports of strange phenomena being experienced by researchers examining the circles, such as unexplained equipment failures and strange sounds.

Bigfoot

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‘Bigfoot’ is a large, hairy, apelike creature that supposedly roams the woods of the Pacific Northwest of America and Canada. The Native American word for these creatures is ‘Sasquatch’. They are said to be 6–10 feet tall, weigh in excess of 500 pounds and are covered in dark brown or reddish hair. Alleged witnesses have described large eyes, a pronounced ape-like brow-ridge and a large, low-set forehead. The top of the head is rounded and crested, similar to male gorillas. The huge footprints, from which the creature gets its name, are up to 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. They actually have casts of ‘Bigfoot’ tracks and most have five toes, like apes, but others have between 6-8 toes. Bigfoot is often reported to have a strong, unpleasant smell

The Giant Stone Balls of Costa Rica

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Deep in the jungles of Costa Rica, back in the 1940s, workmen clearing dense jungle for a United Fruit Company banana plantation were amazed to find dozens of large stone ball-shaped objects, many of them perfectly spherical. They varied in size from as small as a tennis ball up to an astonishing 8 feet in diameter and weighing 16 tons. Almost all of them are made of granodiorite, a hard, igneous stone not local to the region. The probability is that they were man-made but, if so, how did primitive people with crude tools manage to sculpt huge artifacts like these with such great precision, and why ? The giant stone balls of Costa Rica remain a mystery.

The Loch Ness Monster

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The Loch Ness Monster is a creature that is supposed to live in Loch (or lake) Ness in Scotland. Since the early 1930s, when it was first allegedly spotted, ‘Nessie’ has captured the public’s interest and attracted a steady stream of tourists. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with poor-quality and disputed photographic evidence of sightings. The scientific community generally regards the monster as a modern-day myth, explaining sightings as a mix of hoax and wishful thinking, but others swear that the creature really exists. It has been suggested that descriptions of the monster bear a striking resemblance to the supposedly extinct plesiosaur, a long-necked aquatic reptile that became extinct millennia ago. Several expeditions to Loch Ness, including submarine and sonar investigations, have failed to find the monster but it is a very deep lake.

The Nazca Lines of Peru

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The ‘Nazca Lines’ are a series of geometric shapes, miles of lines, and large drawings of animal figures constructed on the desert floor in the Nazca region of Peru. The puzzle is that these lines and figures are of such a gigantic scale that they can only be seen properly from a high altitude, a view that would not have been possible for those who constructed them. They were, in fact. discovered accidentally in the 1930s by an overflying airplane. The purpose of these lines is unknown. Some think they were created for the Gods (or space-travelers) to regard from above, others suggest they were some sort of calendar with astronomical alignments that would aid in planting and harvesting of crops. Others have suggested that the purpose of the lines was not to be looked at, but to be walked upon as a sort of ceremonial procession. The truth is that no-one knows and, in all likelihood, never will.

Ball Lightning

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Ball lightning is a strange natural phenomenon that science has yet to fully explain. The fact that it is reported so rarely makes it almost impossible to study. A typical ball is 4½ to 9 inches in diameter but they may be up to about three feet. They can be red, orange, or yellow in color, though occasionally blue or white, with the approximate brightness of a domestic light bulb. Sometimes they have a halo, emit sparks or rays, and can last for anything up to several minutes before disappearing either in an explosion or gradually fading away. Odors resembling ozone, burning sulfur, or nitrogen oxide have been reported, occasionally with the presence of a faint mist or residue. What makes ball lighting so puzzling is its strange ‘behavior’. Witnesses have said that it moves about as if with a kind of intelligence, following patterns on walls or furniture, and seeming to avoid obstacles. More mysterious still is its ability to pass through solid objects. Sometimes it leaves holes, but it has also been seen to pass through window glass and even walls without even leaving a mark.

Ley Lines

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Ley lines, or Leys, are alignments of ancient sites stretching across the landscape along tracks of natural power. The theory is that apparently unrelated ancient sites or holy places may be situated in a straight line ranging from one or two to several miles in length. A ley may be identified simply by an aligned placing of marker sites or it might be visible on the ground for all or part of its length by the remnants of an old straight track. Some claim to be able to feel a special ‘force’ or ‘power’ emanating from the lines. Although supposedly known to the ancients, ley lines were ‘re-discovered’ in 1921 by Alfred Watkins, a Herefordshire businessman, while he was looking at a local map for features of interest . He later published his theories about ‘leys’ in a book called ‘The Old Straight Track’.

The Bermuda Triangle

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The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle, lies between Miami in Florida, San Juan in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Within that area there have been many unexplained disappearances of boats and planes. Additionally, it is alleged, compasses do not operate normally inside the triangle. Theories about why so many vessels have disappeared in this stretch of water include strange magnetic fields, time warps, the lost continent of Atlantis, and alien abduction. Other proposed explanations include physical forces unknown to science, a “hole in the sky,” and an unusual chemical component in the region’s seawater. Several books have suggested that an intelligent, technologically advanced race living in space or under the sea has been responsible for jamming equipment and leading ships and planes to disaster.

UFOs

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Little green men in flying saucers, cunning military misdirection, or natural phenomena being misinterpreted ? The answer is, no-one has a clue. UFOs are one of the most puzzling mysteries that fascinate mankind and any sighting is sure to get widespread coverage in the press. The U.S Air Force originally coined the term in 1952, defining UFOs as simply those objects that remain unidentified after scrutiny by expert investigators but the term UFO has now passed into common currency as meaning an alien spacecraft. Some scientists have argued that all UFO sightings, in the strictest sense, are simply misidentification of prosaic natural phenomena. To others, though, they remain a puzzling mystery.

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Tucked away in the Georgetown district of Washington, D.C. is Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, a 16-acre treasure, rich with history and botanical surprises. Mrs. Mildred Bliss created the garden, starting in 1920, with the help of designer Beatrix Farrand. Mr. and Mrs. Bliss gifted the property to Harvard University and it is now has a music room and museum open to the public, as well as the world-famous gardens.

The Rich History of Dumbarton Oaks

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Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss purchased the 1801-built Federal-style house and 53-acre property as a permanent home in June 1920. Robert Bliss was a Harvard graduate and US Foreign Service diplomat and the couple had traveled extensively overseas before settling down at Dumbarton Oaks.

The property was extensively renovated, the museum and music room were added and Mrs. Bliss and Beatrix Farrand designed and created lush garden spaces on 10 acres of the property. The Blisses gifted 16 acres of the property to Harvard University in 1940, but remained very active in the development of Dumbarton Oaks until they passed away in the 1960s.

Dumbarton Oaks continues to grow, carrying forward the Blisses vision of a living historical property. The Pre-Columbian addition, designed by architect Philip Johnson, opened to the public in 1963, in 2005 scholars were welcomed into the new library and in 2008 extensive renovations of the house and museum were complete.

A Perfectly Planned Garden Masterpiece

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What started out as a sloping, hilly and neglected piece of property in 1920 became the breathtaking gardens at Dumbarton Oaks. Beatrix Farrand was hired to design the gardens and together she and Mrs. Bliss planned every detail of the project. While certain elements of the garden have changed since then, the original architecture, which used an eclectic mix of materials, has remained.

Garden Paths Lead the Way

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During a tour of the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks, guests follow a narrow brick pathway to go between the upper and lower sections of the garden. Other paths in the gardens are stone and wood. Farrand and Bliss created a unique garden design with lots of captivating surprises along the way for those who explore the property.

Four Seasons of Color

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The Dumbarton Oaks gardens are planted with shrubs, hedges, trees and perennials that are coordinated to provide year-round interest. Spring bulbs envelope the borders in bright color to mark the end of winter. Then perennials steal the show from mid-spring to autumn, until fall color takes center stage. Evergreens and winter blooming perennials add interest to the stark winter backdrop.

Relaxing Garden Rooms

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Garden rooms are an exciting feature at Dumbarton Oaks. These true “living rooms” bring the outdoors in. These stunning open spaces are relaxing and inviting. If there were not so many other incredible attractions at the gardens, guests would likely spend the bulk of the visit in these greenest-of-green rooms.

Inspired Garden Architecture

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Farrand’s architecture is still the backbone of the gardens today. It’s elegant, although somewhat quirky, and has withstood the test of time. Each section of the garden was precisely planned and is a masterpiece in itself. Dumbarton Oaks is often described as one of the most beautiful gardens on earth.

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While some crop circles can be explained, others remain a mystery. The crop circles that cannot be proven to be man-made often exhibit peculiar characteristics that are difficult or impossible to duplicate.

The First Crop Circles: Work of the Devil

(images via: the telegraph, ufocasebook, wikipedia)

The earliest recorded account of a crop circle was in the 17th century. A woodcut image portrays a devil cutting circles in a field with a scythe. The accompanying pamphlet explained that the farmer was furious with the price the mower was charging for his work and said he would rather have “the devil himself” do the mowing. As the story goes, that night the crop lit up as if it were on fire.  In the morning there was a crop circle, courtesy of Satan.

Crop Circles Blamed on UFOs

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As time went on, people started seeing lights in the sky that they could not explain. Finally Satan was cleared of the crop circle mischief and the blame was placed squarely on aliens and their spaceships. To this day, crop circles are often associated with UFO sightings. In 1966, in Tully, Queensland, Australia, a farmer said he saw a flying saucer rise 30 to 40 feet up from a swamp. When the craft was gone, the spot where it had landed had reeds woven clockwise on top of the water.

The video above purports to be raw footage of UFOs creating crop circles. The camera is shaky right up until the action begins and it lines up perfectly to film a focused clips of flying saucers zapping fields. Judge the authenticity for yourself. UFO hoaxes are incredibly common.

Many of those who believe flying saucers created crop circles also believe that the patterns in the fields are actually messages from an intelligent life form – perhaps a warning about the environment and the fate of the planet we call home.

The Phenomenon Spreads

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In the 1970s many crop circles popped up across the English countryside. By the 1980s the phenomenon became more widely publicized and crop circles appeared around the world.

Early crop circles were generally simple circular patterns. However, as time passed the designs became more intricate and symetrical and some even have 3-D effects from a bird’s eye view.

Man-Made and Crop Circle Hoaxes

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In 1991 two men announced they were responsible for crop circles and that the idea had been a prank they thought up in a pub back in 1976. Doug Bower and Dave Chorley demonstrated how they used only four-foot planks, rope, hats and wire to create flattened crop circles.

John Lundberg founded Circlemakers.org in 1995 and his group has proven that “authentic” crop circles can, in fact, be faked. Matt Ridley, another crop circle maker, has written about simple techniques used to create crop circles that fool even the “experts.” Instructions on how to create crop circles are widely available online and crop circle competitions are regularly held in the UK.

Advertisers have also gotten in on the crop circle action. Now crops that are regularly seen from the air are valuable ad space and custom-color crop designs cover the fields.

Too Complex to Be Man-Made?

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Despite plenty of evidence and confessions of crop circle makers, some people still believe they are an unexplained phenomenon. The argument is often made that the designs are too complex and perfectly executed to be man-made.

Crop Circle Research

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The Discovery Channel commissioned five aeronautics and astronautics students from MIT in 2002 and asked them to create crop circles. Crop circle researcher Nancy Talbott consulted with the Discovery team and advised that there are three common identifiers that set “real” crop circles apart from man-made or faked ones.

According to Talbott, unexplained crop circles feature elongated apical plant stem nodes, expulsion cavities in the plant stems and the presence of 10–50 micrometre diameter magnetized iron spheres in the soils, distributed linearly. The team failed to create a crop circle that met these three requirements.

Recent Crop Circles

(images via: ufo-reports)

In 2009, there have been many new crop circles reported across Europe. One of the most notable was a 600ft jellyfish that stretched across a barley field in Oxfordshire. It was one of the largest and most unusual crop circle designs seen to date. Is this a message from another galaxy, a warning to protect our planet – or simply a reminder from other residents of earth? You decide.

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