Crop Circles

A crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, or maize. The term crop circle entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1990. In 1991, self-professed pranksters Doug Bower and Dave Chorley admitted that they started the crop-circle phenomenon in 1978. Prior to this confession, many[weasel words] were seriously entertained by the idea that crop circles were not man-made, and even after the disclosure of the prank, paranormal enthusiasts, ufologists, and anomalistic investigators continue to offer alternative explanations, which are criticized by skeptical groups like the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Crop circles have become a significant source of tourism for Wiltshire, England. So are they real and what do they mean? How can you tell which is real and which is a hoax?