August 27, 2001: Michael Glickman | Crop Glyphs Images - Seth Shostak & Richard C. Hoagland
The Art Bell Archive · Arthur William Bell III
December 20, 202440m 10s
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Show Notes
Art Bell welcomes SETI astronomer Seth Shostak and former NASA advisor Richard C. Hoagland to examine the extraordinary crop glyph that appeared at the Chilbolton Observatory in England. The formation bears a striking resemblance to the 1974 Arecibo message, a three-minute binary transmission beamed into space with an effective radiated power of two trillion watts.
Shostak details the original message's contents, including representations of human DNA, a stick figure of a human, and a map of the solar system. He notes key differences in the crop glyph response: a larger-headed figure replacing the human, three offset planets instead of one, and the addition of silicon to the list of life-essential elements. Despite these intriguing modifications, Shostak remains skeptical, questioning why advanced beings would communicate through grain rather than radio.
Hoagland counters that the silicon addition reflects real biochemistry research unknown to the original message designers. He argues the glyph's precision and placement directly in front of a government observatory suggest something far beyond amateur hoaxing. The two debate whether the formation represents genuine extraterrestrial contact or an elaborate but earthly creation.
Shostak details the original message's contents, including representations of human DNA, a stick figure of a human, and a map of the solar system. He notes key differences in the crop glyph response: a larger-headed figure replacing the human, three offset planets instead of one, and the addition of silicon to the list of life-essential elements. Despite these intriguing modifications, Shostak remains skeptical, questioning why advanced beings would communicate through grain rather than radio.
Hoagland counters that the silicon addition reflects real biochemistry research unknown to the original message designers. He argues the glyph's precision and placement directly in front of a government observatory suggest something far beyond amateur hoaxing. The two debate whether the formation represents genuine extraterrestrial contact or an elaborate but earthly creation.