Fine shooting Junior Kim Cayce carded a final round 72 to THE CHRONICLE >r second at the Lady Seminole Invita- DAY, OCT DUKE UNIVERSITY Di AROLINA ,TION: 15,000 VOL 87, NO. 23 Crop circles may be more than just hoax, studies show

By ERIC LARSON lend credence to the theory that a string and a bizarre sighting de­ The mysterious English quick and powerful ionized vice attached to a baseball cap," wheat field circles, claimed in plasma process akin to lightning as reported in the tabloid and a early September to be the work of may be causing some ofthe circles. New York Times article. practical jokers, are being taken Both studies, as yet unpub­ Armchair explanations for the seriously in two separate scien­ lished, may put in further doubt circles have ranged from landing tific studies. the claims of two Englishmen who sites of alien spacecraft to earth- Michael Chorost, a University said in early September that they energy fields. A handful of re­ graduate student in English, col­ were responsible for the bizarre searchers, perhaps risking their lected soil and plant samples of formations appearing in England scientific reputations, have stud­ crop circles and shipped them to over the last 12 years. ied the circles, with the most an Oak Ridge, Tennessee engi­ The two men, David Chorley promising theories centering on neer and a renowned biophysicist and Doug Bower, demonstrated whirlwind and ball lightning phe­ in Michigan, both of whom con­ their plant-trampling method for nomena. ducted separate tests. Today, a British tabloid, using William Levengood, a biophysi­ At least one ofthe studies may "two wooden boards, a piece of cist in Michigan, has run physi­ ological tests on plant samples taken from both inside and out­ side the circles. Levengood, who has published several articles in SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Chorost continues the science journal Nature and An aerial view of a crop circle formation in England. other scientific journals, asked that the name of his lab not be those things I've looked at could ture plants found in the circles search for answer printed. be hoaxes. I can't conceive that were shriveled and shrunk. Fur­ "I don't want a lot of kooks and [hoaxers ] would have been able to ther examination showed that pits By ERIC LARSON ond to England in order to pho­ UFO followers calling me up in spread energy over the entire in the cell walls, normally hard to Druidic ghosts, earth-en­ tograph new formations and the middle ofthe night," he said. area." observe, were quite apparent in ergy fields, alien spacecraft— to continue compiling what is His findings have led him to Since January, Levengood has the circle samples. The pits may Michael Chorost had heard now the subject's standard bib­ suspect that "a very complicated, been looking at plants sent to him have become visible with rapid most attempts to explain crop liography. but very reasonable process based by Chorost and Pat Delgado, co­ expansion, "like a spot on the sur­ circles, but none of the theo­ "This is a controversial sub­ on a weather phenomenon" is re­ author ofthe book "Circular Evi­ face of a balloon as it is being ries impressed him. ject," Chorost admits. "Very sponsible for some of the circles. dence." blown up," according to an in­ It was the search for a more few" are willing to do the kind The process may be explained Something had caused points terim report written by fact-based answer that of legwork he is, and scientists with ion plasma physics, the same on the stems of the wheat plants Levengood. prompted the University are especially wary. "A lot of forces which produce ball light­ to expand and another part to Using a microwave oven, graduate student in English scientists are real istically wor­ ning, he said. mutate. Pits in the plants' cell Levengood was able to reproduce to undertake the crop circle ried that they will be looked on "This is high-powered stuff," walls expanded, seeds in the plant the effect on the pits precisely, he project two years ago. as crackpots," he said. Levengood said. The exact cause became abnormal and the sur­ said. Samples which Chorost col­ Staying in country inns and of the burst is still uncertain. face ofthe plant was-charred. One interesting aspect which lected over the summer have with friends around Avebury, "That is the whole problem here. will not be easy to reproduce is a been studied by two American Chorost rolled out of bed at the That's not going to be easy to The second and third nodes, mutation which he discovered in scientists and found to yield crack of dawn hoping to find a explain." located halfway up the stem of some ofthe plants sent to him in radiological and physiological formation before rain or dew Pressure or heat alone could the plants, were most affected, January by Delgado. The muta­ data that, if nothing else, "rules affected it. "Each morning I not have caused the changes, swelling as much as 42 percent tion, polyembryony, is not nor­ out a hoax," he said. would climb a local hill to see if Levengood said. Nor could it be compared to those of plants out­ mally found in wheat, according The trip was Chorost's sec­ See ANSWER on page 5 • the work of hoaxers, he said. side the circles. to a letter Levengood wrote to "There's no way that a lot of In addition, the seeds of imma­ See CIRCLES on page 5 • Students continue to wait for cable

By SCOTT WALKER station. receive cable until the summer of Students desperate for ESPN "[Last spring] we conducted a 1992 at the earliest, Donsfield in their dorm rooms are going to viewer survey ... and the major­ said. have to wait at least a year before ity of the comments were to get "It's a large project, and you their prayers are answered. cable into the dorms," Mclntyre can't vacate the dorms," he said. Television cable could be in­ said. Students will pay installation stalled in dorms by next fall, but Better television reception is costs via their monthly fees to installation must first be reviewed not the only goal of installation. If Tel-Com, Donsfield said. The ex­ by the Academic Council before it cable were installed, computer act rate has not been determined, is approved, said Jerry Campbell, networking cable would also be he said. vice-provost for academic comput­ installed simultaneously, said Full installation of cable for all ing. James Donsfield, assistant man­ dorms will take "a couple of sum­ "We want to ask the council ager of communications at Tel- mers, maybe three," Donsfield their sense ofthe educational wis­ Com. said. dom of putting cable into the "Obviously there's more to be Tel-Com currently offers tele­ dorms . . . [we do not want to] gained than HBO," Campbell vision cable service through encourage folks to sit around and said. Durham Cablevision to Central watch television." The council will review the Campus apartments and the "It is likely any decision I would cable issue sometime this fall, Schaeffer House, which consists make would reflect the faculty's Campbell said. of Mitchell and Decker Towers. decision," Campbell said. The chances of faculty approval The new cable system could Last spring, the Academic Com­ are "reasonable," he said. offer more channels than those puting Advisory Committee re­ After the council reviews in­ currently offered, Donsfield said, ported the possibility of cable in­ stallation, Campbell will then but at a possibly higher price. stallation to the council, but this decide whether to go ahead with The exact service will be deter­ fall is the first opportunity for the installation. mined once the bids are received, council to actually review instal­ If he approves installation, Tel- he said. CHAD STURGILL/THE CHRONICLE lation, Campbell said. Com will take bids from cable Central Campus and Schaeffer Students have strongly sup­ companies to determine who will residents receive channels two Dastardly deed. ported cable installation, said provide the service, Campbell through 13, including ESPN,