Electrical engineer and researcher Colin Andrews coined the phrase "Crop Circles" 30 years ago. He discussed his research into the mysterious phenomenon, and its possible connections to the Mayans' calendar cycle ending in 2012. During a two-year period starting in 1999, he received funding from Laurance Rockefeller to study crop circles in England, and came to the conclusion that only 20% of them were real, i.e. not man-made-- a conclusion that angered many in the crop circle community. He found that the formations not made by humans, were with a few exceptions, "consistently of the more simple variety... [with] non-complex geometries."

As to who or what is creating the circles, Andrews suggested that it could be a "higher mind," such as an extraterrestrial species that's interacting with humans, as the messages evolve. While a low-level of directed microwave could account for the plant changes, the designs themselves contain mathematical, astronomical, and natural information, and fascinatingly, they are often "placed [in the field] in response to an individual's thought process, [or] prayer or meditation," he reported, citing a personal instance where a Celtic cross design appeared in a field near his home, after he made a mental request for it.

One crop formation depicted our solar system, and specifically referenced the date of September 2033, which Andrews was intrigued to discover corresponded to another end date for a different Mayan cycle. The date of 12/21/12 has a rare astrological alignment, and Israel and Iran may be drawn into a nuclear conflict around this time, he continued. Andrews also touched on encounters people have had with ET-type beings at crop circle locations, as well as a strange incident that occurred on the British TV network, ITN, when a metallic-sounding voice interrupted the program in 1977 and claimed to be an alien.

Nature of Luck

First hour guest, author Ellen Whitehurst talked about the nature of luck. She cited four ways a person can enhance or improve their luck-- maximize your chances for opportunities (such as networking), listen to your intuition or trust your gut instincts, expect to receive good fortune, and turn a negative situation into a positive one. She also suggested that the last thing you see before going to sleep, and the first thing you see when you wake up should be something that makes you feel positive and purposeful.

News segment guest: Frosty Wooldridge