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In April 2020, the above-displayed image started circulating online, supposedly showing a crop circle resembling a logo for Microsoft Windows ringed with the crown shape of coronaviruses. This picture was shared by some social media users who claimed it was a piece of protest art that appeared somewhere in the United Kingdom. This image, however, is a digital manipulation. The fake image was created by doctoring a genuine photograph of a crop circle that was reportedly created in a wheat field in Wiltshire, England, in the summer of 2004. Here's a look at the original photograph (left) and the doctored image (right): The Temporary Temple, a group that archives crop-circle images, has a few other images that show this real crop circle from various angles. Although crop circles may have once conjured up images about mysterious alien visitors, these displays typically have earthly origins. Crop circles may be created by hoaxers, artists, or even advertisers. In 2014, for instance, the technology company NVIDIA created a crop circle resembling a computer chip: While we have been unable to dig up much information about the 2004 crop circle in Wiltshire, England, this community does have a rich crop circle history. In the 1970s, pranksters Doug Bower and Dave Chorley captured the attention of extraterrestrial enthusiasts when they created crop circles there. Smithsonian Magazine reported: The digitally manipulated image of a crop circle resembling the Microsoft Windows logo and the crown of the coronavirus was frequently shared on social media by those alleging some sort of connection between former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates and the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic. For example, one prevalent (albeit nonsensical) conspiracy theory holds that Gates is using COVID-19 to implement microchips into people via vaccines. You can read more about ID2020 here.
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