Bonjour,


une étude concernant une éventuelle modification de la structure cristalline de certains minéraux d'argiles (ilite et smectite) présent dans le sol en surface à l'interieur d'un crop circle est disponible sur le net.

Cette étude est détaillée et nous pouvons avoir accès à ces différentes informations concernant le protocole mis en place :

-> procédure d'échantillonage (plants et sol)

-> méthode d'analyse des plants

-> méthode d'analyse des échantillons de minéraux argileux (clays minerals) : utilisation de la méthode XRD (X-ray diffraction) (réalisé par DR. SAMPATH S. IYENGAR Geochemist/Minerologist;Ph.D in Materials Chemistry/Minerology,M.S. in Soil Physical Chemistry,X-ray diffraction (XRD) and materials science specialist.Owner/analytical manager of Technology of Materials,Laboratory, San Diego, CA)



-> étude afin de mesurer s'il existe des différences statistiquement significatives entre les valeurs témoins et celles des échantillons (réalisée par DR. RAVI RAGHAVAN Chemical Engineer/Statistician, Ph.D in Chemical Engineering, Purdue University;Specialist in mathematical modeling and computer simulation of processes.)



Or il s'avère que les conclusions sont pour le moins surprenantes :


"In the plants, statistically significant (p <0.01) apical node-length increases were found in all of the 71 plant sample sets, compared with the mean of the controls. Additionally, 68% of the plant samples contained expulsion cavities in one or several plant stem nodes in each plant, while none were found in the controls. Based on previous research (see "Published Papers"), microwave radiation has been proposed as a possible causative mechanism for the plant stem changes found in this case, and also consistently in many other cases around the world over the last 10-12 years.

Clay minerals (illite/smectites) extracted from surface soils taken at the same sampling locations as the plants, were submitted to X-ray diffraction analysis, resulting in Kubler Index values for both the room temperature (RT) and glycolated condtions. Analysis of the XRD results shows a subtle, but statistically significant (at the 95% level of confidence), sharpening of the mica 001 peak in the circle samples, suggesting crystal growth.

Dr. Reynolds, a world authority in clay minerology, raised the question as to whether this sharpening of the mica 001 peak might have been caused by the dehydration of interstratified smectite layers in the crystals. In response to this possibility, a paired t-test comparing the room temperature (RT) condition to the glycolated condition was conducted, but smectite dehydration seems to be ruled out by the fact that the data show no systematic increase in peak breadth upon ethylene glycol solvation of the samples (again, at the 95% level of confidence).

In Reynold's words, "the possiblity of crystal growth seems remote." The degree of pressure known to be involved in causing crystal growth in sedimentary deposits would have, had it been present, completely obliterated the plants. And the 600-800ßC temperatures, over a period several hours, known to be necessary to promote such crystal growth in the laboratory would have, in the crop circle field, incinerated any plant material present. Additionally, the very brief bursts of possibly intense microwave radiation thought to be the cause of node-elongation and the creation of expulsion cavities (through heating and expansion of internal stem moisture) could not account for crystal growth.

And yet statistical analysis reveals both a subtle decrease in the KI of circle samples as compared to controls, and a definite correlation between the KI and Node Length data -- at more than the 99% level of confidence. It seems evident that whatever caused the decreased KI (increased cyrstal growth) in the clay minerals in the soils was also responsible for the plant abnormalities."



Etant donné que l'ensemble de l'étude est disponible, et vu les conclusions, je pense important de vérifier :

- la validité du protocole experimental

- la validité du test statistique

- la validité concernant l'interprétation des résultats

Qu'en pensez vous ?


Voici le lien :
http://www.bltresearch.com/xrd.html