# Enigma of Namibia's 'fairy circles'



## Brian G Turner (Apr 5, 2004)

South African botanists say they have failed to explain the mysterious round patches of bare sandy soil found in grassland on Namibia's coastal fringe. 

They looked into possible causes of the "fairy circles" - radioactive soil, toxic proteins left by poisonous plants, and termites eating the seeds. 

But tests do not support any of these theories for the rings which are 2-10m across, New Scientist magazine reports. 

For now, the botanists are left with "fairies" to explain the phenomenon. 

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3587431.stm


----------



## Brian G Turner (Jan 19, 2017)

Well, they finally appear to have been explained - as the work of termites, clearing the area around their nests:
Mysterious fairy circles in Namibian desert explained at last


----------



## HareBrain (Jan 19, 2017)

What's even more amazing is that you remembered having posted something about this almost thirteen years later!


----------



## Venusian Broon (Jan 20, 2017)

Another mystery is why the article is titled '...explained at last' when it ends stating that perhaps it's not the explanation.

You'd have thought the journalists at New Scientist (or is it an editors job to put in a title???) would be sticklers for logic in their work.


----------

