h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is more than an amazing coincidence that the Aubrey ring consists of exactly 56 holes. These were, I believe, the oldest post or stone sites at Stonehenge. Presumably the original design purpose of the site.

Until recently the number 56 did not have much significance, unless you do high energy plasma research, that is. At Los Alamos and other labs you can produce the 56 holes in a metal target plate by plasma discharge. Dr Anthony Peratt is a world expert on this subject and found evidence that ancient man built stone circles to this spec in many countries. See his IEEE paper http://www.scribd.com/doc/14145750/Anthony-Peratt-Characteristics-for-the-Occurrence-of-a-HighCurrent-ZPinch-Aurora-as-Recorded-in-Antiquity.