Metal monolith found in remote part of Utah

Squeegee Beckenheim · 24th November 2020, 09:09 AM

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah

Quote:

A mysterious monolith has been discovered in a remote part of Utah, after being spotted by state employees counting sheep from a helicopter.

The structure, estimated at between 10ft and 12ft high (about 3 metres), appeared to be planted in the ground. It was made from some sort of metal, its shine in sharp contrast to the enormous red rocks which surrounded it.

Anybody got a clue as to what it might be?

TragicMonkey · 24th November 2020, 09:11 AM

Look, Megatron only paid me a thousand bucks to hide his Horcrux. That was barely enough to afford the truck to get it out there. You get what you pay for, and he paid for a trash dumping in the desert.

theprestige · 24th November 2020, 09:15 AM

All the clues I have point to a recent man-made object. My guess is it's some sort of poorly-conceived publicity stunt.

Darat · 24th November 2020, 09:16 AM

Any chimps throwing bones?

This is what worries me: “ been about the strangest thing that I’ve come across out there in all my years of flying.”

“About”? What the hell else is out there?

StillSleepy · 24th November 2020, 09:17 AM

Might be one of the mail delivery waypoints again.

ETA: Given that the pilot had to be almost directly over it to see it, apparently not.

psionl0 · 24th November 2020, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by Darat

Any chimps throwing bones?

I suspect that will happen to anybody who touches it.

JoeMorgue · 24th November 2020, 09:20 AM

Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type.

johnny karate · 24th November 2020, 09:25 AM

I think it’s where Trump’s lawyers are hiding the evidence of election fraud.

Jack by the hedge · 24th November 2020, 09:41 AM

Can't have been out there for long. No bullet marks.

Distracted1 · 24th November 2020, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah

Anybody got a clue as to what it might be?

What surprises me more is that sheep seem to be thriving in what looks to be such a hostile environment.

Bob001 · 24th November 2020, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type.

The helicopter pilot thinks the same thing. The story includes this:

Quote:

“I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big 2001: A Space Odyssey fan,” Hutchings said.

The monolith and its setting resembled a famous scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, in which a group of apes encounter a giant slab.

Mike! · 24th November 2020, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Distracted1

What surprises me more is that sheep seem to be thriving in what looks to be such a hostile environment.

Have they attempted to make any tools since it showed up? Because that'd be pretty impressive, frankly.

Jungle Jim · 24th November 2020, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type.

Probably so but not an easy installation.

theprestige · 24th November 2020, 11:41 AM

My understanding is that the proportions are wrong for it to be the work of a 2001 fan. Also I can't decide if it's funny or sad that reddit is able to come up with something besides a 2001 joke.

Planigale · 24th November 2020, 11:58 AM

Oh! That's where I left it, I was just looking for it the other day.

Myriad · 24th November 2020, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim

...state employees counting sheep from a helicopter.

That sounds dangerous. How do they stay awake?

Skeptic Ginger · 24th November 2020, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah

Anybody got a clue as to what it might be?

Their video doesn't show the guys climbing up on another's shoulder to look at the top. And they photoshopped this monolith for the one in 2001 where that monolith was wider.

They joked if they disappeared when one touched it everyone should run. What a fun thing to find.

If someone did it as a joke one wonders when they expected it to be found. An overview of the area is pretty interesting, lots and lots of similar canyons in an otherwise relatively flat-ish desert.

The longer video was on ABC news. I'll look for it.

Here's the news video with a teeny bit more than in the Guardian story. It shows the terrain and has an interview with one of the crew members.

Emily's Cat · 24th November 2020, 12:26 PM

It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black.

smartcooky · 24th November 2020, 12:30 PM

This is not a monolith... its made of metal

Originally Posted by Emily's Cat

It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black.

TARS from Interstellar?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU

Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end.

theprestige · 24th November 2020, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

This is not a monolith... its made of metal

TARS from Interstellar?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU

TARS is also a slab and black. This is not a slab, and it's not black.

JoeMorgue · 24th November 2020, 12:38 PM

More so than the Monolith from 2001 the thing that immediately springs to mind for me is the Prada Marfa, a full size mockup of a Prada store put by the side of a remote road 26 miles from the nearest town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prada_Marfa

alfaniner · 24th November 2020, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Mike!

Have they attempted to make any tools since it showed up? Because that'd be pretty impressive, frankly.

Until they start going after their main predators with them.

Jack by the hedge · 24th November 2020, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

This is not a monolith... its made of metal

TARS from Interstellar?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU

Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end.

So it's a Toblerone out of its box but still in its foil wrapper. And obviously it's from the future, sent back to warn us that Toblerone will continue to reduce the amount of chocolate in their product, making the gaps between the chunks bigger and bigger, until eventually all that's left is the empty wrapper.

William Parcher · 24th November 2020, 02:13 PM

Oh my God. It's full of ballots!

Skeptic Ginger · 24th November 2020, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

This is not a monolith... its made of metal

TARS from Interstellar?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU

Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end.

The Utah monolith is square in depth and width.

crescent · 24th November 2020, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by William Parcher

Oh my God. It's full of ballots!

And golden tablets, with the word of God as written by the Angel Moroni.

Utah, after all....

theprestige · 24th November 2020, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jack by the hedge

So it's a Toblerone out of its box but still in its foil wrapper. And obviously it's from the future, sent back to warn us that Toblerone will continue to reduce the amount of chocolate in their product, making the gaps between the chunks bigger and bigger, until eventually all that's left is the empty wrapper.

Toblerone is actually just moving their chocolate out of the first three dimensions. Inside this wrapper is chocolate they've moved into the time dimension as a tax dodge. In 2120, backtiming is the new offshoring.

TragicMonkey · 24th November 2020, 02:53 PM

One of the main principles of sciencemen (and scienceladies, of course) is observation; we should observify the item to see what we can deduce of its nature. First and foremost what springs instantly to our awareness is the total lack of whales in the area surrounding it. For fifty feet in every direction--including up and down!-- there is a 100% absence of all known whales. Humpback whales, killer whales, blue whales, green whales: you name them, they ain't there. Therefore we can draw the conclusion that the object generates a whale-repelling field at the minimum, possibly a whale-disintegrating field.

What does the scienceman (or sciencegirl) do next? Why, he (or she, I guess) performs an experiment! We must test the hypothesod! By dropping a variety of whales and other large animals onto the monolith from above. If the whales vanish, we'll know we were right about the whale disintegrator field. If all the animals vanish, we'll know the monolith's programming has been disturbed to mis-identify other things as being whales. If the whales instead of disintegrating bounce upward again, or slide down an invisible dome, we'll know the field merely repels whales.

So what's the next step? Why, to develop a way to make this useful to mankind (or womenkind, if we must)! We could retro-reverse-un-engineer the monolith to create a whale attractor device, or perhaps a whale-making device! Then we could simultaneously keep our oceans safe and feed the hungry! It's all very, very scientofic and logical, if you follow precisely how I have explained it, because I said so. Let victory be the tiara with which we adorn our pure reason and set it gently upon our glorious hair of intellect, I always say. Well, once, anyway, just now. Now read all that back in a Skeletor voice and tell me you aren't convinced!

8enotto · 24th November 2020, 02:59 PM

It's a broken arrow from a secret military program. It was unsafe to land with the plane but dropping it on Utah wouldn't ruin anything of value.

The Man · 24th November 2020, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by Emily's Cat

It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black.

Land of the lost pylon?

rockinkt · 24th November 2020, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by William Parcher

Oh my God. It's full of ballots!

Made me laugh out loud!

smartcooky · 24th November 2020, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by William Parcher

Oh my God. It's full of ballots!

Nommed.

(You bastard Parcher - you owe me a new keyboard!!!)

smartcooky · 24th November 2020, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

The Utah monolith is square in depth and width...

... and triangular in cross-section

Delphic Oracle · 24th November 2020, 04:19 PM

I was hesitant to make too much of a 2001 thing out of it. My nitpick reflex rejected it not being in the proportions of 1x4x9 (the squares of 1, 2, and 3).

The triangle aspect makes this really just more of a random "huh."

Myriad · 24th November 2020, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Delphic Oracle

I was hesitant to make too much of a 2001 thing out of it. My nitpick reflex rejected it not being in the proportions of 1x4x9 (the squares of 1, 2, and 3).

The triangle aspect makes this really just more of a random "huh."

The monoliths in the films aren't 1x4x9. An actual 1x4x9 one would look wrong, as in unlike the movie ones. Mostly, too thick, because as far as I've ever been able to tell the ratio 4:9 is pretty close for the width and height.

Skeptic Ginger · 24th November 2020, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

... and triangular in cross-section

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6l5as9y25z...Mon1.png?raw=1

OK, I found a reference to a "three sided" object in one of the news reports.

smartcooky · 24th November 2020, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

I think that's a shadow.

Nope
"The shiny, triangular pillar – which protrudes around 12 feet (3.6 metres) from the red rocks of southern Utah – was spotted last Wednesday by baffled local officials counting bighorn sheep from the air."

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/unit...ered-us-desert

theprestige · 24th November 2020, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Myriad

The monoliths in the films aren't 1x4x9. An actual 1x4x9 one would look wrong, as in unlike the movie ones. Mostly, too thick, because as far as I've ever been able to tell the ratio 4:9 is pretty close for the width and height.

Are you seriously calling out that the props in the movie don't have the exact proportions given in the story?

Skeptic Ginger · 24th November 2020, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

Nope
"The shiny, triangular pillar – which protrudes around 12 feet (3.6 metres) from the red rocks of southern Utah – was spotted last Wednesday by baffled local officials counting bighorn sheep from the air."

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/unit...ered-us-desert

I edited my post 15 minutes before you posted this.

Skeptical Greg · 24th November 2020, 05:32 PM

Did you account for the time difference in New Zealand?

24th November 2020, 09:09 AM	#1
Squeegee Beckenheim Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 31,239	Metal monolith found in remote part of Utah https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah Quote: A mysterious monolith has been discovered in a remote part of Utah, after being spotted by state employees counting sheep from a helicopter. The structure, estimated at between 10ft and 12ft high (about 3 metres), appeared to be planted in the ground. It was made from some sort of metal, its shine in sharp contrast to the enormous red rocks which surrounded it. Anybody got a clue as to what it might be?
	__________________ I don't trust atoms. They make up everything.

24th November 2020, 09:11 AM	#2
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 59,439	Look, Megatron only paid me a thousand bucks to hide his Horcrux. That was barely enough to afford the truck to get it out there. You get what you pay for, and he paid for a trash dumping in the desert.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

24th November 2020, 09:16 AM	#4
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 96,884	Any chimps throwing bones? This is what worries me: “ been about the strangest thing that I’ve come across out there in all my years of flying.” “About”? What the hell else is out there?
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you Last edited by Darat; 24th November 2020 at 09:19 AM.

24th November 2020, 09:17 AM	#5
StillSleepy Muse Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Where the wild goose goes Posts: 611	Might be one of the mail delivery waypoints again. ETA: Given that the pilot had to be almost directly over it to see it, apparently not.
	__________________ I just want some outdoors left to enjoy. The wild is already artificial enough as it is. "Scholars have long known that fishing eventually turns men into philosophers. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy decent tackle on a philosopher's salary." ~ Patrick F. McManus, “Never Sniff A Gift Fish” Last edited by StillSleepy; 24th November 2020 at 09:21 AM.

24th November 2020, 09:18 AM	#6
psionl0 Skeptical about skeptics Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: 31°57'S 115°57'E Posts: 16,991	Originally Posted by Darat Any chimps throwing bones? I suspect that will happen to anybody who touches it.
	__________________ "The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled. Where something so important is involved, a deeper mystery seems only decent." - Galbraith, 1975

24th November 2020, 09:15 AM	#3
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 49,525	All the clues I have point to a recent man-made object. My guess is it's some sort of poorly-conceived publicity stunt.

24th November 2020, 09:20 AM	#7
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,604	Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

24th November 2020, 09:25 AM	#8
johnny karate ... and your little dog too. Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 14,411	I think it’s where Trump’s lawyers are hiding the evidence of election fraud.

24th November 2020, 09:41 AM	#9
Jack by the hedge Safely Ignored Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 10,856	Can't have been out there for long. No bullet marks.

24th November 2020, 10:26 AM	#10
Distracted1 Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 5,400	Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah Anybody got a clue as to what it might be? What surprises me more is that sheep seem to be thriving in what looks to be such a hostile environment.
	__________________ The man with one watch knows what time it is, the man with two watches is never sure.

24th November 2020, 10:31 AM	#11
Bob001 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: US of A Posts: 12,615	Originally Posted by JoeMorgue Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type. The helicopter pilot thinks the same thing. The story includes this: Quote: “I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big 2001: A Space Odyssey fan,” Hutchings said. The monolith and its setting resembled a famous scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, in which a group of apes encounter a giant slab.

24th November 2020, 11:01 AM	#12
Mike! Official Ponylandistanian National Treasure. Respect it! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ponylandistan! Where the bacon grows on trees! Can it get any better than that? I submit it can not! Posts: 40,190	Originally Posted by Distracted1 What surprises me more is that sheep seem to be thriving in what looks to be such a hostile environment. Have they attempted to make any tools since it showed up? Because that'd be pretty impressive, frankly.
	__________________ "Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes... Because then it won't really matter, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes."

24th November 2020, 11:28 AM	#13
Jungle Jim Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,218	Originally Posted by JoeMorgue Betting money, art piece. For some reason putting stuff way out in the desert for no reason is popular with the arthouse type. Probably so but not an easy installation.

24th November 2020, 11:41 AM	#14
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 49,525	My understanding is that the proportions are wrong for it to be the work of a 2001 fan. Also I can't decide if it's funny or sad that reddit is able to come up with something besides a 2001 joke.

24th November 2020, 11:58 AM	#15
Planigale Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: 49 North Posts: 4,638	Oh! That's where I left it, I was just looking for it the other day.

24th November 2020, 12:14 PM	#16
Myriad The Clarity Is Devastating Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Betwixt Posts: 17,456	Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim ...state employees counting sheep from a helicopter. That sounds dangerous. How do they stay awake?
	__________________ A zømbie once bit my sister...

24th November 2020, 12:20 PM	#17
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 86,820	Originally Posted by Squeegee Beckenheim https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-part-of-utah Anybody got a clue as to what it might be? Their video doesn't show the guys climbing up on another's shoulder to look at the top. And they photoshopped this monolith for the one in 2001 where that monolith was wider. They joked if they disappeared when one touched it everyone should run. What a fun thing to find. If someone did it as a joke one wonders when they expected it to be found. An overview of the area is pretty interesting, lots and lots of similar canyons in an otherwise relatively flat-ish desert. The longer video was on ABC news. I'll look for it. Here's the news video with a teeny bit more than in the Guardian story. It shows the terrain and has an interview with one of the crew members.
	Last edited by Skeptic Ginger; 24th November 2020 at 12:39 PM.

24th November 2020, 12:26 PM	#18
Emily's Cat Rarely prone to hissy-fits Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: The Wettest Desert on Earth Posts: 14,757	It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black.
	__________________ I am me. I am just me. I'm a little like other cats... but mostly I am just me.

24th November 2020, 12:30 PM	#19
smartcooky Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Nelson, New Zealand Posts: 16,756	This is not a monolith... its made of metal Originally Posted by Emily's Cat It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black. TARS from Interstellar? https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end.
	__________________ I want to thank the 126 Republican Congress members for providing a convenient and well organized list for the mid-terms. - Fred Wellman (Senior VA Advisor to The Lincoln Project) If you don't like my posts, my opinions, or my directness then put me on your ignore list. This will be of benefit to both of us; you won't have to take umbrage at my posts, and I won't have to waste my time talking to you... simples! ! Last edited by smartcooky; 24th November 2020 at 12:37 PM.

24th November 2020, 12:33 PM	#20
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 49,525	Originally Posted by smartcooky This is not a monolith... its made of metal TARS from Interstellar? https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU TARS is also a slab and black. This is not a slab, and it's not black.

24th November 2020, 12:38 PM	#21
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,604	More so than the Monolith from 2001 the thing that immediately springs to mind for me is the Prada Marfa, a full size mockup of a Prada store put by the side of a remote road 26 miles from the nearest town. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prada_Marfa
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

24th November 2020, 01:22 PM	#22
alfaniner Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sorth Dakonsin Posts: 24,857	Originally Posted by Mike! Have they attempted to make any tools since it showed up? Because that'd be pretty impressive, frankly. Until they start going after their main predators with them.
	__________________ Science is self-correcting. Woo is self-contradicting.

24th November 2020, 01:27 PM	#23
Jack by the hedge Safely Ignored Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 10,856	Originally Posted by smartcooky This is not a monolith... its made of metal TARS from Interstellar? https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end. So it's a Toblerone out of its box but still in its foil wrapper. And obviously it's from the future, sent back to warn us that Toblerone will continue to reduce the amount of chocolate in their product, making the gaps between the chunks bigger and bigger, until eventually all that's left is the empty wrapper.

24th November 2020, 02:13 PM	#24
William Parcher Show me the monkey! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 25,760	Oh my God. It's full of ballots!
	__________________ Bigfoot believers and Bigfoot skeptics are both plumb crazy. Each spends more than one minute per year thinking about Bigfoot.

24th November 2020, 02:15 PM	#25
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 86,820	Originally Posted by smartcooky This is not a monolith... its made of metal TARS from Interstellar? https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lUK4Q&usqp=CAU Also, have a look at the video. Its apparent the object is not rectangular, it only has three sides, like a giant Toblerone box stood on end. The Utah monolith is square in depth and width.

24th November 2020, 02:36 PM	#26
crescent Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,974	Originally Posted by William Parcher Oh my God. It's full of ballots! And golden tablets, with the word of God as written by the Angel Moroni. Utah, after all....

24th November 2020, 02:37 PM	#27
theprestige Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 49,525	Originally Posted by Jack by the hedge So it's a Toblerone out of its box but still in its foil wrapper. And obviously it's from the future, sent back to warn us that Toblerone will continue to reduce the amount of chocolate in their product, making the gaps between the chunks bigger and bigger, until eventually all that's left is the empty wrapper. Toblerone is actually just moving their chocolate out of the first three dimensions. Inside this wrapper is chocolate they've moved into the time dimension as a tax dodge. In 2120, backtiming is the new offshoring.

24th November 2020, 02:53 PM	#28
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 59,439	One of the main principles of sciencemen (and scienceladies, of course) is observation; we should observify the item to see what we can deduce of its nature. First and foremost what springs instantly to our awareness is the total lack of whales in the area surrounding it. For fifty feet in every direction--including up and down!-- there is a 100% absence of all known whales. Humpback whales, killer whales, blue whales, green whales: you name them, they ain't there. Therefore we can draw the conclusion that the object generates a whale-repelling field at the minimum, possibly a whale-disintegrating field. What does the scienceman (or sciencegirl) do next? Why, he (or she, I guess) performs an experiment! We must test the hypothesod! By dropping a variety of whales and other large animals onto the monolith from above. If the whales vanish, we'll know we were right about the whale disintegrator field. If all the animals vanish, we'll know the monolith's programming has been disturbed to mis-identify other things as being whales. If the whales instead of disintegrating bounce upward again, or slide down an invisible dome, we'll know the field merely repels whales. So what's the next step? Why, to develop a way to make this useful to mankind (or womenkind, if we must)! We could retro-reverse-un-engineer the monolith to create a whale attractor device, or perhaps a whale-making device! Then we could simultaneously keep our oceans safe and feed the hungry! It's all very, very scientofic and logical, if you follow precisely how I have explained it, because I said so. Let victory be the tiara with which we adorn our pure reason and set it gently upon our glorious hair of intellect, I always say. Well, once, anyway, just now. Now read all that back in a Skeletor voice and tell me you aren't convinced!
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

24th November 2020, 02:59 PM	#29
8enotto Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Mexico Posts: 1,865	It's a broken arrow from a secret military program. It was unsafe to land with the plane but dropping it on Utah wouldn't ruin anything of value.

24th November 2020, 03:19 PM	#30
The Man Unbanned zombie poster Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 15,174	Originally Posted by Emily's Cat It looks familiar. Something from a movie or a video game, but I can't place it. It's not 2001, that was a slab, and black. Land of the lost pylon?
	__________________ BRAINZZZZZZZZ

24th November 2020, 03:33 PM	#31
rockinkt Master Poster Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,094	Originally Posted by William Parcher Oh my God. It's full of ballots! Made me laugh out loud!
rockinkt Master Poster Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,094	__________________ "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." *Steve Earle* "I've met Bob Dylan's bodyguards and if Steve Earle thinks he can stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table, he's sadly mistaken." *Townes Van Zandt*

24th November 2020, 03:38 PM	#32
smartcooky Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Nelson, New Zealand Posts: 16,756	Originally Posted by William Parcher Oh my God. It's full of ballots! Nommed. (You bastard Parcher - you owe me a new keyboard!!!)
	__________________ I want to thank the 126 Republican Congress members for providing a convenient and well organized list for the mid-terms. - Fred Wellman (Senior VA Advisor to The Lincoln Project) If you don't like my posts, my opinions, or my directness then put me on your ignore list. This will be of benefit to both of us; you won't have to take umbrage at my posts, and I won't have to waste my time talking to you... simples! !

24th November 2020, 03:50 PM	#33
smartcooky Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Nelson, New Zealand Posts: 16,756	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger The Utah monolith is square in depth and width... ... and triangular in cross-section
	__________________ I want to thank the 126 Republican Congress members for providing a convenient and well organized list for the mid-terms. - Fred Wellman (Senior VA Advisor to The Lincoln Project) If you don't like my posts, my opinions, or my directness then put me on your ignore list. This will be of benefit to both of us; you won't have to take umbrage at my posts, and I won't have to waste my time talking to you... simples! !

24th November 2020, 04:19 PM	#34
Delphic Oracle Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 5,351	I was hesitant to make too much of a 2001 thing out of it. My nitpick reflex rejected it not being in the proportions of 1x4x9 (the squares of 1, 2, and 3). The triangle aspect makes this really just more of a random "huh."

24th November 2020, 04:30 PM	#35
Myriad The Clarity Is Devastating Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Betwixt Posts: 17,456	Originally Posted by Delphic Oracle I was hesitant to make too much of a 2001 thing out of it. My nitpick reflex rejected it not being in the proportions of 1x4x9 (the squares of 1, 2, and 3). The triangle aspect makes this really just more of a random "huh." The monoliths in the films aren't 1x4x9. An actual 1x4x9 one would look wrong, as in unlike the movie ones. Mostly, too thick, because as far as I've ever been able to tell the ratio 4:9 is pretty close for the width and height.
	__________________ A zømbie once bit my sister...