Modern Mysteries

Mystery '2001' monolith found in Utah desert

By T.K. Randall
November 24, 2020 ·  111 comments

A monolith is found on the Moon in one scene from the movie. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Matthew J. Cotter In the classic science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, a large black monolith of unknown origin seems to trigger a significant evolutionary leap in our early ancestors, enabling them to use tools and weapons and thus placing them on the road to sentient intelligence.

Now a real-life version of this mysterious artefact has been discovered in the unlikeliest of places - the middle of the Utah desert nestled in a rocky outcropping.

It was spotted by helicopter pilot Bret Hutchings who happened to fly directly over it while helping wildlife resource officers count the number of bighorn sheep in the area."[It's] the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying," he said.

Upon closer inspection, the monolith appeared to be made of metal and was firmly planted in the ground, suggesting that someone had set it up there deliberately.

In all likelihood, it is some sort of modern art piece, however it remains unclear who created it.


Source: Evening Standard | Comments (111)

Tags: Monolith