Read more about The Monolith at: Wikipedia Official Site: Arthur C. Clarke Monoliths are fictional advanced machine built by an unseen extraterrestrial species that appear in Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series of novels and films. During the series, three monoliths are discovered in the solar system by humans and it is revealed that thousands if not more were created throughout the solar system, although none are seen. The subsequent response of the characters to their discovery drives the plot of the series. It also influences the fictional history of the series, particularly by encouraging humankind to progress with technological development and space travel. The first monolith appears in the beginning of the story, set in prehistoric times. It is discovered by a group of hominids, and somehow triggers a considerable shift in evolution, starting with the ability to use tools. The first monolith to be discovered in the modern age was unearthed on the moon near Tycho Crater due to it emitting a powerful magnetic field which was detected and investigated. It was called the Tycho Magnetic Anomaly 1 ("TMA-1") before the monolith was discovered. After this is discovered to be an alien artifact, its name becomes the "Tycho Monolith Anomaly 1" (still TMA-1). Subsequent to this, a second, larger monolith was soon discovered orbiting Jupiter and called the "TMA-2". A few centuries in the future, a third monolith is discovered that is buried on Earth in rocks that were clearly millions of years old, and it is surrounded by primitive human artifacts. This one is retroactively named "TMA-0" (as opposed to "TMA-3") because of the fact it obviously had been the first monolith to be discovered by men-apes during prehistoric times. |
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The Monolith