The Mystery Of The Metal Monoliths: 2020's Finale Evokes Classic Sci-fi Tropes, But What's The Real Story Behind This Strange Phenomenon?

To put it bluntly, the idea that a bunch of mysterious monoliths appeared and then disappeared in remote areas across the world is barely in the top 10 of the craziest things that have happened in 2020. The year has been full of world-shaking events, so when a strange metal monolith was found in the deserts of Utah, the internet said “huh.”

Initially reported by the Aero Bureau of Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) with a picture on their Instagram, it then became an internet-wide hunt to determine the exact location with users on Reddit creating a dedicated subreddit to track information.

Eventually, an Instagram user by the name of davidsurber_ did locate the monolith and reported on its properties: aluminum, hollow, non-magnetic and made of three riveted pieces. Two days later, the Utah DPS reported it was removed.

Afterward, a second monolith was discovered in Romania, and eventually, a third was found out in California. Just last week, two additional monoliths appeared in the UK and the Netherlands. What started as a single structure was now becoming a bizarre trend across the globe.

The concept of a monolith such as these refers back to the famous science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey series. The concept is that sheer black alien monoliths are key pieces of humanity's evolution and technological progress. Both the books and the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey showcase this phenomenon well, and it’s such a pop-cultural icon that it’s commonly referenced in series such as Stargate.

When monoliths appeared in recent months, the memes around them naturally focused on this aspect of pop culture. Most of the online discourse about the monoliths relates to the various sci-fi aspects of them. Because of this, the memes reflect these references with people complaining about them materializing in random places, comparing scientists' findings of tool usage in monkeys to the scene in 2001 and even relating them to other memes such as the Xbox Series X parodies.

Beyond their use in meme culture, the truth of who put them in the ground is becoming a matter all on its own. Initially, an art collective known as The Most Famous Artists (TMFA) laid claim to the structures. Although the claims are dubious in that they have little in the way of proof as to how they were the initial installers. Mashable has been running a story with updates of TMFA and their art. However, Tuesday this week, an Australian YouTube channel posted a video titled, "Why did I build Monoliths all around the World?" — further obscuring the truth.

In the video, the owner of the channel claimed he was the one to put the monoliths around the globe, though he also stated, “And by 'build a Monolith' I mean pay someone who knows what they’re doing to build one for us.” The "us" he's referring to is the Australian comedy trio Aunty Donna who asked him to make them one in order to promote their new Netflix show .. although even this was a dubious claim for the original monoliths. This is not to say that he didn't have some involvement in putting up a monolith, as he even added the Google Maps location for one in the video’s description, but like TMFA, he does not showcase any real proof of making the originals.

This mystery might be for the best in the end, as unearthing the true owner of the monoliths lowers their mystique and appeal. It’s what they call in magic, "the prestige." As long as the mystery of why the structures exist remains, they continue to be both interesting and thought-provoking. So while 2020 ends with these installations as a footnote, maybe they'll be the next hot topic come 2021 if any other curious findings are made.

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