The Monoliths in 2001: Space Odyssey were...

[Domingo Halliburton]

You begin with an artifact left on earth four million years ago by extraterrestrial explorers who observed the behavior of the man-apes of the time and decided to influence their evolutionary progression. Then you have a second artifact buried deep on the lunar surface and programmed to signal word of man's first baby steps into the universe -- a kind of cosmic burglar alarm. And finally there's a third artifact placed in orbit around Jupiter and waiting for the time when man has reached the outer rim of his own solar system.

When the surviving astronaut, Bowman, ultimately reaches Jupiter, this artifact sweeps him into a force field or star gate that hurls him on a journey through inner and outer space and finally transports him to another part of the galaxy, where he's placed in a human zoo approximating a hospital terrestrial environment drawn out of his own dreams and imagination. In a timeless state, his life passes from middle age to senescence to death. He is reborn, an enhanced being, a star child, an angel, a superman, if you like, and returns to earth prepared for the next leap forward of man's evolutionary destiny.

That is what happens on the film's simplest level. Since an encounter with an advanced interstellar intelligence would be incomprehensible within our present earthbound frames of reference, reactions to it will have elements of philosophy and metaphysics that have nothing to do with the bare plot outline itself.

 

[Mr. Somebody]

That movie was so weak. Dont understand the hype

 

[MostReal]

They were BLACK.

indeed they were

 

[Vandelay]

Ivw had this movie dvr'd for the longest time...i think its time i watch it.

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

HAS ANYBODY ELSE READ THE NOVEL, BROTHERS? IN THAT VERSION, THE MONOLITHS WERE TRANSLUCENT CRYSTAL, DUDE! BUT THIS LOOKED REALLY BAD ON FILM, SO THEY JUST PAINTED THEM FLAT BLACK, MEAN GENE!

 

[the cac mamba]

look how far we've come in only 100 years.... imagine what the next 100 will bring...

i know right, shyt is only exponential too

could be the end of us fukkin skynet shyt

 

[Poitier]

i know right, shyt is only exponential too

could be the end of us fukkin skynet shyt

It's actually only exponential for another 30 years and even then physical limitations will bog that down.

 

[MostReal]

HAS ANYBODY ELSE READ THE NOVEL, BROTHERS? IN THAT VERSION, THE MONOLITHS WERE TRANSLUCENT CRYSTAL, DUDE! BUT THIS LOOKED REALLY BAD ON FILM, SO THEY JUST PAINTED THEM FLAT BLACK, MEAN GENE!

Black always looks better

 

[Micky Mikey]

this seems a lot more practical considering the vastness of space. It would take technology beyond our current reach for us to physically go anywhere in space that is of significant distance. There are a lot of implication with this probe theory also. By the time one reached a habitable planet, humans on earth may have already gone extinct.

 

[FaTaL]

has any other sci fi flick created anymore discussion then this movie? im a kubrick fan but i thought this movie was ok

 

[Poitier]

has any other sci fi flick created anymore discussion then this movie? im a kubrick fan but i thought this movie was ok

http://www.criterion.com/films/553-solaris

As for Kubrick, 2001 is so advanced for it's time. It looks better than majority of films made today and it actually has substance.

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

@Poitier, I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING THROUGH SOLARIS, BROTHER! WHILE I APPRECIATE THE PACED RUSSIAN INTROSPECTION, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT'S ONE DRAAAAAWN OUT STORY, DUDE!

 

[FaTaL]

http://www.criterion.com/films/553-solaris

As for Kubrick, 2001 is so advanced for it's time. It looks better than majority of films made today and it actually has substance.

i agree with that, the visuals were amazing but the ending made me think wtf was this

this is the best scene in the movie

 

[Poitier]

@Poitier, I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING THROUGH SOLARIS, BROTHER! WHILE I APPRECIATE THE PACED RUSSIAN INTROSPECTION, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT'S ONE DRAAAAAWN OUT STORY, DUDE!

You have to watch at night time while in an almost trance like state, brother!

I found "Stalker" a much more dense film to manage.

i agree with that, the visuals were amazing but the ending made me think wtf was this

this is the best scene in the movie

I believe Domingo Halliburton's post addressed the ending. You should read up on the film and then rewatch it. It wasn't mean to be a plot driven narrative.

 

[CouldntBeMeTho]

It's actually only exponential for another 30 years and even then physical limitations will bog that down.

One quantum computer in the future will have the combined processing power of all computers on earth today.

Indeed, the potential processing power of quantum computers truly boggles the mind. Because a quantum computer essentially operates as a massive parallel processing machine, it can work on millions of calculations simultaneously (whereas a traditional computer works on one calculation at a time, in sequence).

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/co...ing-possibilities-of-quantum-computing-663261