2001 Monolith full info

I posted this in the movie prop section and probably should of posted it here so ill post again for anyone interested?

The 2001 Monolith all you ever wanted to know`
OK I see the debate in the junkyard about the dimensions of the monolith from 2001. And it is my belief that Kubrick made up his own size deviating from the book as he did in many ways. But for the record heres everything I know about the monoliths as taken from all 5 books (Including the short story the Sentinal)

[FONT=Arial Black]All the monoliths are black, extremely flat, non-reflective cuboids [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]whose dimensions are in the precise ratio [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]1:4:9 (the squares of the first three intergers[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]. These dimensions are the main source of debate regarding the monoliths' simple external design. It is suggested in the novel 2010[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black] that this number series does not stop at three dimensions.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Black]The monoliths are observed in several different sizes - TMA-0 (2001 Prehistoric) and TMA-1 (Moon monolith) are both 11 feet long and TMA-2 is two kilometres long on the longest axis, while the monolith that appears on Europa is considerably larger. They may be able to assume any size, for in 2010: Odyssey Two, the starchild, David Bowman [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]cryptically notes that the monolith is actually one size - as large as necessary.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Black]They appear to be extremely long lived and reliable machines, essentially an incredibly advanced form of multifunctionrobot [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black], being able to survive for millions of years buried in the ground or resisting impact from meterites [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]and radiation [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]in space, with no apparent damage. The two monoliths recovered and examined by humans reveal themselves to be virtually indestructible and impenetrable, resisting all attempts to analyze their composition or internal structure right up to the end of the series. It is suggested by Dr. Floyd [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]that they possess some sort of force field [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black], an impression he gets from touching it and much later accepted as most probable because the monoliths resist destructive tests such as nuclear detonations which are [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]beyond the theoretical limits of material strength. However, they are not completely indestructible - TMA-4 (Monolith left to protect Europa 2063) suffers damage from a blast caused by a giant meteorite of solid diamond [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]impacting Europa in.In the final book, 3001, all three monoliths known to humankind are destroyed simply by giving them a computer virus.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Black]While it is unclear what the composition of the monoliths is, they clearly have mass[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black], about the only observation that can be made. In 2010, the Leonov mission measured the mass of TMA-2 and reported a density slightly higher thanair probably at a standatd temp and pressure. [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]The masses of TMA-0 and TMA-1 are never revealed, though it can be assumed that the densities are the same.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Black]Among the more dramatic functions of the monoliths are the ability to teleport and self replicate.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Black]In 2001, TMA-2 opens a stargate which permits Bowman to travel across the galaxy at faster than light[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black] speeds and with tremendous accelerations. In 2010 and again in 3001, TMA-2 is observed to teleport itself (disappear and reappear elsewhere).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Black]TMA-2 is observed to self-replicate by a form of symmetrical fission [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]and exponetionaly [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]to thousands or millions of units in just a matter of days. In 2010, the many units act to increase the density of the planet Jupiter until stellar ignition is achieved [/FONT][FONT=Arial Black], converting jupiter into a miniature star. In 3001, millions of copies of TMA-2 are observed to assemble themselves into two mega structures[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black] disks that attempt to block the sun from Earth and its human colonies in the Jovian system in an attempt to cause the extinction of humanity.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial Black]The monoliths are clearly described in the novels as being controlled by some sort of computer[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]. In 2061, the non-corporeal entities of Bowman, HAL, and the newly-created entity of Heywood Floyd, are essentially downloaded and stored as programs in the 'matrix' of TMA-2, currently observing and shielding the Europans from human interference.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Black]TMA-1 and TMA-2 are observed to produce powerful, directional radio transmissions[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]. TMA-2 is observed, in the 2100s, to direct a radio transmission toward a star system about 450 LY away[/FONT][FONT=Arial Black]. Only TMA-1 demonstrates the ability to generate a strong magnetic field around itself, for which the three artifacts are named[/FONT].

aaaaahhhh turn off bold! the white is burning my eyes!!!!

I'd like to point out that Kubrick did not "deviate from the book", because Kubrick was not adapting Clarke's book for the screen. Nor was Clarke "novelizing" Kubrick's movie. Book and movie both evolved simultaneously.

Clarke writes about this extensively in his later book "Lost Worlds of 2001," but essentially Kubrick was using Clarke as an idea machine. Kubrick would pick and choose, throw ideas back for further fleshing out, and then ponder what Clarke came up with.

If you read Clarke's novel "2001", it is incredibly different from the film because ultimately Clarke did not agree with many of the directions Kubrick took.

Anyway... a study of the monoliths from their description in the books is all well and good, but please keep in mind that it only represents Clarke's ideas and not what is in the film.

Sorry about the bold.

Dont get me wrong Kubrick did an excellent job and his interpertation and vision translated to one of the best films ever made. IMO I dont mind the deviation from the book at all I rather enjoyed it but I also always liked the precisness of the later descrptions of the monolith in size dimensions and ultimate purpose and thought I would like to share it. Where as Kubrick took the more visual make your own kind of assumtion sorta thing which caused two things it made people either really love the movie or completly dislike it. I personally love the movie and all the books including the very short story the sentinal from 1963 and both the novel and movie were both taken from very simple story not even 30 pages long.

I completly understand the size variations in monoliths for kubrick it seems there were two in 2001 that were differnt sizes TMA-0 and TMA-1 TMA-1 seems larger than TMA-0 in the film. And anyway all that matters is the precision of the measurements and I perfer the derivatives of the first three intergers as it denotes that one has at least begin to understand the intelligence behind its design and the precision of its shape denoting some purpose.

I completly agree with you PP about the size in the film of TMA-1 which is clearly visible in the behind the scenes photo you posted. Again I just perfer the precise over the interpretation. I have a 1/9 scale monolith a little over 13" tall made of non reflective acrylyc that is the kubrick interpretation and I love it I am using it in a 1/144 discovery build up which worked out pretty good for it to be "Big Brother" or TMA-2 from 2001 and 2010