The Utah Monolith, What It Means, Why It Matters, and Whether It's Aliens

In which John discusses a metal obelisk that stood for years unnoticed in the Utah desert before being discovered by some wildlife biologists, whereupon the monolith quickly disappeared. Also discussed: contemporary art in deserts, Gertrude Stein's essay What Are Masterpieces and Why Are There So Few of Them, and John's ongoing obsession with that one line from The Great Gatsby. SOURCES AND CREDITS:
The footage of Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels (completed in 1976) and Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (1970) are from The Art Assignment's Spiral Jetty, Sun Tunnels, and Salt: • Spiral Jetty, Sun Tunn...
Unless otherwise noted, footage of the obelisk is from the Bureau of Land Management or the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
The photograph of Elmgreen and Dragset's Prada Marfa (2005) is by Nan Palmero. The photograph of the obelisk at 2:45 of this video is by Patrick A. Mackey.
The New York Times story about John McCracken's work and the monolith: www.nytimes.co...
And the Salt Lake Tribune's article: www.sltrib.com...
You can also see some phenomenal photographs of the obelisk here: durangoherald....
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John's twitter - / johngreen
Hank's twitter - / hankgreen
Hank's tumblr - / edwardspoonhands
Book club: www.lifeslibrar...

[@vlogbrothers]

Hi. No secret live stream today; sorry! I will try to have one later this week, but wow is it hard to oversee e-learning and also work. In other news, there's never been a better time to read the brilliant novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, which is the rare novel that over time just becomes ever more prescient and fascinating in its cultural analysis. And it makes a wonderful gift this holiday season. Okay thanks for being here and Long Live The Monolith Even If It Only Survives In Our Imagination Which Is The Only Place That Art Can Survive Anyway. -John

[@kimmykimmie]

We get it John life is crazy right now! Whenever you have time we’ll see you. Until then spend time with your family and enjoy e learning! DFTBA

[@shalvigarimanegi]

No sweat, John. Take care

[@gabby4558]

As a teacher, I completely get why e-learning is hard as a parent. And believe me, it is also hard as a teacher...I am lucky enough to still be teaching in person but that has its own downsides unfortunately...

[@arillusine]

I need to sit and think about the fact that art only survives in our imagination

[@nitfens6863]

Assuming a Cartesian Rationalist approach to Epistemology, isn't our imagination the only place anything can survive?...

[@beckyakidd]

The monolith's location was a complete secret, so, naturally the whole world knows.

[@finneganjohn3249]

+

[@specialagentfoot]

+

[@user-te5po4bu8o]

Reddit kids founds it using Google Earth within 24 hours

[@ghostprime6320]

@@stuff0987 yes... I believe that was the joke...

[@Clyde]

@@ghostprime6320 We'd love to invite you on our podcast as a guest ❤️

[@aribakhan3334]

We’ve basically confirmed that Hank Green is in fact a time traveler

[@GarceusLegend]

Honestly, would anyone be surprised if this were true?

[@kellbing]

I mean, he did predict some stuff from the Deathly Hallows. He is either a time traveler or clairvoyant.

[@sagesheahan6732]

Hank... Where's your TARDIS? Cough it up.

[@harry.tallbelt6707]

There's a lot of knowledge you can obtain by being a time traveler. Even the most obscure, most wretched and condemned kinds of knowledge. See where this is going, don't you? Butt is legs.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Like Sir Terry Pratchett?

[@vlogbrothers]

Some of you have asked: What about the one in Romania? The one in Romania seems to me likely to have been a copycat (although I'd love to be wrong). There are some important differences, with the main one being that the steel of the Romanian structure was not buffed to mirror-ness, which combined with the site and the fact that it was not hiding from us for years gives it (in my opinion, anyway) a vastly different vibe. -John

[@esmeace]

Aren't these all just copy cats of 2001 A Space Odyssey? Not that I don't enjoy them any less.

[@matt00794]

The Romanian appears to have been put up around the same time from google searches

as someone from Romania I believe the one here was probably made by some teenagers in their garage or something of the sort

[@enderwiggins8248]

Also the welding in Romania wasn’t very good, you could still see the angle-grinder marks lmao

[@pufthemajicdragon]

You should pin this so everyone sees it first. I REALLY hope it's not a copycat. This kinda has the vibe to me of those famous encryption puzzles that turned into global collaborative scavenger hunts, but with a more ethereal, artistic abstractness to it.

[@Laydralae_Joy]

i love the idea that the artist put the monolith there with full intentions to mysteriously remove it once it became known. the monolith isnt the art piece, the reaction and the mystery is the art piece. i love that idea.

[@sexplanations]

"In the meantime, let's revel in the mystery" *sobbing*

[@Parvizdov]

I Visited the monolith and investigated what was happening. The videos are on my channel RIGHT NOW

[@IanSager23]

Yeah a guy did a thing

[@ajbemrose8259]

Seems like a bit of an overreaction, but ok.

[@Bottlethebubbles]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oF7TfH6Da6iLqJI

[@adrielstout6844]

Is that you Dr Lindsey doe from sexplanations? 🤫 It was a monolith for mating rituals in the moonlight by a cult that's my head cannon. What's your theory Lindsey?

[@T1000-h4k]

John before making any video: "What topic should I choose so that I can bring up Great Gatsby?"

[@shalvigarimanegi]

Haha ++++

[@tmntallthewaydw]

john mentions Gatsby as much as I mentions John

[@ThisIsReMarkable]

hahaha Yes! I chuckled! ...Is 'chuckled' an old people word yet? Wait, nevermind. Don't tell me. Ignorance is blissful

[@TheR971]

if you can bounce high, bounce for literary references too.

[@mschrisfrank2420]

Given that it’s 2020, that toilet paper could have been an offering.

[@Naiyelli]

+

[@nitfens6863]

+

[@sm92127]

+

[@maike__-]

+

[@LorrainePorcello]

+

[@JoshSundquist]

And there are also things that aren’t there _after_ you notice them (probability waves). And that you don’t notice _until_ they aren’t there (your health).

[@RainaRamsay]

+

[@sophianeiblum2245]

josh!!

[@GM-pn2bi]

Not just your health. Pretty much everything related to the social safety net. Social assistance, long term disability, sick days, medical care, that kinda stuff.

[@kevinwells9751]

You are absolutely right about health. I never really appreciated my health until it fell apart. In a 3 month span I was diagnosed with epilepsy and developed chronic hives so I became starkly aware of how quickly you can lose things from your life that you once took for granted

[@dermiker]

That's why it's so, so, so hard to get people to quit smoking, lose weight, etc. when they're healthy! I have chronic health issues and all my young peers who talk about how it won't be a big deal if they get covid scoff when I bring up young, healthy "long haulers". *sigh*

[@thehumblelion1876]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that saw the irony in counting sheep and finding something out of a dream.

[@danjuliu8279]

as a utahn, all the attention on the monolith has been a wild ride, but i’m glad its gone simply because southern utah is such a beautiful natural site. seeing the trash left and tire tracks definitely hurt my heart a little. on the bright side hopefully the attention lets more people realize how beautiful and awe-inspiring the natural world is!

[@davidd5448]

How do they get to appreciate it if they can't see it?

[@oak4901]

Beauty has to be seen to be beauty..it is a conundrum......

[@brertt8350]

@@davidd5448 there's less destructive ways to see stuff

[@Adia711]

fellow utahn here! just wanted to say hello and i agree

[@tonystark559]

Secret underground base forgot to put the last building material away

[@Andresfin]

Honestly whoever put it there and then took it away really are doing a lot of work for no glory. I appreciate that 😌

[@vlogbrothers]

Same. Choosing not to be famous is the most un-2020 thing that's happened all year. -John

[@maike__-]

@@vlogbrothers +

[@Andresfin]

@@vlogbrothers agree! It's interesting the things we find beautiful and interesting that we will never know the back story of. We know so much these days It's almost refreshing to see something beautiful and not understand it.

[@jobriq5]

I feel like the person who put it there probably isn’t the person/people who removed it

[@nexteffects]

@@jobriq5 True. You guessed correctly. Trust your feelings, you knew them to be true.

[@asterling4]

"let's revel in the mystery" are five beautiful words and i'm going to remember them

[@maike__-]

+

[@namitaseshadri2638]

that would be such a good tattoo

[@annasappington5911]

+

[@tinadorr-kapczynski7480]

@@namitaseshadri2638 i mean reading cady's comment inspired me to write that quote on my arm in pretty letters with a sharpie so i think i got close enough

[@KWolf2013]

"Let's revel in mystery" is so goooood it reminds me of being in college and thinking THIS IS THE COOLEST I DON'T GET IT AT ALL about everything I was learning- so thanks for bringing me that little reminder of my past self.

[@TotallyRedonkulous]

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[@annasappington5911]

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[@KWolf2013]

@Darian Levey Oh boy, I'm both taking and teaching online classes right now and I agree that remote learning can be a struggle. I hope the time you're saving on the commute can give you a chance to focus on the little things that are the most interesting in your classes, even if they aren't the most 'relevant'! Good luck :)

[@KannikCat]

"...it excites them a little, but it doesn't really thrill them." Wow. That puts into words something I hadn't been able to until now. Wonderful, thank you for sharing that Gertrude Stein quote!

[@hannasophia18]

This is why I love Vlogbrothers, not only had I not heard about this but I love John's take on the matter and it makes me feel so excited about art!

[@jamesn3122]

Immediately thought of Hank when this story was covered.

[@ZePopTart]

Me too! I thought right away that needfighteria was going to love this one.

[@jamesn3122]

@@ZePopTart let's be real, no way the "aliens" weren't Nerdfighters :)

[@jeka8826]

Same

[@xzonia1]

Same :)

[@sadiyahassan5812]

@@ZePopTart +

[@allwack]

10 years later and John and Hank are just as we began: curious, perspective-shifting, and such that I feel they are friends I’ve never met.

[@maitreyimittal3742]

It was the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey

[@Parvizdov]

I Visited the monolith and investigated what was happening. The videos are on my channel RIGHT NOW

[@daveslater9141]

Looks nothing like an ape

[@hannahstewart5337]

Lol this monolith seems like the kind of art I would make: placing a random object in the middle of nowhere and just seeing how long it takes for someone to notice. Meaning while, its my own private dumb joke that continues on after said object "mysteriously disappears".

[@singularart6932]

lol

[@NGRevenant]

it's not a monolith, a monolith is one solid piece of stone this is just metal rivetted together

[@cedartheyeah.justyeah.3967]

@@NGRevenant Finally someone pointed it out!

[@Bottlethebubbles]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oF7TfH6Da6iLqJI

[@cedartheyeah.justyeah.3967]

@@Bottlethebubbles So if I go by your username, that's a rubbish animation?

[@alishakhan2953]

That feeling of awe and fear and fascination that one experiences when encountering an overwhelming mystery🔥🔥

[@alishak6073]

I first experienced it when I was a kid and saw a whole documentary on TV about the pyramids in Egypt

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

This is a fairly Hank story with a fairly John conclusion.

[@tegan6554]

++

[@soulscape07]

+

[@ameliawhitworth3232]

+

[@catherinecase1142]

In the time between classes and finals, I had forgotten what day it was, and I fully expected this to be a Hank video.

[@khadijah9604]

+

[@professorthread]

John's in on it. It's the Carls. He knows Hank is a time traveler

[@simeondermaats]

The entire Green family, as a matter of fact.

[@jobriq5]

Unless it’s Dave Green who’s responsible

[@RaffySonata]

We need @AprilMaybeNot

[@carlbedwell8635]

Yep

[@andremadethis]

I didn’t know I needed this until I needed it. I appreciate you talking us through the difference between art that excites a bit and art that thrills completely.

[@deelanaS]

All I have to say is, “I did a thing”

[@krazyleprechaun2360]

He only made one monolith.

[@abdelazizetaib9305]

@@krazyleprechaun2360 or maybe they stole it at night

[@deepstariaenigmatica2601]

exactly, just did A thing

[@amv-ae2693]

At the beginning he said he made more than just one XD

[@Omni_Shambles]

They hopped on the bandwagon for views.

[@SteveRamsey]

I love the idea of ephemeral art. Art that can only be experienced in a fleeting moment. In a way, I'm reminded of Andy Goldsworthy who creates beautiful, mystical art out of nature, only for it to succumb to nature.

[@eriks2962]

hey Steve, I folow your channle, I did not realize you were a nerdfighter!

[@jj-qr4ro]

If you're into that check out 'hamacream'. he's a Japanese teacher that creates stunning artwork on chalk boards and then wipes it all away.

[@BigDaddyWes]

This strikes at my profound love for participating in live entertainment. And reminds me how much I miss it.

[@miri2810]

That's what I like about live music. It's only there in the moment, and it never returns.

[@DavidSmith-wp2zb]

That hunk of metal is not art. It's a piece of trash. Those are not artists. They lack no skill and ability whatsoever. They think they're funny. They're dumb

[@carahamelie]

The first thing I thought when I saw this was....An Absolutely Remarkable Thing! It's a CARL! lol

[@natehenty8528]

YES

[@jennysue5]

Me too!!

[@senatorpoopypants7182]

Ayee. Lol

[@mallorylouise]

Me too!

[@turdl38]

yeah, me too. I was like, oh hi Carl...especially when another showed up in Romania

[@yajjhajhria3558]

Plot twist: this is an alternate reality game to promote the _third_ book in the Carl series.

[@HiddenCherokee]

Please!

[@alex0589]

WE'RE OK TO GOOOO

[@apiramie]

That would be absolutely remarkable!

[@jordanwoollard3444]

A Tremendously Unexpected Occurrence

[@Mikazha]

AART came out in 2018, and the monolith was estimated to have been there since 2016, so maybe the monolith told Hank to write the book (but to anonymise Carl of course).

[@artdonovandesign]

I agree fully about your disposition toward art. I feel most curators (and museums) fail miserably in this respect. They fail to provide the viewer with that most important quality of mystery and care only for propping up their tired, contemporary collections and/or creating controversy. Thanks and be well!

[@kiyahforever]

Petition to call the monolith Carl's Jr?

[@vlogbrothers]

A+++

[@nitfens6863]

+

[@commanderodinstark3416]

I wheezed +

[@lyreparadox]

+

[@rajanrao]

+

[@Izzy-Maurer]

After it disappeared, I was talking to my parents about it, and I ended up showing them John's video from a few years ago about the Broccoli Tree, which was killed after it became internationally famous. John used the word 'parable' to describe that story, and given how much it seems to repeat, I think he was right. But oh my god, it being found by people who were literally counting sheep is just the kind of beautifully unsubtle metaphor that would start a slightly pretentious alien movie and I love that this is real life.

[@ihavespoken164]

Hank’s work just keeps making more sense as we progress into the future!

[@Commenter339]

Thanks for the video ❤️ I'm in the hospital with an unspecified eating disorder (there isn't even a specified deputy for it) and I'm in dire need of John videos.

[@lorenabpv]

i am currently managing the twitter account for hank's local publisher and many many people have made jokes about AART. i mean, the man predicted harry potter, the plot thickens

[@maike__-]

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[@kimmaiphan5690]

+

[@nitfens6863]

Who's going to write the time-traveling Hang mystery-adventure story?

[@nitfens6863]

Oh my god.... The Evil Baby Orphanage. Hank learned to time-travel to build the Evil Baby Orphanage!!!

[@RainaRamsay]

@@nitfens6863 :O It all fits together!

[@logan2113]

man i love a good human art mystery! i have been so excited about this. i hope whoever removed it puts it in a new place and we just keep this mystery going as an adventure

[@RainaRamsay]

"The 'maybes' are essential to what makes art feel visceral and thrilling to me." -- this is such a beautiful expression of a thought I've been trying to put together re "fanfic" vs "canon". Life would be much worse if we had a definite answer to whether [spoiler] in LFA was [spoiler] or [spoiler], or if we had only one "correct" interpretation for Johnlock, or if Macbeth could only be actually reluctant OR pretending to be reluctant. It's the uncertainty that makes the art, art: the fact that it can be all those things at once.

[@AlwaysAllyCat]

My current theory is that the artist's plan all along was to remove it when it had been discovered. the idea of art all alone in the desert is so fascinating to me. it's a very tree falling with no one to hear it feeling. like, was it art before we knew about it?

[@paulgarcia9825]

Great analysis, art criticism at its best . Philosophical, historical and literary.

[@CinemaWins]

Us: Aliens!? John: What if I told you there is something more important than knowing where it came from? Me: Come on now John, what could you possibly say that would chan-

[@pattihainline1573]

Well we're they leagal or illegal aliens?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@drakesmith471]

Ay it's cinema wins. Love your videos.

[@nicholaslemosdecarvalho5328]

Seeing CinemaWins comments is always a win *Ding*

[@julmaass]

@@pattihainline1573 ...we're gonna need a bigger wall

[@Parvizdov]

I Visited the monolith and investigated what was happening. The videos are on my channel RIGHT NOW

[@allymusgrave5315]

that ‘probably’ after ‘it wasn’t aliens’ = the fuzzy feeling i’ve had all year

[@McMomfaceplustwo]

I immediately thought of Hank’s book

[@mikestar5968]

MR.GREEN! My history teacher put your videos on everyday in my class freshman year and I have a hard time focusing but I actually learned things when he put you on. It’s great to see you!

[@gailjones6925]

I could listen to this man all day! Very captivating and intelligent🤔

[@InnuendoStudios]

I miss The Art Assignment

[@abdurrazzaq2314]

🌷

[@aarya1467]

Same

[@chaosrulerofall]

same, it was fun and had cool things

[@trash_lol]

The Art Assignment.

[@dirt9005]

Hmmmng me too

[@ianmacleod2081]

All I can think about with that thing is 2001: A Space Odyssey

[@bethaniewilde2616]

Me too! Honestly I have no idea why nobody’s talking about the similar vibes between the monoliths. Awe-inspiring and vaguely threatening.

[@zero-pl3tt]

Yes! I thought the exact same thing, it's incredibly similar.

[@teszter704]

+

[@fernandomaron87]

@@bethaniewilde2616 Here in Brazil the tv news showed scenes of the movie and compared it with the Utah monolith

[@liveactionlink8736]

It seems like around 50% of the comments on videos about the monoliths (aka a long steel triangle that 5 obnoxious KZbinrs used as litter) are saying the exact same thing. Yet somehow people say "nobody's talking about the similarity of 2001: ASO" even though it's almost all people are saying lol

[@taylorgregrich2336]

I’m absolutely in love with this story and ideas that have come up around it.

[@ethanp5948]

this is what I come to vlog brothers on Tuesdays for

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Giorgio: ALIENS! John: Not quit- Giorgio: *W R O N G*

[@jillsarah7356]

the part about it waiting for us all this time and disappearing when we found it made me cry a little. I just love art. and/or aliens. Both.

[@MrBucket9158]

it was I did a thing, he was promoting a new show

[@malaakm7655]

i love how this video doesn’t even touch on the one in romania

[@vlogbrothers]

I think the one in Romania is unfortunately almost definitely just a copycat. The big difference is the finish of the metal. The finish of the one in the desert is very difficult to achieve. But I hope I'm wrong! -John

[@iamthebock]

@@vlogbrothers does the present of copycats now change the definition of the art? I would like to think that the project was initially to be there until it's noticed and then disappear, like it did. But if there are copycats, does that diminish the original work?

[@KatrinaEames]

​@@iamthebock I feel like a lot of art builds off of other art. I don't think it diminishes the original even if it has the potential to change the way that we think about it.

[@99cezar]

@@vlogbrothers definitely not a copy, I can bet a buch of gypses took it on a cart and brought it here

[@JNArnold]

@@iamthebock like beauty, whether it diminishes the original or not is entirely up to the beholder. Its totally valid to think it does and simultaneously valid to think that it doesn't. As others pointed out though, all art is derived in some way so I prefer to not think that originals are diminished by iterations.

[@chocfudgebrowni]

Does a monolith in the desert exist if no one experiences it? (And if it's removed as soon as it is experienced?)

[@fossilfighters101]

yes lots of bacteria get to experience it

[@murthyadivirk]

ah john green, i missed you so much. It's as if my life's innocence was when i followed your amazing videos and waiting for the mongol montage. I know the world is still just the same.. but life for me is no long the same. love you man.

[@noyb72]

The fact that you revel in the mystery is wonderful. The fact that one of your hypothesised explanations of its disappearance doesn't involve a bunch of drunk teenage football players and a pickup says more about you than could be put in an entire set of encyclopedias, and it is all good. Thank you

[@sarahgrin]

I wondered if you might talk about this! My favorite piece of news last week.

[@sunnybaudelaire9384]

I cant wait until Ancient Aliens covers this in like 20 years.

[@ZePopTart]

+

[@cencarnacion1]

John it reappeared in Romania and has since disappeared. It’s also been photographed being removed in Utah

[@ThisIsReMarkable]

Link please? Or is this another mystery that we must solve?

[@thr04w4y]

@@ThisIsReMarkable instagram.com/p/CIOOkwMBkAS/?igshid=1wpccvuc1vvjr

[@ChristianMacInnis]

Great hearing from you, John. I do hope for more episodes of The Anthropocene Reviewed.

[@rrsypeo]

Never took John for a thrill seeker; but as far as thrills go, this makes sense for him.

[@spenceralangood3414]

This remind anyone else of the parable of the Broccoli Tree???

[@fossilfighters101]

+

[@jobriq5]

Yes

[@MattPalka]

YES YES YES! It's like the people that made the Monolith pointed out their own broccoli tree. But it didn't get a lot of a chance to have an audience as much. But perhaps the actual people that wanted attention from it took it down. pebrgiperbgipebpiewb

[@AludraEltaninAltair]

Yes. And neolithic cave paintings and endangered species and all sorts of other things that fit the description of existing a long time before we knew it was there and disappearing after we found it.

[@mariewikiwaka3851]

Maybe the timelines shifted to bring the monolith from Night Vale to Utah.

[@KaitlinGaspar]

oh my god i want to hear cecil give this news story so bad

[@loveearnestly]

"In the meantime let's revel in the mystery" I've always been fairly uncomfortable in the meantime and I feel as though 2020 is the most in the meantime of places I've ever been. I would like to be more than comfortable with the meantime, I want to revel in it's mystery.

[@danielpaulson8838]

The photographer who saw it being removed was told, "Leave no trace". One of the cool things about that art, (when no one knew about it) was the pristine desert landscape which it resided in. Without the monolith, it is art in itself. The natural beauty will take ones breath away. If one is into natural beauty of course. The problem when it becomes an uncontrolled pilgrimage for people who are bored with nothing to do, was touched upon by the toilet paper photo in the video. I know from my own experience, In short order there would be empty plastic water bottles, fast food wrappers, piles of uncovered human feces, dogs chasing down the sheep, people getting lost and requiring rescue, fire pits, the local sparse vegetation used to stoke those fire pits, piles of blackened screws and nails from pallet burning and the list just goes on. The monolith wasn't art on it's own. It required the environment. Sadly, humans going out to enjoy it, climb on it and selfie from the top of it would have trashed the natural portion of the art, never seeing the beauty that is there. It's best it's gone and the desert life is saved from the encroachment.

[@ItJustRock]

I like the idea that the artist(s) removed their artwork as soon as it got noticed. That the intention was for it to sit there untill we found it and then remove it. And that the conversation about why it was there and where it came from is essentially apart of the art

[@smiles32]

"I DID A THING"

[@itbeclue8633]

He was just clout chasing he made one in Australia

[@beleden1215]

What if these monoliths were meant for surveying, and we just keep messing their data up

[@connierobinson1090]

I wonder if they scoped out the location first or if they just wandered into the desert with an obelisk and a saw hoping to find just the right alcove

[@ncisgoth97]

I'm just happy that after grueling 5k word essay on the spiral jetty a couple years ago during my degree, it's finally been mentioned somewhere that isn't an online archive 😭😂

[@RETRONEXT]

"There are some things that aren't there until you notice them, And there are things that are there until you notice them." Getting me choked up, what a profound thought. Thank you for synthesizing for us, John.

[@Jason-ke4jf]

Spoiler: it's not aliens. BUT I REALLY WISH IT WASSSSSSSSSSSS

[@nitfens6863]

The scientific response to basically every extraordinary news story

[@dawn8293]

I read this in Hank's voice

[@ThatOneScienceGuy]

I don't. Aliens need to ask out permission before they come here.

[@billytehkid1812]

how do you know its not aliens? sorry for my ignorance but i cant quite understand why everyone is so certain that its not otherworldly.

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

I guess no one heard that a new one has suddenly popped up in Romania, now.

[@nancyhadley6478]

Isle of Wight

[@theseeker9591]

here's what I learned, thrill means : feeling which comes from a transitory enchanted moments when human experience something commensurate to their capacity to wonder, to borrow a phrase from The Great Gatsby.

[@Joe--]

"But honestly I don't think the monolith itself is that extraordinary. What gets me is that It was waiting for us, all that time, and we didn't know about it. And then, once we did know about it, it disappeared almost immediately. There are things in life that aren't there until you notice them and there are things in life that are there until you notice them." "The maybes are essential to what makes art feel visceral and thrilling to me. And I know it's human nature to seek answers and i hope we find them, but in the meantime let's revel in the mystery." I just like these quotes a lot.

[@pj1909]

It was waiting for us the whole time and we didn't know it was there ...how profound and intellectually challenging ...thank you so much for this you tube clip it has changed my life forever and ever....just like toilet paper in the desert.

[@Gabriel-jg5wh]

I see our Christmas present is gonna be an alien invasion

[@alex0589]

1:16 that's the best "probably" ive seen in a while.

[@MrCoolguy106]

Really love the idea of things that are there until you notice them. What are some other examples of this?

[@claytonfs]

As a listener of The Anthropocene Reviewed, this is the first time I've seen this channel. John used the term obelisk instead of monolith and there was a Gatsby reference, I am not disappointed.

[@ct5625]

You expressed all of my thoughts on this artwork. I've been moved by sculpture before but this work really impressed me, for the reasons you describe. I was convinced that it was a McCracken, or at least inspired by his work. I find it implausible that someone who doesn't have an artistic eye would choose such a location by accident for their prank or hoax. In my opinion it was carefully considered and positioned, taking into account the contrasting environment. There was artistic meaning in it and that rarely happens by accident, especially not within such a large landscape of possibilities. Whoever put that monolith there knew what they were doing, from an artist's perspective. It's sad that it's gone. I would have liked for it to have remained there untouched but appreciated from a distance, but I have to also admit that its removal might add something to the artwork - like Banksy shredding his 'Girl with balloon' piece in the auction hall.

[@skylerwitherspoon]

My nine-year-old brother is convinced that aliens put them there to attack us with covid

[@sunnybaudelaire9384]

Your nine-year-old brother has the best imagination, I love that

[@simonmay1671]

Tbf that's not far from a lot of the Covid theories I've seen

[@skylerwitherspoon]

@@sunnybaudelaire9384 he really does!! also random but I love your name haha

[@sunnybaudelaire9384]

@@skylerwitherspoon Are you a fellow Volunteer? Thanks by the way lol

[@lauren8135]

I should probably watch 2001: A Space Odyssey at some point, to get a broader context here.

[@NosirrathOfficial]

Overhyped, in my personal opinion :)

[@1qtaz]

The book is much better

[@TheMunz]

I'm genuinely surprised at how little mention (in general) there has been of 2001 despite the fact that a monolith in the desert is a pretty on-the-nose homage to that movie (assuming it was put there by humans... which may not be the best assumption).

[@mcsmaria28]

@@TheMunz I know! It was literally my first thought when I read the news story. Maybe I’m just a huge nerd though! 🤷‍♀️

[@NosirrathOfficial]

@@TheMunz yeah I thought the same thing! Maybe it's... by design?

[@robmckennie4203]

"been there for years?" COULD HAVE been there for years. Mark my words, it's a viral ad campaign

[@Crick1952]

Satellite photography shows it has been there since 2016. Only way to fake that would be to hack the fake photos into the Pentagon and NASA

[@robmckennie4203]

@@Crick1952 yeah definitely, the only two ways a dark blurry rectangle could appear on satellite imaging would be either an enormous steel sculpture being placed in that spot and remaining undiscovered for 4 years, or someone hacked into the computers at NASA and the pentagon 🙄

[@paulsomething8]

Totally agree Rob. All the footage has a very "reality TV" hunting down a squatch vibe. The monolith didn't even look very large or that well made. If aliens did create this and are using sheet-metal and rivets (which is how it was described by those who inspected) then I am going to hard pass on that first contact. "Government surveyors" discovered it which if were true and even remotely possibly "alien" I doubt we would have heard any of this. The satellite image or blurred shadow (if a real satellite image) was probably found first and then that site was chosen to provide some sort of evidence? Also not at one point did I ever get the vibe that it's size and location could made a "shadow" like that on a satellite image. The only thing I am still left questioning here is why John is not even mentioning this as a possibility. Is he in on the campaign? Maybe this wont be an ad campaign for Gucci slides for dogs. Maybe once all the pieces are there it will be some grand statement about something half important... but my money on puppy slides. lol

[@bobcatgaze]

The fact that it disappeared SPECIFICALLY while no one was around to see it removed, is itself a hint. It's plausible to assume that whoever removed it, had a degree of superior situational awareness to know when it wasn't being watched. considering the amount of people that were coming and going by that point. Someone would have had to reconnoitered the area, and coordinated the removal of it well. It would have been either among the people who took pilgrimages to it, or someone with a coordinated team with long range communications. And the fact that there is an identical one in Romania, ready to be installed at the same time as the other one is removed, it's safe to say it's a coordinated effort. We can also assume that based on the amount of coordination put into this kind of dramatic display, is that it's specifically designed to get attention. That being the case, we can also therefore assume that since the next obelisk transfer stage is taking a good amount of time to initiate, that it's more likely than not that the 1st one has to be moved somewhere, or a 3rd one has to be constructed on site, wherever it may end up being... Which rules out aliens... who would very likely be able to move it by now. This is very likely an artistic expression by human beings, with a lot of time on their hands. Very well done I might add! But it's not aliens. People need to relax. Lol

[@moth6020]

Are we sure this whole thing isn't just a WILD marketing campaign for An Absolutely Remarkable Thing?

[@UserUnknown07]

The person who put it there: FINALLY ! Someone saw it. Govt: It's crime. ARTWORK DISAPPEARS !

[@khaitok5314]

Don't worry some Aussie just mark their territory

[@Crick1952]

It's fake, he's just clout chasing

[@thaddeuspawlicki4707]

Technically, it's a "monometallum" not a "monolith"; it's made out of metal, not stone.

[@galaxygeneral1200]

well its named after the monolith from 2001: a space oddyssey

[@s.marrinricks8953]

A group not associated with the installation of the monolith came out and removed it. A photographer was there when it happened and there are photos of it being removed late at night. I believe the group's words, as they left the scene, were "Leave No Trace."

[@coena9377]

I gave my mom AART and she gave it to my dad, they both loved it. My mom has been referring to the monolith as “Carl.”

[@unclestaple]

Some guys who were concerned about the environmental impact of all these people visiting it went out there and removed it.

[@jacoblucasgifts]

To save you your precious time: - what does it mean: Nothing. - why does it matter: it doesn't - is it aliens: nope

[@opdhaka]

hilarious man!!!!

[@Anne-FromQc]

THX ! This should be at the top.

[@maicey_t.]

Dang dude, I've lived my whole life in Utah and I've never heard of ANY of these art installations. I'm gonna have to go hunt them down now...

[@xsarchitect]

You're very optimistic, Hank

[@picturexoperfect]

I don’t really understand why a bigger deal isn’t made about art intersecting with art in such an obvious way... but whatever... you’re still magic to me. Relatedly, love that the question about what should matter in terms of truth-seeking, especially when arguably it’s the art that would take the stage light in this example, except in a STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL twist of “irony,” it’s the science-focused brother’s art that begs to be understood. Maybe it is more “creation” that could add to the “mystery”... “I believe this is definitely by John” bahahaha

[@hannaresnick362]

I definitely expected Hank to be the one to make this video

[@rblxtutorials1881]

behind the scenes: LETS PUT GLASS IN THE DESERT AND REMOVE IT DAYS AFTER TO TRICK THE PUBLIC

[@DaP84]

They say it's present in google maps images since 2016

[@MuricaTurkey]

Schrodinger's monolith

[@MariannesStudio]

It brings me so much DELIGHT to learn that this exists and that it is very beautiful and very mysterious. Thank you John!!

[@kathryn6217]

Thanks for quoting Gertrude Stein! It reminded me that I really need to return to my thesis!

[@divasunglasses]

I'm not sure whether to feel proud or ashamed about being here so early....

[@cjsparks02]

Always proud

[@shisuiki]

Feel free to feel what you feel, if it's hard to put it into words, then so be it