Does any one "get" the opening to 2001 A Space Odyssey?

[redlight]

I loved the movie. It's also amazing that Clarke predicted reading newspapers on computer back in the 60s.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I loved the movie. It's also amazing that Clarke predicted reading newspapers on computer back in the 60s.

He also, several years ago, wrote an essay How To Lose a Billion Dollars in Your Spare Time. It was based on his paper written for the British Interplanetary Society around 1946 where he discussed geosynchronous orbits for communications satellites. He attempted to patent the idea, but was turned down by the British Patent Office as the idea was technically unfeasible. And when he, years later, attempted again he was denied as the idea was in the Public Domain.

And now geosynchronous orbits are often referred to as "Clarke Orbits".

 

[dejr_8]

He also, several years ago, wrote an essay How To Lose a Billion Dollars in Your Spare Time. It was based on his paper written for the British Interplanetary Society around 1946 where he discussed geosynchronous orbits for communications satellites. He attempted to patent the idea, but was turned down by the British Patent Office as the idea was technically unfeasible. And when he, year later, attempted again he was denied as the idea was in the Public Domain.

The Government Bureaucracy at its finest

 

[JCJRSmith]

I've always thought he meant to imply that the monolith imparted some evolutionary knowledge to the monkeys, enabling them to use the (bones? sticks?) as tools/weapons.

This.

The first monolith was left by extra-terrestrials to "move along" the evolution of the human species.

The second was an alarm - buried on the moon, it gave off an alarm signal that went towards Saturn when humans reached the moon and unburied it. It was a signal to the monolith makers that humans had evolved to become capable of travelling in space.

The Discovery mission was sent out to find where the signal went. The third monolith was found and it was a gate to the area of the universe where the ET's came from.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

This.

The first monolith was left by extra-terrestrials to "move along" the evolution of the human species.

The second was an alarm - buried on the moon, it gave off an alarm signal that went towards Saturn when humans reached the moon and unburied it. It was a signal to the monolith makers that humans had evolved to become capable of travelling in space.

The Discovery mission was sent out to find where the signal went. The third monolith was found and it was a gate to the area of the universe where the ET's came from.

This is the way it was explained in the book, correct? I remember reading an article somewhere, though, (I'll have to do some googling), where Kubrick said the book explanation has nothing to do with his movie. He left the history and meaning of the monoliths ambiguous on purpose.

 

[IdesOmarch]

This is the way it was explained in the book, correct? I remember reading an article somewhere, though, (I'll have to do some googling), where Kubrick said the book explanation has nothing to do with his movie. He left the history and meaning of the monoliths ambiguous on purpose.

I like SKubrick and all, but I have always thought he was really bad about leaving out a lot of things from the books. I mean if you're going to go to the trouble to purchase the rights to make a movie out of the book, why not include the important things? I definitely thought 2001 could have used a lot more script. It was way too abstract IMO. (the movie, never read the book). Steven King of course hated the Shining so much he re-made it. I never thought his version was better than the original, but there were a lot of important things Kubrick left out, that probably would have made a better movie if he left more of it in.

 

[136368]

Have you tried reading 3001?

Just started! I loved the other two as well... 2010 and 2069

 

[crewmatt]

If you read the book, the monolith was a device sent by an alien culture to observe and potentially encourage (but not overly encourage) the development of intelligent life. It basically imparts the idea of tools and eating meat onto the primitive man who's tribe was starving while at the same time being ravaged by a predator.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I've never seen the movie. I know I'll watch it someday, just haven't up to now.