Many have thought of Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey
now that the titular year is upon us, but nobody expects to actually stumble across the movie's famous black monolith.

Seattle residents were a little surprised when a 9-foot-tall steel monolith mysteriously appeared in a city park on the first day of 2001.

Denny Sargent couldn't resist humming the theme to 2001
when he walked up to touch the imposing object, which stands like the movie's enigmatic extraterrestrial guardian
on a grassy knoll in Magnuson Park.

"I feel my intelligence increasing by the moment," he said.

         

The sculpture is completely unmarked and appears to
have been put in place on New Year's Eve.

There is no plaque or other clue to the sculptor.

Sod was carefully tamped into place around the object's base,
but several plastic bottle-cap rings littered the ground,
suggesting it was thirsty work for whoever installed it.

John Thoe paused to contemplate the structure as he
retrieved a boomerang Monday.

"It's cool," he said. "Especially on the first day of 2001."

But the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation is
looking at it from the public safety point of view.

Spokesman David Takami says it does not appear to be anchored.
The city doesn't want it falling over,
if someone starts monkeying around with it.

Parks officials also have a bone to pick over the installation.
Takami says it didn't go through the process for art in public places. That location is currently used mainly for kite flying.

Takami says they're leaving the monolith where it is for now,
while they think about it.

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