Tag Archives: 2001

An uplifting story that starts with LEGO

In 2001: A Space Odyssey the appearance of a black obelisk turns apes into tool users in a rather violent way. Victor imagines an alternate spark of inspiration – a 2×4 LEGO brick! Confronted by this mysterious object, would the apes be inspired to use their newfound reasoning for creative pursuits instead of aggression? Or is the evolution of the stud-shooter inevitable? Victor’s model is a clever tribute to the classic Kubrick film with an upscaled brick looking suitably imposing against a studless sky. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a toy swapped into the iconic scene (Hi, Barbie!).

Inspiration

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I’m completely operational and all my bricks are put together perfectly

It’s the great-granddaddy of rogue AIs — HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Built from a small selection of LEGO bricks by Jason Allemann, this model perfectly captures the unblinking stare of the famous fictional computer. I can’t look at this without hearing the iconic voice in my head, only this time there’s a disagreement over access to the bricks — “I’m sorry Dave, I can’t let you build that”.

And don’t miss the computer’s ID number — 0937, a number which keeps cropping up in LEGO creations for some reason. Who knows, perhaps it has some mysterious and deeper significance, like a digital version of 2001‘s monolith?

HAL 0937

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.