What is a monolith? Mysterious sighting in Nevada desert stirs interest post 2020 

A peculiar monolith appeared in the Nevada desert over the weekend and sparked hilarious reactions online. On June 17, the Las Vegas Police Department took to X to claim that their search and rescue team unexpectedly spotted a “mysterious monolith near Gass Peak north of the valley.”

“We see a lot of weird things when people go hiking like not being prepared for the weather, not bringing enough water… but check this out!,” a tweet by the Las Vegas Police read.

The department also shared a picture of the monolith nestled around a slightly rugged terrain. This is not the first time such a statue has suddenly appeared. In 2020, another structure appeared across the globe as well.

For those uninitiated, a monolith refers to a single large stone typically created through another object. They are often reflective on all sides.

At the time of writing this article, the social media post had amassed nearly 315,000 views with over 2000 likes.

Authorities do not yet know how the structure got up there. Netizens often take to the internet to speculate about the same, with many believing them to be art installations. Many took to the internet to share their hilarious reactions to the structure. Netizens flooded a Memezar Instagram post regarding the structure with hysterical responses. A few read:

“Someone lost their cyber truck bumper d*mn shame,” @csilver33 stated.

“Juul doing some crazy marketing,” @serotonin_scrimmage commented.

“Someone is trolling us,” @glen.malec opined.

The mysterious structures have been spotted in Utah, Romania, California, and Pennsylvania in the past, and netizens cannot get enough of their peculiar appearances. Other reactions read:

“My friends planted it. We’re doing it as a publicity stunt to raise awareness for Police lives matter,” @drummergeorge sarcastically wrote online.

“Can’t wait for some unheard artist to claim this after some weeks,” @aryan.145.golu stated.

“2001 space odyssey,” @idriss.alaouii commented.

For those uninitiated, monoliths first made an appearance in pop culture in 1968 when they were seen in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other reactions to the Nevada monolith read:

“What if it’s aliens,” @ricky_garofalo commented.

“It’s ok Gods playing battleship,” @lexi.ro stated

“A burner for sure,” @boomforest said online.

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Las Vegas Police Department warns netizens of desert climbing amid monolith’s appearance

In the same X thread, the Las Vegas Police Department suggested that tourists follow the TRAIL acronym.

"Tell someone where you intend to hike or climb & when you are expecting to return. Research the weather forecast for the area before you go. Aid and additional food and water! AKA, bring plenty of water, food, and a first aid kit. Inclement weather gear & minimal overnight stay. Light: Bring a light source, completely charged phone, & consider a P.L.B. (Personal Locator Beacon)."

The megalith was spotted in Utah’s Red Rock Country among other places as well. In November 2020, the Utah Department of Public Safety stated that they were unaware of how the figure came into being.

Most recently, it also appeared in Wales, UK, in March. Unsurprisingly, nobody knew of its origin either.