Question

In an attempt to wipe out humanity, millions of these things arranged themselves into disks meant to eclipse the sun. One of these things housed a human-machine hybrid known as Halman, who was later sealed in the Pico Vault due to being infected with a virus. An exponentially replicating mass of these things created the star Lucifer by consuming (15[1])Jupiter, in order to nurture the (15[1])nascent aquatic (15[1])civilization on (*) Europa. (10[1])Though these objects vary in (10[1])size, (10[1]-5[1])their dimensions have a precise 1 to 4 to 9 ratio. After being unearthed and exposed to sunlight, one of these objects directed a transmission at Iapetus. The Tycho Magnetic Anomaly Zero was one of these objects unearthed in Olduvai Gorge, where it had encouraged the development of tools by early hominids. (10[1]-5[1])For 10 points, the spacecraft Discovery One (10[1])launched in 2001 (10[1]-5[1])following a signal sent by what kind of black rectangular object? ■END■ (10[2]0[2])

ANSWER: monoliths
<Literature | Space Odyssey/Arthur C. Clarke | AH>
= Average correct buzz position