Today's most popular movie trend has been extra terrestrials. Yet the idea than the are advanced and our friends is not one that holds true to our popular culture. 2001 was a film out of its own time with hopes and dreams no longer felt by mass society. What would our culture today do with disembodied consciousness? It was well written on Clark's part to force to humans to find the object on the moon, and therefore let the aliens know we are truly ready for the next step. I do not think that our culture is, and our technology proves this.