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Metallic Monolith Pops up Outside Pittsburgh Candy Store

A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP)
A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP)
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Metallic Monolith Pops up Outside Pittsburgh Candy Store

A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP)
A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP)

Since mid-November, shining metal monoliths have suddenly appeared - and then vanished - in the strangest locations, from the Utah desert to a Romanian mountainside.

Now one has popped up outside a Pittsburgh candy store.

Capitalizing on the intrigue surrounding the other monoliths and hoping to provide a distraction from the daily drumbeat of COVID-19 news, the owner of Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, Christopher Beers, commissioned a 10-foot tall, 24-inch wide triangle of plywood covered in sheet metal.

"There is a mystery behind it," said Beers, even though he stripped the whodunit angle from his monolith, which he freely admits was designed to drive up candy sales.

Beers said he was captivated by sculptures that made headlines starting in November, the first appearing in Utah's Red Rock Country, vaguely resembling the so-called monoliths in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

He enlisted a colleague to erect a similar enigma outside his store. One Facebook post was all it took to generate a media buzz around the "mysterious" metallic creation.

"Hopefully, it's a reminder to support small, local businesses that have been so badly hit" by COVID-19, said Beers, owner of the independent chain of 10 candy stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

"And isn't it fun to have something to talk about beside the pandemic?!"

Since the monolith went up, business has been brisk at Grandpa Joe's. Customers eagerly take selfies with the monolith before heading inside to load up on Christmas sweets. The Facebook post is also driving candy sales online.

"Come see the Monolith before it mysteriously disappears," said a post on a Facebook page for Grandpa Joe's.

"Is it made out of chocolate?" commented one hopeful fan on the page.

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Rare Pallid Bat Spotted in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region

Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
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Rare Pallid Bat Spotted in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region

Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA

The Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), a rare species in the region, was recently spotted in the Saudi Arabia's northern borders.

The region have fostered a rich array of ecosystems, supporting a unique biodiversity that relies heavily on natural resources, according to SPA.

Typically native to the western coast of the Americas, this bat is seldom seen outside its usual range. Its presence in the region highlights the area's pristine nature and hints at the existence of other undiscovered rare and unique species.

Bats, the only mammals capable of flight, are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Biologists have confirmed that the Pallid bat, not native to the Middle East, thrives in arid environments. These bats roost in rock crevices during the day and emerge at night to feed on insects and worms. They hibernate during the winter and give birth to one or two pups in the spring, which they wean after about 40 days.
The primary benefit of bats lies in their role as natural pest controllers. Consuming up to 40% of their body weight in insects daily, including mosquitoes.
Additionally, bats play a critical role in pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, making them invaluable to wildlife restoration efforts in the Kingdom.