Theory: the monoliths are teleporters.

[Avery616]

So here is how it goes: When a kerbal dies they are not really dead. That "poof" you see is actually their atoms being ripped apart. Said atoms are sent back to kerbin via the monolith network. (Really think about it, there are monoliths on about every planet)However the atom reassembly takes time,this is why they don't come back instantly. Then if you decide to mark them "KIA" instead of being teleported back their atoms are spread across the kerbal system, killing them permanently. Such a theory explains why monoliths appear near major locations such as the old/new KSC, they serve as that areas drop off point. The reason kerbals don't use this system to teleport themselves to other planets is that the exit point needs a special receiver that uses a lot of power. Now i don't know how to explain how the kerbals tap into the system. Or who put the monoliths there in the first place. But you know...in due time.

So that's just uhhh a little theory that i thought up at school.....As one could expect i have very little things of interest to do there.

[Piatzin]

POOF

 

Idk why I like that word so much. Poof. Poof. Poof Poof Poof Poof Poof Poof....

Nice theory though  It makes absolute sense

[Bill Phil]

Twilight Zone theme plays...

X Files theme plays...

My theory is aliens. But I like the teleporter theory...

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Great theory.

I'd like to put forth my own addition; Kerbals who KIA aren't destroyed but reconstituted as magic boulders!

...That's where the "magic" comes from. Kerbal-dust-powder-guts-something-or-other.

[Avery616]

I have a addition to make to the theory: The monolith on the magic boulder is broken. Explaining why everything that gets near is teleported.  

[John FX]

My theory is that the goals of the devs were much grander in the past and they wanted to have a back story and proper career but then we went into and out of beta too soon and so the idea got shelved and now we have stuff laying about in the game which serves no purpose but looks like it should do something, like stats for your kerbals. They do nothing but look like they should, just like the monoliths.

Each of these items I see as a mark of shame for the devs resulting from unfinished plans which could have made the game much better.

That is my theory, they are left behind to remind the devs of what KSP could have been.

I hear there is one on Gas Planet 2...

[Geschosskopf]

51 minutes ago, John FX said:

Each of these items I see as a mark of shame for the devs resulting from unfinished plans which could have made the game much better.

I'm happy with just having the various anomalies scattered about, which do nothing.  That leaves everybody free to invent their own story for them.  I've never liked games where you're stuck into a particular plot line, especially in a game that's more about doing whatever you want anyway.

Perusing the fan fiction and mission reports topics will turn up many creative ideas about Monoliths, as well as many others that ignore them completely.  Neither of these would be possible if they actually had some function in the game.  So I think it's better this way.

[Geonovast]

So... basically the Hyperion New-U System?

[John FX]

7 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

I'm happy with just having the various anomalies scattered about, which do nothing.  That leaves everybody free to invent their own story for them.  I've never liked games where you're stuck into a particular plot line, especially in a game that's more about doing whatever you want anyway.

Perusing the fan fiction and mission reports topics will turn up many creative ideas about Monoliths, as well as many others that ignore them completely.  Neither of these would be possible if they actually had some function in the game.  So I think it's better this way.

That is fair enough but I unfortunately am not able to permit myself the luxury of such departure from reality.

The real reason for the monoliths is because they were supposed to be part of a greater plot career story which was never made into reality by the devs.

To me it is like making stories about how gas planet 2 was ejected from the system by <something>. It is not the real reason why we do not have it but it could make some interesting stories from those capable of doing so.

Myself, knowing the real reason, I cannot delude myself but it is no reason for others to not do so.

As some would say, crack on if you want.

[invision]

have your tried flying through them at 88 m/s during lightning storms?

[John FX]

14 hours ago, invision said:

have your tried flying through them at 88 m/s during lightning storms?

Surely 39.33952 m/s would be more appropriate?

EDIT : It seems there is a reason for this as well. Apparently the amount of time it takes a DeLorean to pass a fixed point at 88MPH is the same time it takes light to circumnavigate the planet, being .10717 seconds. There is a suggestion that what actually happens is the car has to pass the wormhole boundary in that amount of time to reappear at the same place but in a different time, there is also some gravity explanation for why the motion of the sun/planet does not need to be taken into account.

I have not checked the maths, it might be out by a few percent but it is an interesting theory. It would suggest you can only travel to the same place but a different time in discrete 0.107s jumps.

Edited November 14, 2017 by John FX
coolness

[Overland]

It gave me a donut once.. I didnt like the taste too much..

 

So.. 

I threw it into the sky..

It then became a similarly shaped space station

[MiffedStarfish]

That’s quite a plausible theory. The squad symbols are to remind the kerbals of their dev gods watchful presence, while the they will be the the sacred keepers of “Pegi 7” for all eternity, and suppress and trap the kraken in the lower realms of “.17” till kerbol collapses.