Há uma breve (mas inconclusiva) discussão sobre esta questão dentro do romance do filme; 2010: Odyssey Two .
A implicação parece ser que o raciocínio do Obelisco era duplo;‘I’m sure you will, Vasili,’ Floyd agreed. ‘But there’s a more important question. Why did they do it?’
‘A warning?’ ventured Katerina over the ship’s intercom.
‘Against what?’
‘We’ll find that out later.’
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Tendo detectado a sonda em órbita próxima a Europa, o Obelisco decidiu que era o momento certo para defender Europa de mais invasões (daí a destruição da sonda e a mensagem de advertência transmitida por Hal à Terra).
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Tendo detectado que a humanidade agora era capaz de voar no espaço, o Obelisco decidiu que era a hora certa para nos fornecer dois habitats adicionais que pudessem ser imediatamente colonizados. Ter feito isso antes poderia ter tido o efeito oposto, encorajando-nos a permanecer na Terra.
On the credit side, the end of night had vastly extended the scope of human activity, especially in the less-developed countries. Everywhere, the need for artificial lighting had been substantially reduced, with resulting huge savings in electrical power. It was as if a giant lamp had been hoisted into space, to shine upon half the globe. Even in daytime Lucifer was a dazzling object, casting distinct shadows.
Farmers, mayors; city managers, police, seamen, and almost all those engaged in outdoor activities - especially in remote areas - welcomed Lucifer; it had made their lives much safer and easier. But it was hated by lovers, criminals, naturalists, and astronomers.