# What is this thing? \[Strange grid ball\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989 "2013-01-12T20:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/441 "2013-10-15T19:31:26Z")
Finally I can sleep at night. :o Thanks for following this threw! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/442 "2013-10-15T19:55:51Z")
> [@Big\_Blue](#): > > All in the name of art! šŸ™‚ Art knows no bounds. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/443 "2013-10-15T23:36:34Z")
Now comes the reckoning. Somebody go through the thread and tote up the guesses/WAGs/reasoned and sober analyses. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/444 "2013-10-15T23:48:13Z")
Did you happen to get the name of the artist? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/445 "2013-10-15T23:53:33Z")
Itā€™s ā€œartā€? Thatā€™s it? What a letdownā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/446 "2013-10-16T00:02:57Z")
You should build your own out of beer cans. That would teach them. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/447 "2013-10-16T00:11:19Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Now comes the reckoning. Somebody go through the thread and tote up the guesses/WAGs/reasoned and sober analyses. > [@Tangent](#): > > Could it be a sculpture? You said there appears to be a dismantled sculpture nearby. Maybe this is one, too. **Tangent** pegged it first, in post #16, less than an hour and a half after the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/448 "2013-10-16T00:16:15Z")
What do I win?! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/449 "2013-10-16T00:16:50Z")
But **Amateur Barbarian** was doubtful in post #21: > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Seems unlikely. This has a very industrial/sci/tech feel to it. The sculpture is quite evidently one of those swoopy-bits-of-metal things by a half-talented grant artist ca. 1980 that probably stood in a quad somewhere until people realized it was full of dead pigeons and the artist had long since gone to jail for spousal abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/450 "2013-10-16T00:33:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Iā€™ll keep up a commentary and post some new shots of it from time to time. > > Kinda bummer/not quite bummer news, and on me birthday, too. Huh. Happy Artful Birthday, **Amateur Barbarian**. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/451 "2013-10-16T00:53:27Z")
A fine specimen of some old time Llab dirgegn arts. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/453 "2013-10-17T00:38:39Z")
> [@Bumbazine](#): > > Did you happen to get the name of the artist? Turns out it was [Dilbert](http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1989-05-05/). ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/454 "2015-05-05T14:53:02Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Iā€™ll keep up a commentary and post some new shots of it from time to time Itā€™s time! Also, did you ever get the artists name? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/455 "2015-05-09T14:31:26Z")
I havenā€™t been there for about a year (visited that part of the facility while waiting for someone else - doesnā€™t happen any more). Yes, I had the artistā€™s nameā€¦ let me see if I can find it. Max something, I think. Moderately noted metal sculptor. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/456 "2015-05-09T18:12:17Z")
The only reference to an artist name is ā€œBart.ā€ The work is untitled and was acquired in the early 1990s. I havenā€™t been successful at making anything out of this information - maybe someone with stronger art-fu can. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/457 "2015-05-09T18:33:25Z")
You might have to help us out with a location (even just the state). I donā€™t think the entire internet is going to swarm the school to steal a 30 year old sculpture that was posted on a message board, but you could always delete the pictures if youā€™re worried. ---
**Author:** ![WonderWheeler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed655f/32.png) [@WonderWheeler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonderWheeler)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/458 "2015-10-10T02:32:53Z")
The strange grid ball is all about its interior surface. Thatā€™s why the outside is so clunky looking. Might have been an experiment in high voltage or something, where energy or gas moved from one area to another. Obviously not about high pressure or high heat or vacuum however. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/459 "2015-10-10T03:04:01Z")
> [@WonderWheeler](#): > > The strange grid ball is all about its interior surface. Thatā€™s why the outside is so clunky looking. Might have been an experiment in high voltage or something, where energy or gas moved from one area to another. Obviously not about high pressure or high heat or vacuum however. Um, check out post #431. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/460 "2015-10-10T13:41:47Z")
Waitasec. Weā€™re a week too early. This zombie, from now on, should officially walk the earth, if ever, on October 15s only, in celebrationā€“#431 and #434ā€“of two blessed events. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989/461 "2015-10-10T14:23:34Z")
I think itā€™s about the interior surface, too. Obviously meant for containing zombies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-strange-grid-ball/646989.md?page=24)