My rough calculation is that the cast ball would weight 2500-3000 pounds. If that were the purpose of this sphere, I think there would have to be some kind of stabilizing feet, ribs, something. Just maybe it was designed to sit in a support cradle - but that doesn’t explain why there are three “feed” pipes when one would be sufficient. It still doesn’t add up, not for anything as dense as concrete, at least. Possibly for a lighter material. I will be looking inside etc. when I get back to it, and for any signs of cast material in the joints.
I also sent a few more emails to U departments, including the Art department - the dept head is on the public art committee and if it was a sculpture, seems like he’d know.
You would also think that there would be some indication of concrete somewhere on the thing. Like in one of the joints or just splattered on the outside. If this was a reusable mold I can’t see them thoroughly cleaning the thing every time. IMHO, it’s some sort of process chamber.
If it is a mold, it may be for a shape that has lots of protrusions or holes. Each segment of the mold may have a long protrusion or a deep hole, and therefore must be pulled out independently.
On the other hand, if it’s a mold, why would it have 2 large metal flanges? There should only be need for 1 small hole at the top, and no need for a bolted interface for that hole.
What if it’s only use was as a demonstration. For instance, if 20 years ago they had a contest to create CAD-type software. They might have described an object this ridiculous, then challenged teams to create it through coded design and manufacturing.
??
ETA: Wait, 1980’s for the first commercially available CAD programs. Sheesh, I’m old! But you get my drift. What process might it be the proof for? For what types of processes would this be a particularly difficult/innovative result?
EATA: Anybody have educated guesses as to how old it might be?
Wonderful thread. Very 2001 monkeys examine obelisk thing here.
I’ll be sad when OP identifies it. Some part of me hopes he never does.
Which means hauling it away for safekeeping before the Government’s Black Helicopters get it, and their cloned animated brain of all evil uses it for nefarious purposes.
Assuming it isn’t for nefarious purposes to begin with. Like occupying minds to distract them so other plans can continue, or to drive humanity insane as they overload trying to figure out what it is.
Me, too - this is one of those cases where I’m dying to find out what this freakin’ thing is… but I think the mystery will prove more satisfying than the answer.
How about this: I’ll spoiler the answer… and if it turns out to be really mundane, I’ll lie about it.
Go right ahead. My only concern is keeping its location secret; I don’t want to be responsible for people invading the location and/or stealing the thing.
To answer why it’s made of so many parts: I’m an electrical engineer. I’ve worked with many electrical engineers. I could totally see an electrical engineer designing it like that, for the university machine shop to build the pieces, with no real understanding of how difficult it might be to then assemble it into a uniform sphere, with all the tiles lined up well with their neighbors, and without the overall shape being lumpy.
I have no real understanding of this, but it looks similar: The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso - ScienceDirect if you needed to be able to test/replace individual detectors like these, then the bolted sections might make more sense? This design also requires pumping in gases, and the placement of cameras, so the ability to remove/replace sections makes sense.
tl:dr a modular detection housing meant to be re-configurable for multiple uses?
If anyone’s taking bets, I’ve got $20 on ‘(mild) vacuum chamber’. The bolts on the end pipe just look like pressure piping to me, but I agree the huge number of joints make a high-pressure vessel unlikely. However, as pointed out, you don’t need much strength to withstand 1 atmosphere, especially if the pressure is pushing inwards.
Though I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a container for non-pressurized liquids.
True. But I’d argue that it’s not trivial to get this thing built “correctly” - i.e. so that the pieces all fit together (mating surfaces all at correct angles, etc). If it were designed by an incompetent engineer, it would be lying in pieces because they didn’t fit together.
And to add that I don’t think it’s a mold of any sort because people would go crazy taking it apart and putting it back together. There must be 400 bolts on that thing.