The Toynbee tiles, also known as Toynbee plaques, are small, flat, rectangular pieces of asphalt or concrete that have been embedded into the pavement of streets in various cities across the United States and South America. The tiles often bear cryptic messages that have been interpreted in a variety of ways, leading to much speculation and debate about their purpose and origin.
The first known Toynbee tile appeared in Philadelphia in the early 1980s, and since then, hundreds of similar tiles have been discovered in cities including New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tiles are typically about the size of a license plate and are often found in the middle of busy intersections or near prominent landmarks.
The messages on the tiles are typically composed of pre-cut letters and numbers, arranged in a mosaic-like pattern. Many of the messages reference the work of Arnold Toynbee, a British historian and philosopher who wrote extensively about the rise and fall of civilizations. Some of the tiles also reference the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Toynbee reportedly admired.
Despite the widespread interest in the Toynbee tiles, little is known about who created them or why. Some people have speculated that the tiles are the work of a lone artist or a small group of artists, while others have suggested that they are the product of a larger conspiracy or a message from extraterrestrial life. There have even been claims that the tiles are a form of early viral marketing for a book or movie.
One of the most enduring theories about the Toynbee tiles is that they are a form of social commentary about the decline of Western civilization. Supporters of this theory argue that the messages on the tiles are a warning about the dangers of technology and the need for a return to simpler, more traditional ways of life.
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