2001: A Space Odyssey: Chapter 32 Summary & Analysis

For the most part, Bowman now lives on the control deck. He spends much of his time contemplating the mystery lying in wait for him, and the nature of the aliens responsible for creating TMA-1. Few believe the extraterrestrials originated from the inhospitable Saturnian system, and yet the possibility of an extra-solar species is hotly debated, with many claiming interstellar travel to be physically impossible. Such controversy pales beside battles between biologists concerning the nature of the alien’s bodies, however. While some believe them to be humanoids, others believe they could take any shape. Some suggest they may have transcended the need for physical bodies, becoming conscious robots, or even more outlandishly, immaterial beings.