“We come in peace” or “Take me to your leader”? Which side of the alien invasion theory are you on? You’d better decide quickly, because TETRA has arrived and you’ll need a plan!

The famous monolithic statues of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) are instantly recognizable for their strikingly simple features that evoke mystery and mysticism.

According to Arthur C. Clarke, the Monolith ought to be an evolutionary accelerator. I’ve always thought of it as more of a “portal”. But it turns out that there is another portal, and perhaps all of this messing around in space ships has been a colossal waste of time. Why take the space highway when you can just teleport from point A to B in an instant?

From the mischievous mind of Canadian woodworker and puzzlemaker Kelly Snache comes an absolutely interstellar space ship themed puzzle box that comes with its own silly story. Every community has its band of renegades, I suppose, and it seems that this rebellious group of ewes would rather rock the flock than sit around chewing grass all day. Something about a haircut spurred them on to road trip it into outer space aboard their stunning shiny “Ewe” Flying Object. I’m sure ewe ain’t seen nothing like it before.

I think it’s a fairly universal truth (universal in the sense of applying to all of humanity, not to the actual universe, which would be rather preposterous to presume about, and here I go anyway) that we are all fascinated in one way or another by the idea of other life, “out there”.

Popular opinions about the possibility of alien life suggests that our mysterious Universe-mates are either omniscient and wise, intent on contacting us to provide enlightenment, or just the opposite, hostile and violent, hell bent on killing us and taking our planet for their own.

Benno de Grote has produced a number of clever puzzle boxes over the past few years, and has both building plans and fully constructed puzzles available on his website. More recently he has acquired his own laser cutter and is releasing new designs, including this cute and clever UFO.

Just when I was beginning to get melancholy for having to say goodbye to Wonderland and head back through the looking glass to reality, aliens have landed to distract me. A giant silver monolith has appeared out of nowhere and may hold the secrets of the Universe, if only we are clever enough to decode them.

I’m facing the new year with this sense of wonder, walking with the moon, if you will. Yoh Kakuda captures the sentiment beautifully in this piece, which is closer in style to his automaton work where the movement is the beginning and the end.

The stars evoke a universal feeling of wonder and awe, and provide a common global reference point reminding us all of our humble place in the universe.

Akio Kamei’s Solar Box is a fiendish little star masquerading as an octagonal puzzle box with curving rays of frustration encircling the main compartment.

It’s time to do a little summer stargazing now. Launching off from last week’s post where we boarded Kasho’s rocket ship and blasted into space with the X-15 “rocktail”, we now find ourselves floating amidst the stars and planets of the cosmos.

It’s summertime. The days are getting longer and the nights are full of dreams. There’s something magical about looking up at the stars on a warm evening that stirs the imagination. Let’s take a trip into outer space together.

If you look to the heavens this time of year, in the north - northeastern sky at sundown, you may be able to find a bright constellation in the shape of a “W” or “M” depending on your perspective. You would be looking at Cassiopeia, the Queen of Ethiopia and mother of Andromeda (who floats nearby along with her hero Perseus).