A cryptic message in the pavement
Since the 1980s, hundreds of cryptic messages have appeared embedded in the asphalt of city streets across the United States and parts of South America. These "Toynbee Tiles," typically the size of a license plate, are made from layers of linoleum and asphalt crack-filling compound. Each tile contains a variation of the same core text: "TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE '2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER." The first confirmed sightings occurred in Philadelphia in the early 1980s. From this epicenter, the tiles spread to over two dozen cities, appearing as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, and as far north as Boston.
The method of placement is part of the tiles' story. Researchers believe the tiler wrapped the linoleum creations in tar paper and dropped them onto busy streets, possibly through a hole in the floor of a car. The pressure from traffic, combined with summer heat, would then press the tile into the softened asphalt, embedding it permanently. The tar paper would be worn away by vehicles, slowly revealing the message beneath. Some larger, more elaborate tiles also feature political statements or exhortations for others to create their own tiles.
Deconstructing the theory
The tile's message connects three distinct cultural and intellectual elements. The "Toynbee Idea" refers to a passage in British historian Arnold J. Toynbee's autobiography, Experiences, which discusses the concept of bringing dead molecules back to life. "Movie '2001" is a clear reference to Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which depicts a crewed mission to Jupiter. The final line, "RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER," fuses Toynbee's metaphysical concept with Kubrick's science-fiction destination. The message proposes a fringe scientific theory for public consideration.
Investigation into the tiler's identity, chronicled in the 2011 documentary Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, identifies a reclusive Philadelphia resident named Severino "Sevy" Verna. This theory suggests Verna used the name "James Morasco" as an alias when he contacted newspapers and radio talk shows in the 1980s to promote his ideas. A man identifying as Morasco founded an organization called the Minority Association to advocate for the colonization of Jupiter with resurrected human beings. While the evidence is circumstantial, the concentration of tiles and related activity in Philadelphia strongly supports the theory of a single, local originator.