"..Some have a thin shell about a quarter inch thick, when broken open are filled with a strange spongy material that disintegrates into dust upon contact with air..."

Cool! I think you're right, Bubba. Cd's are supposed be reliable viable for an average of about 20 years, I read somewhere. That's if you don't sit on them. I'm sure spheroids are good for at least twice that long, but every medium has its limitations.

It apparently doesn't do much good to imbed them in pyrophyllite rock. Too bad. I bet there was some interesting stuff on those things.

I don't dismiss the possibility at all that they're artifacts of an ancient civilization with technology at the point of 900 gig+ spheroid drives. The thing I find strange is that some government didn't swoop in and grab the things up, never to be seen or heard about again.

:vik