- On a bronze plate, the little metal spoon balances exquisitely on its bowl. Each time it’s tossed or spun, it comes to rest with its neck aiming south. This is a replica of the aptly named south pointing spoon, thought to be the first magnetized object ever used to tell direction. And it was the crucial precursor to the magnetic compass, one of the most important inventions in maritime history.
- Solaris (1972 film) (Wikipedia)
Solaris (Russian: Солярис, tr. Solyaris) is a 1972 Soviet psychological science fiction film based on Stanisław Lem’s 1961 novel of the same title. The film was co-written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, and stars Donatas Banionis and Natalya Bondarchuk. The electronic music score was performed by Eduard Artemyev and features a composition by J.S. Bach as its main theme. The plot centers on a space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris, where a scientific mission has stalled because the skeleton crew of three scientists have fallen into emotional crises. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Banionis) travels to the station to evaluate the situation, only to encounter the same mysterious phenomena as the others.