Professor Tarantoga (full name: Astral Sternu Tarantoga), xenozoologist, traveller, and inventor, is a fictional character from science fiction works by Stanislaw Lem.
Originally he appeared in The Star Diaries as a friend of the space traveler Ijon Tichy and later appeared in some other works of Lem. Tarantoga is the main character of four plays (published and broadcast by radio; some adapted for TV).
Tarantoga is professor of xenozoology at the University at Fomalhaut, chairman of the editorial committee for Ijon Tichy Opera Omnia ("Działa Wszystkie Ijona Tichego"), member of the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Tichology, inventor and creator of various fascinating devices (most of which being parodies of common science fiction tropes).
Inventions and other actievements
Peregrinator (Polish: peregrynator), a device for space travel, the traveler does not move from a spot, but rather bends the space in 4th dimension (Wyprawa profesora Tarantogi)
A device to accelerate and slow down the time (The Twelfth Voyage)
A liquid for erasing bad memories (The Twelfth Voyage)
A banknote with the infinity symbol ∞ denoting the infinite value (The Twelfth Voyage)
An apparatus for utilization of the wasteful energy of kids: a system of levers, dials, knobs, buttons, pulleys, etc., which are pushed/pulled/turned by children during their frolicking to produce electricity (The Twelfth Voyage)
Unflammable matches for kids to play with
Using dynosaurs to produce emergency messages on the surface of a planet seen from the outer space: one has to bother the herd to make them chase you across the forest so that they trample out an inscription.:
The founding of the human civilization (Czarna komnata profesora Tarantogi)
1954: The Star Diaries, "The Twenty Sixth Voyage, the Last One", in connection Sezam i inne opowiadania.
1957: The Star Diaries, in "The Twelfth Voyage", in which Ijon Tichy employs Prof. Tarantoga's new invention of time acceleration on the planet of Microcephalics.
1963: Wyprawa profesora Tarantogi, scenario, first print: collection Noc księżycowa
1992: TV play, Poland, first aired September 5, 1992, director Maciej Wojtyszko, Tarantoga: Tadeusz Huk
1963: Czarna komnata profesora Tarantogi, scenario, first print: collection Noc księżycowa
Ijon Tichy: Raumpilot, TV serial season 2, Tarantoga played by Peter Princz
1963: Dziwny gość profesora Tarantogi, scenario, first print: collection Noc księżycowa
1979: Professor Tarantoga und sein seltsamer Gast, TV film, 21 April 1979, East Germany]]
1975: Godzina przyjęć profesora Tarantogi, radio play
1979: First time printed in collection Powtórka, 1979
The Futurological Congress
Observation on the Spot
Peace on Earth
Professor Tarantoga Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
