“Shelf Aware” is a weekly series from IZ, featuring questions on one book, movie or artefact from my collection.
All hail re-releases! Having missed seeing Interstellar on the big screen when it first released, I was thrilled to find out it was being re-released in theatres across the world in 2024. Only to find out that, no, not in India (thank you Pushpa 2).
Mercifully, both February 2025 and I saw Interstellar. Note for Chris Nolan: yes, in IMAX. No, I did not leave my daughter behind at home (relaying the story via Morse code is just too much work.)
Today’s quiz focuses on some interesting ‘nominal’ connections involving the film. This should be accessible even if you aren’t into the film. Go forth and explore.
“If a part can be installed in more than one position, it will be incorrectly installed in the field”. Edward _____, an R&D Officer, gave this maxim to his engineers to encourage them to design components more carefully. What was his last name, which is also that of a major character in Interstellar?
Some commentators point out that at least two characters, Amelia and Miller, share their names with famed real-life Americans who share what fate in common?
The missing word in the title of a 16th century French novel ‘_____ and Pantagruel’ is the origin of an adjective in English as a synonym for ‘enormous’. What is this word, or the name (of the character seen below)?
There’s a persistent factoid about the first name of the character of Dr. Mann. This comes because of how several critics have interpreted the dark grey shades of the character, as symbolised by his name. What is this supposed first name?
Who is being ‘raised’ here by Jesus?
A painting by Duccio
“Endurance” is a NASA spacecraft in the film with an unenviably challenging mission. The name seems like a nod to the legendary British ship led by Ernest Shackleton who attempted to cross which region?
The poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” is quoted multiple times in the film. It’s written by Welsh poet ____ Thomas. Which 2016 Nobel Laureate in Literature adopted this missing first name in his own stage name, because he was a fan of Thomas?
#interludez
Answers
“If a part can be installed in more than one position, it will be incorrectly installed in the field”. Edward _____, an R&D Officer, gave this maxim to his engineers to encourage them to design components more carefully. What was his last name, which is also that of a major character in Interstellar?
ANS: Murphy. This original version of ‘Murphy’s Law’ became simplified into the present-day version. ‘Murphy Cooper’ is the daughter of Cooper the astronaut who feels abandoned by her father in the film, and complains about why she was named after the Law.
Some commentators point out that at least two characters, Amelia and Miller, share their names with famed real-life Americans who share what fate in common?
ANS: Lost, presumed dead, after a flight. Amelia Earhart and Glenn Miller were both last seen on a plane. There is apparently a DB Cooper as well.
The missing word in the title of a 16th century French novel ‘_____ and Pantagruel’ is the origin of an adjective in English as a synonym for ‘enormous’. What is this word, or the name (of the character seen below)?
ANS: The character’s name is Gargantua, also the name of the black hole in the film. The adjective is ‘gargantuan’.
There’s a persistent factoid about the first name of the character of Dr. Mann. This comes because of how several critics have interpreted the dark grey shades of the character, as symbolised by his name. What is this supposed first name?
ANS: “Hugh” to make “Hugh Mann” (human). The idea is that Dr. Hugh Mann represents the dark side of humanity. However, there is no mention of the first name anywhere in the film or in the script.
Who is being ‘raised’ here by Jesus?
ANS: Lazarus, raised from the dead. The Lazarus Mission in the movie seeks to rescue humanity from its perilous existence.
“Endurance” is a NASA spacecraft in the film with an unenviably challenging mission. The name seems like a nod to the legendary British ship led by Ernest Shackleton who attempted to cross which region?
ANS: The Antarctic
The poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” is quoted multiple times in the film. It’s written by Welsh poet ____ Thomas. Which 2016 Nobel Laureate in Literature adopted this missing first name in his own stage name, because he was a fan of Thomas?
