Google's latest doodle celebrates Stanislaw Lem

Should you choose to view Wednesday’s entire Google doodle from beginning to end, be prepared to do some thinking. Google’s latest innovative animation - their most groundbreaking yet - celebrates the work of Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem, born 1921.

Lem, whose most famous work ‘Solaris’ was published 60 years ago today, explored philosophical themes in his writing, speculating on questions of technology, the nature of intelligence and understanding humankind’s limitations in the universe.

Wednesday’s doodle is of an illustrated character - inspired by Lem - wandering (through the universe?) to be faced with increasingly complicated conundrums, which we are expected to help him solve. Starting with a simple 2+2 sum, one is finally faced with some tricky questions of logic.

By clicking on the question mark in the top right-hand corner, the animation tells you that the art work in the doodle was inspired by Daniel Mroz’s illustrations for Lem’s ‘The Cyberiad’, a series of satirical short works in the science fiction genre.