In the book, the golden compass is actually called ‘the alethiometer.’ As any student of Greek would expect, this instrument has to do with alethia— the truth. In the fourth chapter of the book, the Master of Jordan College tells Lyra, the protagonist of the story, that the alethiometer ‘tells you the truth. As for how to read it, you’ll have to learn by yourself.'”
— Sermon by Paul Lundberg, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Tuesday, December 4, 2007.
“Harvard’s motto is Veritas. Many of you have already found out, and others will find out in the course of their lives, that truth eludes us as soon as our concentration begins to flag, all the while leaving the illusion that we are continuing to pursue it. This is the source of much discord. Also, truth seldom is sweet; it is almost invariably bitter.”
— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, commencement address, Harvard University, June 8, 1978
Happy birthday.