The man in this semi-fictional vignette was Lev Sergeyevich Termen, better known in the western world as Léon Theremin. You know Theremin for the musical instrument which bears his name.

There’s no instrument spookier than a Theremin, which also happens to be one of the world’s first electronic instruments. Leon Theremin plays his namesake instrument. Image via Linda Hall ...

The theremin is an unusual instrument. You can play it without touching it. Two antennae generate an electromagnetic field and sense the position of the player's hands. One antenna is vertical and ...