Commentary/review

The book is a little dated (2016), so some of the “upcoming big events” in astrophysics are already a thing of the past. It is still very much worth anyone’s time. The main topic appears to be the phenomenon of almost unthinkable predictions becoming actual discoveries, then turning into common knowledge. It helped me understand why Albert Einstein and Copernicus are so greatly cherished. The progress of knowledge requires bold, imaginative exploration of the unknown before the dots can be connected. It is often an almost unexplainable feat of intuition. That progress is, unfortunately, often jeopardised by self-serving individuals who are not capable of thinking beyond their selfish interests. It is almost a miracle that the human kind is even capable of doing science, given how flawed we all are. This anthropological view of the scientific community helps to understand the power of Reason and how it unfolds among humans over the centuries.

I appreciate that this passionate work was written by a woman and was also read by a woman. It gives it a very special kind of ambience that is difficult to describe. Perhaps it is the voice of the future. The book is still rather difficult to follow and understand though perhaps it could not be helped.

Cover photo by Taton Moïse on Unsplash