“The Ten Thousand and One Nights in the Universe”

Nearly 10,000 nights (and days) passed between the Hubble Space Telescope’s most stunning Christmas image of the universe in 1995 and the first image from the James Webb Telescope, in mid-July. Astrophysicist David Elbaz chose to chronicle this period rich in astrophysical discoveries, gradually clarifying mysteries and those still to be understood.

The incomparable publishing talent of the author makes all the richness of the book, interspersed with numerous references to ancient and oriental myths. In a poetic tone, we encounter on the pages great scientific figures, such as the American Vera Rubin, but also literary figures, such as Edgar Allan Poe, who wonder about the existence of the dark night.

Hungarian cyclones and chance

With honor, David Elbaz takes us to the heart of galactic vortices and then to a small church in Barcelona, ​​where the MareNostrum supercomputer is located. The machine was used to simulate the “gas stations” of the universe, “ extended rivers” Which supplies matter to galaxies, thanks to which the latter continue to produce stars. Without them, the last star should have been shining 10 billion years ago!

To better understand how scientists address oriented and existential questions, an astrophysicist describes science in the making. Whether it is the corridors of the American Institute for Space Telescopes or eating rum papas, we discover at the end of the pages the decisions and happy coincidences that drive humanity, always a little further in knowledge.