Today has been a very frustrating day from the point of view of travel – apparently it’s too hot for trains to function – but at least that gave me time to read the book Invisible Rainbows by Dr Alfredo Carpineti (left). This is an engaging and nicely written tour of what we know (and don’t know) about the Universe organized by wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, from radio through microwaves and infrared, to ultraviolet and X-rays to gamma rays. All the wavebands outside the range of human perception, in fact.
What makes this book different from others that have taken the same general approach is that he builds that fairly conventional narrative around conversations with LGBTQIA+ scientists to demonstrate how diverse perspectives have contributed to the advancement of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology.
There are even a couple of quotes from yours truly, but it’s not just for vanity’s sake that I’m very happy to see this book published. It’s very nicely written and offers a very new perspective on science as a human endeavour. This definitely the first astrophysics book I’ve seen with a dedication “For all the queer kids reaching for the stars”. I guess I was one of those once! The book is at times humorous, even cheeky, but always driven by a passion for astrophysics and the celebration of human diversity. I wish I had I time to read it before Pride Month, but I’m nevertheless very proud to have featured even in a tiny way in such a delightful book.
In the Dark 