recently, Miguel A. Delgado It tracks and devours everything published about Spain’s scientific footprint in the last third of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, before the Napoleonic invasion. “It amazes me. There was a big bet on … “The science, technology and things that have been done in our country are really impressive, but they are very little known,” he explains to the ABC. His favorite story relates to and revolves around the Royal Retiro Observatory and the astronomer William Herschel (1762-1764). “Night Notebook” (Soma de Letras), his first foray into crime novels.
The scientist – the discoverer of Uranus with his sister Carolina – and the Madrid Foundation brings them together «Best telescope “The only one ever made,” in Herschel’s own words. Charles IV ordered its construction, which was carried out in England between 1796 and 1802 with a revolutionary technique, giving priority to Deep exploration of the universe When the concept of galaxies was not yet known. However, “in the short time it was in operation, it was never used for the purpose for which it was designed. Here It was used to observe the moon. The writer points out that it is like buying a super-fast computer and using it to play Pacman.
The telescope was destroyed in 1808 during the War of Independence by the French for firewood, but was miraculously restored. They kept their mirrors and their plans The original, allowing the construction of a replica, which is currently on display at the Royal Observatory. It is one of Hidden gems From the Spanish scientific heritage. “If it were anywhere else, in London or Paris or Berlin, it would be an object that everyone knew, and everyone would go to see, but here it is completely unknown,” says one ABC collaborator.
For Delgado, this story is further evidence of how little has changed in our country and parallels the story of Spanish scientists, often More famous abroad than at home From our borders. “This happens even with José de Mendoza y Ríos,” he asserts. The Spanish sailor supervised the construction of the telescope in England and then transported it to Madrid, which required an ambitious logistical operation. “It is the same with him as it is with Buñuel, whom the French consider to be their king. In fact, in his entry in the Biographical Dictionary of the Academy of History, they called him Joseph,” Delgado says.
Against this background, the writer A stir The current one stars Estrella Noval, whose boring routine is shaken up when she learns that a young scientist with whom she had a love affair has been found dead at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, at the foot of the remains of another Herschel telescope. “Almost automatically, I thought that the person who should solve this puzzle was A Astrophysics. In my role as a science communicator, I have met many scientists who are doing amazing work. And in the field of astrophysics, specifically, I met many women with Prestige and with amazing resumes“But they often have to struggle with the uncertainty of what it means to devote yourself to science in this country,” the author says.
Bureaucracy and lack of investment
Just the other day Jo Nesbo pointed out in a presentation of his latest book that crime fiction allows us to look at the social psychology of a specific context and The Night Notebook is a clear example of this. And through its pages Lack of investment In science in Spain, the hypocrisy of politicization and the difficulties faced by women. “It’s something I didn’t know firsthand. Although I do not forget that a novel of this kind should serve as an entertainment tool, it seems important to me. “I think this is necessary,” he asserts.
One of the chapters that Delgado expands on the most is the bureaucracy chapter. “People who devote themselves to science in prestigious institutions abroad, when they return to Spain, often find themselves trapped Completely Kafkaesque situations. They often spend more time filling out applications for funding allocations, scholarships, and projects, rather than actually doing research, which is what they should be doing.
In a nod to a past when the boundaries between science and art were not as rigid as they are today, Delgado mixes Astronomy and music. To solve the mystery, Estrella is forced to decipher Herschel’s score against time, as a powerful rival is willing to do anything to stop her from finding the answers.
This same past serves the writer in making a claim in the present, which has to do with our heritage and memory. In the heart of Madrid, the Royal Retiro Observatory and the Herschel Telescope are a reflection of A heritage worth returning to To look with amazement which must be preserved as it is Knowledge certificate This made it possible. “‘The Night Notebook’ does not seek to be a manifesto, but let us remember that science in this country still needs to be heard,” he says.
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