When We Cease to Understand the World
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut, published by New York Review of Books on September 28, 2021, is a fictional examination of the lives of real-life scientists and thinkers whose discoveries led to unforeseen moral consequences. This 192-page book delves into the complex relationships between scientific and mathematical breakthroughs, madness, and destruction, presenting a narrative that intertwines the lives of notable figures such as Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger.
Readers will find a rich exploration of how these luminaries grappled with profound existential questions, showcasing their strokes of genius alongside the personal turmoil they faced. The book highlights the dual nature of their discoveries, some of which improved human life while others contributed to chaos and suffering. With a fast-paced narrative and a wealth of disturbing detail, Labatut employs the imaginative resources of fiction to illuminate the intricate connections between innovation and its moral implications.
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One of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2021
Shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize and the 2021 National Book Award for Translated Literature
A fictional examination of the lives of real-life scientists and thinkers whose discoveries resulted in moral consequences beyond their imagining.
When We Cease to Understand the World is a book about the complicated links between scientific and mathematical discovery, madness, and destruction.
Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger—these are some of luminaries into whose troubled lives Benjamín Labatut thrusts the reader, showing us how they grappled with the most profound questions of existence. They have strokes of unparalleled genius, alienate friends and lovers, descend into isolation and insanity. Some of their discoveries reshape human life for the better; others pave the way to chaos and unimaginable suffering. The lines are never clear.
At a breakneck pace and with a wealth of disturbing detail, Labatut uses the imaginative resources of fiction to tell the stories of the scientists and mathematicians who expanded our notions of the possible.
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