recently, Miguel A. Delgado I track and devour everything published about Spain’s scientific footprint in the late 18th and early 19th centuries before the Napoleonic invasions. « It fascinates me. there was a big bet … “The science and technology and what’s been done in our country is really impressive, but it’s not very well known,” he explained to the ABC. His favorite stories relate to and revolve around the Royal Observatory of Retiro and astronomer William Herschel (1762-1764). “Night Note” (Suma de Letras), his first foray into crime fiction.
The scientist and his sister Carolina, the discoverer of Uranus, are united by the Madrid institution and “.best telescope In Herschel’s own words, it’s unlike anything ever built before. Its construction was commissioned by Charles IV and carried out in England between 1796 and 1802 using revolutionary technology. deep exploration of the universe At a time when the concept of galaxies was not yet known. However, “in its short period of operation it was never used for the purpose for which it was designed. used for observing the moon. “It’s like buying a supercomputer and using it to play Pac-Man,” the author points out.
The telescope was destroyed by French troops in search of firewood in 1808 during the Revolutionary War, but miraculously it was restored. they kept mirrors and plans The original made it possible to create a replica and is now on display at the Royal Observatory. This is one of the. hidden gem Spanish scientific heritage. “If it were any other place, London, Paris, Berlin, it would be an object that everyone would know and everyone would go see, but here it is almost unknown,” says the ABC collaborator.
For Delgado, this story is another demonstration of how little our country has changed, and is often paralleled by the stories of Spanish scientists. more recognized externally than internally of our borders. “That also happens with José de Mendoza y Rios,” he emphasizes. The Spanish sailor oversaw the construction of the telescope in England and its subsequent transfer to Madrid, which included an ambitious logistics operation. “In his case, something a little similar happens with Buñuel, whom the French consider their own. In fact, in his entry in the Biographical Dictionary of the Academy of History, they call him Joseph,” says Delgado.
The artist overlays the following pictures on this background. thriller Estrella Noval, who currently stars in the film, is shaken from her boring life at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London when she learns that a young scientist with whom she was romantically involved has been found dead at the foot of the remains of another Herschel telescope. “Almost automatically, the person who has to solve this mystery is astrophysics. Through my role as a science communicator, I have met many scientists who are doing amazing research. And in the field of astrophysics, I have met many women who think like this: have a reputation and an impressive resumeBut they often have to contend with the uncertainty of what it means to devote themselves to science in this country,” the authors say.
Bureaucracy and lack of investment
Just a few days ago, in the presentation of his latest book, Joe Nesbo pointed out that crime novels allow us to observe the social psychology of a particular situation, and “The Notebook of the Night” is a clear example of this. Through that page, lack of investment The hypocrisy of Spanish science, political life, and the difficulty of women standing out. “That’s not something I have first-hand knowledge of. I don’t forget that this kind of novel has to function as an entertainment device, but it seems important to me. “I think it’s necessary,” he declares.
One of Delgado’s most developed chapters is that of bureaucracy. “People who devote themselves to science at prestigious institutions abroad often find themselves trapped in that world when they return to Spain.” A very Kafkaesque situation. They often spend more time filling out funding allocations, scholarships, and project requests than researching what they actually need to do.
Paying homage to a past when the boundaries between science and art were not as strict as they are today, Delgado Blends astronomy and music. To solve the mystery, Estrella is forced to decipher Hershel’s score in a race against time. Because powerful competitors will stop at nothing to prevent her from finding answers.
That same past, which writers help claim in the present, is connected to our traditions and memories. The Retiro Royal Observatory and Herschel Telescope are located in the center of Madrid. A legacy worth returning to Look with amazement and it must be saved testimony of knowledge That’s now possible. “Nocturnal Notes is not meant to be a manifesto, but rather a reminder that science in this country still needs to listen,” he says.
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