Author:
Ersilia Vaudo
Publishing house:
Einaudi Stile Libero
Date of publication:
06-11-2026
Light is one of the great questions that has brought poetry, philosophy, art and science together. From Homer to Goethe, from Newton to Einstein, investigating light has meant exploring the very nature of the world around us. But before it ever reaches our eyes, light already has a history. Its story begins with the Big Bang, when the universe starts to expand and cool. From the apparent darkness of the primordial plasma, the first photons emerge; light separates from matter, the first stars ignite, and billions of galaxies take shape. And in one of those galaxies, on one particular planet – Earth – extraordinary circumstances come together: the transparency of water and air, the evolution of our sensory systems, and our ability to see that light. Through paradoxes and unexpected discoveries, Ersilia Vaudo traces the fascinating story of light: how it came into being and how we have learned to understand it. At the same time, she invites us to look beyond the limits imposed by our senses and turn our gaze towards the cosmic darkness and its many forms, where everything we have yet to discover may be hiding.