Eclipse and Revelation: Total Solar Eclipses in Science, History, Literature, and the Arts

by Tom McLeish (editor), Henrike Lange (Editor)

Two questions guide this seven-year First, how can we approach the phenomenon, representation, and interpretation of total solar eclipses? Second, how can we heal the historical divide separating the natural sciences from the humanities, arts, history, and theology?

The result of this interdisciplinary investigation into eclipses is an exciting look behind the scenes - into labs, archives, and museums, as well as around fieldwork in astronomy, meteorology, animal behaviour, and ecophysiology.

Carefully prepared for readers from all backgrounds, these voices invite us to imagine a liberated mode of discovery, perception, creativity, and knowledge-production across the traditional academic divisions. A uniquely prismatic representation of total solar eclipses emerges, itself rising to a model of communal thinking, together, across disciplinary borders.

This book is Tom McLeish's final project and scholarly testament. Dedicated to him and to astrophysicist Jay M. Pasachoff (contributing author of a chapter about the solar corona, also Pasachoff's final piece of writing), the volume is a friendly companion to the chase of knowledge, encouraging its readers to embark upon their own interdisciplinary journey of discovery.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Tom McLeish is Professor of Physics and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Durham University, following former academic positions at Cambridge, Sheffield and Leeds. He has won awards for his research on the molecular theory of complex fluid flow, and currently works on applications of physics to biology, and topics in science policy and history. He is also involved in science-communication via radio, TV and schools lectures. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Physical Society and the Royal Society.

Reviews

[Emily Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of 'in this essay i will...' at the start but once it gets going it gets interesting. the sections on science, history, religion, and art were particularly captivating and seamlessly integrated. within them are explored various paradoxes: that eclipses illuminate, rather than obscure; that mystery is needed to sustain our intellect, lest we find ourselves alone in a mechanical, lifeless universe—regressing, as we are now; that 'not seeing' is just as essential for inquiry and revelation as 'seeing;' and that science needs religion and art, religion art and science, and art science and religion.