“The odyssey of cosmic discovery had begun—and it has continued on ever since. Slowly but surely, a new universe emerged—one roiling with molecules, lurking with monstrous black holes, snaking with voids and galaxies of every size and shape, and hinting at untold mysteries yet to explore.”

The authors acknowledge from the very beginning that the process of science is slow and takes a long view of history, not to mention a broad view of phenomena. Later, they also note that science necessarily contains a lot of errors and revisions, as new evidence reveals past assumptions to be incorrect. It is telling that the authors speak of “untold mysteries” here, emphasizing that scientific mysteries are not that different from mythological stories.

“Cave paintings and rock carvings that date back 40,000 years or more capture not only animals and hunters but also comets, meteors, and constellations in enough detail to track Earth’s slow wobble on its axis.”

The authors emphasize throughout the book that the desire to explore space is an innate characteristic in humans—thus, the cosmic journey is something of a birthright. Humanity has looked to the heavens for thousands of years for answers to scientific, philosophical, and psychological questions. The questions of where humanity comes from and where is it going are inextricable from the odyssey.

“Emboldened with the discovery that air has a measurable weight and that the weight lessens with altitude, Earthlings soon contrived new ways to buoy our way through the skies above, and soar like Icarus before his final moments.”

Mythology inspires science: The notion of flight, technologically impossible for the ancients, still yet sparked their imagination. With the advent of modern science and a greater understanding of how the atmosphere works, those stories transform into reality—though not necessarily as the original tales would have it. Here, the authors use an