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Shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize 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.

When We Cease to Understand the World is a thought-provoking and challenging book by Benjamin Labatut, a Chilean scientist and writer, first published in Spanish in 2021 and translated into English in 2022. The book explores the intersection of science, history, and philosophy, delving into the lives and works of real-life scientists and their discoveries that led to breakthroughs and paradigm shifts in our understanding of the world.

Labatut's narrative style is captivating and lyrical, weaving together scientific concepts with personal anecdotes and historical context. He introduces readers to figures such as Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Einstein, highlighting their contributions to quantum physics and their struggles with the implications of their findings. Through their stories, Labatut examines the nature of scientific inquiry, the limits of human understanding, and the existential questions that arise when we confront the vastness and complexity of the universe.

The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different aspect of our relationship with the world. The first part, "The Discovery of Ignorance," explores how scientific progress often begins with acknowledging what we don't know. Labatut recounts the story of Fritz Haber, a German chemist who developed a method for synthesizing ammonia, which revolutionized agriculture and saved millions from starvation. However, Haber's work also had unforeseen consequences, contributing to the development of chemical warfare during World War I. This section highlights the double-edged nature of scientific discovery and the ethical responsibilities that come with it.

The second part, "The Cosmic Abyss," delves into the mysteries of quantum physics and the challenges it poses to our conventional notions of reality. Labatut delves into the thought experiments and theories of Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and other prominent physicists, exploring concepts such as superposition, entanglement, and the observer effect. He examines the implications of these findings for our understanding of causality, free will, and the nature of consciousness.

The final part, "The End of Certainty," confronts the existential questions that emerge when we confront the vastness and complexity of the universe. Labatut draws on the work of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to explore the limits of language and the challenges of expressing the inexpressible. He argues that our attempts to understand the world through rational thought and language are ultimately limited, and that we must learn to embrace uncertainty and accept the inherent mystery of existence.