Brian Clegg - Dark Matter & Dark Energy (Icon Books, 2019) ***

If there's anything enigmatic in moder physics, it's the nature of dark matter and dark energy, both the topic of this book by science writer Brian Clegg. 

The book ends with the following sentence: "It might seem that as this book draws to a close it has been a study of epic failure. We still don't know what dark matter is or even if it exists. We still don't know what dark energy is, and the cosmological constant is a factor of 10¹²⁰ away from prediction. We are, appropriately, still in the dark". After having explained all the current theories about dark matter and dark energy, we have to concede that there is a lot we do not know yet. And in a way that's a delight. With the speed of scientific development of the last century, we can only hope to get a better understanding about the great mysteries of our universe (and other universes?). 

An insightful, accessible and humble book.