K. C. Cole

An adventure into the heart of Nothing by bestselling author K. C. Cole. Once again, acclaimed science writer K. C. Cole brings the arcane and acad- emic down to the level of armchair scientists in The Hole in the Universe, an entertaining and edifying search for nothing at all. Open the newspaper on any given day and you will read of a newly discovered planet, star, and so on. Yet scientists and mathematicians have spent generations searching the far reaches of the universe for that one elusive state-nothingness. Although this may sound like a simple task, every time the absolute void appears within reach, something new is discovered in its place: a black hole, an undulating string, an additional dimension of space or time-even another universe. A fascinating and literary tour de force, The Hole in the Universe is a virtual romp into the unknown that you never knew wasn't there.… (altro)

Before I read this book, I knew jack all about Frank Oppenheimer, and even less about his pride and joy, the Exploratorium. In fact, I was on my way to pick up a book about his more famous older brother Robert, but this book - with its subject matter and its quite stunning cover - stole my attention and got taken home with me instead.

This book was a joy to read. K.C. Cole, who had the privilege and pleasure of knowing Frank personally and working inside the Exploratorium for years, does a great job telling Frank's story and also illustrating all of the layers that made his science museum such a unique trend-setting institution, a place where everyone is welcome and there is no wrong way to interact with the exhibits. I already know I want to visit the Exploratorium someday during my lifetime.

And then there is Frank's life story - scientist turned social pariah turned farmer turned high school teacher turned museum director - a roller coaster ride with twists and turns, and all of them that would eventually inform Frank's role as running an unconventional museum. It also doesn't retract any of the man's flaws, especially his cheating, although I think Cole tended to deliver these less than charming aspects with a gentler hand that some biographers would have.

I appreciated that the scope stayed firmly on Frank but did not ignore the very important and tumultuous relationship he had with his brother Robert. Robert's story is told here too, but mostly on the periphery of Frank's, aside from the points where they intersect the most, such as their childhood and the anti-community security hearings. It is done in a respectful way, cognizant of the fact that curious readers have dozens of books they can read about Robert, but this is (as far as I know) the only one focused on Frank.

It's a little long in the tooth - I definitely felt like some of the ideas got overstated, especially about how the museum was run - but it's a well-written, thoughtful telling of the life of a man who fell to his lowest depths and ended up rising beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It's the story of an enduring love of curiosity and imagination, and the meeting of science and humanities, and it's the kind of stories we should still be telling.… (altro)