We have a problem. Look at most scientific papers.While the paper starts with a question and proposes an answer, it ends by recommending further work.Although it has increased our bounty of known knowns, it also identifies some new known unknowns, and gives us a sense of other unknown unknowns out there. As Karl Popper pointed out, knowledge is finite, ignorance infinite.

Does this matter? Le Fanu believes so. For him, the problem is that all these unknowns reduce the value of the knowns. For example, we know a huge amount about the human genome, but the pace of transferring this into useful 'things' is slow, because we are increasingly aware of how much we don't understand.Take the brain as another example.We can examine, dissect, scan, and record its electrical activity. But ask about consciousness, happiness, or our appreciation of love, and we have little genuine revelation.

Le Fanu does a great job of showing how our thirst for knowledge has led to remarkable discoveries, but concludes the most fundamental discovery of all is that we are extraordinarily mysterious beings in a vast and mysterious universe. Science has revealed mystery. I doubt anyone would agree with all his claims, but well worth a read.