Igor Novikov almost (but not quite) made the second most important cosmological discovery of the 20th century when he and a colleague missed the “afterglow” of the big bang. His name is common currency to astronomers. But he deserves a wider audience and his Black Holes and the Universe (Canto, £5.95 pbk, ISBN 0 521 55870 0) – a delightful popular book – should see to that.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
Possible signs of ancient life on Mars are rich in complex carbon
3
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
4
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
5
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
6
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
7
All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female
8
SpaceX's secretive plans to deliver cargo to Earth from space
9
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
10
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
