The truth is, the time has come. Although scientific publishing has a loyal audience, it is mostly adults. And it is whiteness that wags its tail: no books (or at least not many) are produced for a young audience, scientific curiosity is not stimulated, and they are not looking for books on the subject. And start again. That's why it is Interesting arrival The most amazing story in the worldthe latest book by Odile Rodríguez de la Fuente. Postgraduate Studies in Biology and Film Production (Hons Honours (incl.), he worked at National Geographic headquarters and this is his third book, although it is certainly one of the most challenging.

“The most difficult part of the book was what to write and what to leave behind on the path of more than 4 billion years of evolution – Odell explains to us in a phone conversation -. The electoral process was full of astonishment: facts like that we are stardust. Then another part related to With the thread of the story, to show that everything is connected. In science, we used to have a very cold story, but science has become increasingly integrative, where many things, such as animals and non-animals, cannot be separated. For young children to understand that life must be understood as a whole…

Odell's love of science and nature comes from genetics, but also curiosity. Even out of necessity. Ha They explored the planet with the same enthusiasm as books and with the same need to understandHe also interviewed important figures in science. But, without a doubt, his great “love” is the environment.

“Our essence is incredible, We are the product of 4,000 million years of evolution on EarthAll the potentials that we were born with are enormous and we do not know them – the author adds. One of the key messages is that the more we normalize ourselves, the better off we will be and nature will be better off, but it depends on how we communicate. Many of the deficits and disorders we now see in children and adolescents have been shown to be natural deficits. It is associated with TDH, allergies, bronchial hyperactivity, food intolerances… all of this is closely related to infertility. And many emotional and psychological disorders in children and adolescents. It makes perfect sense that we are a product of our relationship with nature. “We need it from a comprehensive point of view.”

The most amazing story in the world spans more than 4 billion years on this planet… Just do it within 24 hours. There's the birth of the moon, in 15 minutes, the first bacteria and photosynthesis (just after 6 a.m.), the arrival of the dinosaurs (after 10:30 p.m.) and the appearance of the first human beings, just a minute before. midnight. Odell's book makes clear that our history as modern humans amounts to barely four seconds in this 24-hour scenario. This tells us a lot.

On the one hand, it puts us in a position of enormous humility on a planet we share with a species that has an evolutionary advantage over us spanning millions of years. On the other hand, it presents to us the wonder and curiosity of science, which… It has allowed us to go back in time and learn and explain what happened from the beginning of the first terrestrial seconds. In this balance between humility and pride, balance is provided by emotion.

Odell says: “There is a very important part, which is our understanding of everything that surrounds us, and it is not only intellectual, but it is experience, which is the most important.” The most important parts of our lives are about the senses, and about creativity, which is not just a cold intellectual process. Science often seems like a cold process, however Humans are made of stories. We sat in front of the fire to tell each other stories. Therefore, for science to reach children and adults, it must be told as a story. The truth is that the most wonderful stories captivate hearts for this reason, and this is the title of the book: The most amazing story in the world. We are hungry for stories that reach us, that touch us, To fully understand nature you have to experience it. “The only way is to go to nature.”

Among the book's 72 pages, beautifully drawn by Reyna Ortega, is Lucca, the last common ancestor of all living things, and there are also the rise of giant insects, the arrival of mammals, and of course the largest known organism: Gaia. , the earth.

“With my book, I would like to interview Gaia – admits Odell – with a living planetary system that we are beginning to understand, but which behaves very similarly to a living organism. I would like to know how this works. But I also have another goal: for the book to generate amazement, that Readers wonder if what is said is true, it would be a great achievement. Wonder breeds curiosity and empathy. We are talking about something that all humans have in common. It's all part of us. If the reader is amazed by something they are a part of, that would be great.

It is inevitable, if we talk about Odile, that we remember her father, Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, who is without a doubt the most important advocate and defender of nature in Spain. But the baton of knowledge is constantly moving and Odell's children can continue this legacy.

“My children have greatly influenced this book. Not so much as a writer, but as a person,” Odell agrees. I have learned more from my children than from myself. It is a unique opportunity to rediscover yourself. It is through our children that we see our greatest flaws and our greatest opportunities. They, and nature, are our best mirror. Your questions and answers teach me a lot. They have the ability to draw out the essence that sometimes transcends us.

Then comes one of the most common doubts, related to publication, the inherent scientific rigor, the need of boys and girls to understand, and an aspect we rarely associate with science: imagination.

“he The place of imagination in science, I believe, is the driving force Odell concludes. You can't do science without imagination. We must first observe, then hypothesize, and this suggestion must start from the imagination because it is about seeing relationships where no one has seen them. When I talk about human history, about its different stages Homo sapiensToday, anthropologists increasingly tell us that hunter-gatherers had their vision, their senses, their ability to be strong, and their ability to resist. They were much older than us.. This seems strange to us, but it also makes us poorer and less imaginative. “We need to get out into nature more to understand the world around us and obtain greater wealth.”

And The most amazing story in the worldwithout a doubt, is a very good travel memoir in which you can start exploring.