The unknown is nearer than we think: while we are already well informed about the surface of Mars, more than 80% of the ocean remains a mystery. “if something eternal exists” - says Patrik Svensson, author of “The Book of Eels” and “The Blue Marble” - “it is evident that it must be sought in the sea”. The ocean is where time seems to stop: there are no seasons nor changes of temperature, everything stays still. Mankind has always had a particular bond with the sea, making it central in literature of all time: Svensson considers Homer, Melville and Hemingway’s works his roots and sources of inspiration.

Both Ulysses and Moby Dick are led by a Faustian tension, which is their bond with the sea and the key to their symbolism. The ocean constantly reminds us of how much we are unaware and how endless the search for knowledge is. “No matter how many answers the sea gives us” - says Svensson - “the questions will always be more.”

The author criticises the concept of science as a set of truths, whereas it is in fact a set of questions. It is thus incorrect to say one “believes” or not in science, as it is not a religion.

The human quest for truth, though, is invariably followed by the destruction of what we seek. The author tells the story of Victor Vescovo, a man who dived to the deepest part of the sea and, once there found a plastic bag. Destruction, says Svensson, has now overcome our search and reaches our targets before us.