Culture | Sleeping giants

The intellectual flare of the so-called dark ages

In “The Light Ages”, Seb Falk lays out the wonders of medieval science

The astrolabe: instrument of light

The Light Ages. By Seb Falk. W.W. Norton; 320 pages; $30. Allen Lane; £20.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Sleeping giants”

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