Astrophysicist Jean-Pierre Luminet's latest novel, L'Oeil de Galilée* ["Galileo's Eye"], whose cast of characters includes Kepler, Tycho Brahé, and Galileo, shows that science does not evolve separately from a social and historical context. In science, knowledge and emotion are hand in glove, and intelligence cannot be isolated from creative imagination.
Does it make sense to talk of "libido sciendi"? To be sure, research is closely related to pleasure and boldness of spirit, both of which have undeniable relevance in post-modernity and its defining aspect, interaction. To discuss these questions, Michel Maffesoli has invited Jean-Pierre Luminet, Professor Fabian Sanabria (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá ), and researcher Aurélien Fouillet (CEAQ - Centre d'études de l'actuel et du quotidien, Université La Sorbonne - Paris V).

* Editions JC Lattès, 2009