Numerical Simulation, An Art of Prediction 1

1The World in Equations

Written in the second half of the 19th Century, the novels by French writer Jules Verne (1828–1905) recall the scientific and technological progress of his century. Verne shared the positive conception of technological progress, theorized by the French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857) among others. Confident in human inventiveness, he expressed it in these terms to the French explorer Charles Lemire (1839–1912), his first biographer: “Everything I imagine will always remain below the truth, because there will come a time when the creations of science will exceed those of imagination.”

Published in 1870, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of his most translated works [VER 92]. Nowadays, it is also one of the top 20 best-selling books in the world, and has given rise to numerous adaptations for cinema, television and comic strips. Professor Aronnax, a leading expert at the Paris Museum of Natural History, Conseil, his servant, and Ned Land, an experienced sailor and harpooner, board the Abraham Lincoln, in search of a sea monster. The extraordinary beast is actually a machine of steel and electricity: the Nautilus, a formidable machine designed, built and commanded by Captain Nemo in order to rule the underwater world like a master. During their long stay aboard the submersible, the three heroes of the novel will discover magnificent landscapes and experience incredible adventures. They will measure the vastness of the ocean, its resources ...