Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle's frontispiece to his 17th century book "Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds" (Entretiens sur la pluralit矇 des mondes) was one of the first books to attempt an explanation of scientific theories in popular language. The book itself is presented as a series of conversations between a gallant philosopher and a marquise, who walk in the latter's garden at night and gaze at stars. The philosopher explains the heliocentric model and also muses on the possibility of extraterrestrial life.