Q:

Book about intelligent alien energy mass

Looking for an old science fiction book about an energy mass which approaches the earth. The energy mass is intelligent and can't be destroyed by missiles. A number of scientists attempt to communicate with it before it moves on and end up dying because their brains don't have the capacity to handle the knowledge that is transmitted.
Any idea which book this is and by who?

A:

Could be The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle. It’s old (1957), it does concern an intelligent cloud approaching Earth, and two scientists do die attempting to communicate with it. 

