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Explore the electromagnetic spectrum beyond visible light in this 58-minute Christmas Lecture from The Royal Institution's 1993 series. Journey through the complete range of electromagnetic radiation, from infrared to ultraviolet, from radio waves to gamma rays, discovering how our limited human senses reveal only a tiny fraction of the universe's electromagnetic diversity. Learn how different wavelengths unlock different scales of reality - from infrared cameras detecting heat signatures to X-rays revealing molecular structures like DNA, and electron microscopes providing images of individual atoms and molecules. Understand how scientific instruments serve as our "sixth sense," extending our perception far beyond natural human capabilities to explore both the microscopic world of subatomic particles and the vast cosmos of distant galaxies. Discover why our ancestors' eyes evolved to detect only visible light for survival purposes, and how modern technology allows us to see ultraviolet radiation like bees, detect radio signals, and peer deep into atomic nuclei using particle accelerators. This lecture sets the foundation for understanding how each breakthrough in electromagnetic detection not only answers existing questions but opens entirely new realms of scientific inquiry, tracing humanity's journey from the limited knowledge of 1893 to the quest for a "Theory of Everything" by 1993.
