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Explore the fascinating concept of 'odds and evens' in this third lecture from Professor Eric Laithwaite's 1974 Christmas Lecture series "The Engineer Through the Looking Glass." Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures and the strategic game of chess, delve into fundamental questions about the nature of our Universe through the lens of engineering and physics. Experience innovative experiments with sound and speech created in collaboration with the Radiophonic Workshop, then journey with Alice to the "wood of thought" to investigate whether the Universe itself has a preferred direction. Examine compelling questions about cosmic handedness - whether the Universe is fundamentally left or right-handed - and discover what the phenomenon of electromagnetism reveals about these deep mysteries. Learn how engineers approach seemingly impossible challenges while exploring the intersection of gravitation, inertia, and electromagnetic forces. This 58-minute lecture, filmed at the Royal Institution in December 1974, represents part of Laithwaite's groundbreaking second televised Christmas Lecture series, making him the first presenter to deliver two series on national television. Understand how scientific curiosity drives engineering innovation as you follow Alice's metaphorical journey through the looking glass into a world where conventional assumptions about physics and the natural world are challenged and examined.
