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Explore the profound asymmetry of human beings and the natural world in this hour-long Christmas Lecture from The Royal Institution's 1992 series. Discover how humans, despite appearing superficially symmetrical, are fundamentally asymmetric, particularly regarding handedness, and examine how this asymmetry manifests throughout nature - from the spiral growth patterns of plants to the directional shells of mollusks and the asymmetric features of animal horns, beaks, and claws. Investigate the influence of human asymmetry on the artifacts we create and the conventions we follow, from the clockwise movement of timepieces to the directional conventions of writing systems across different cultures. Learn about the selectivity advantages of asymmetry through examples like motor axles and gas fittings, while considering how handedness connects to broader questions about brain lateralization and language control. Delve into the speculation that human right-handedness and left-brain language dominance may be genetically interconnected, potentially offering insights into the neurobiology of language and its molecular biological foundations. Examine the relationship between human asymmetry and the chiral molecules that form the basis of all life, setting the stage for understanding how molecular handedness affects everything from sensory perception to genetic inheritance.
