Symmetry on BBC Radio4

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BBC Radio4 "In Our Time"

I heard it this morning driving up the motorway. A subject close to many an aspie's heart Well, it is mine anyway... Here's the description of the programme... It's worth a listen every week. There's an archive of the previous programmes i think.

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Today we will be discussing symmetry, from the most perfect forms in nature, like the snowflake and the butterfly, to our perceptions of beauty in the human face. There's symmetry too in most of the laws that govern our physical world.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle described symmetry as one of the greatest forms of beauty to be found in the mathematical sciences, while the French poet Paul Valery went further, declaring; “The universe is built on a plan, the profound symmetry of which is somehow present in the inner structure of our intellect”.

The story of symmetry tracks an extraordinary shift from its role as an aesthetic model - found in the tiles in the Alhambra and Bach's compositions - to becoming a key tool to understanding how the physical world works. It provides a major breakthrough in mathematics with the development of group theory in the 19th century. And it is the unexpected breakdown of symmetry at sub-atomic level that is so tantalising for contemporary quantum physicists.

So why is symmetry so prevalent and appealing in both art and nature? How does symmetry enable us to grapple with monstrous numbers? And how might symmetry contribute to the elusive Theory of Everything?

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Listen to it here...

In Our Time,Symmetry

Les

I love symmetry and only make things that are symmetrical. When I design buildings they always have to be symmetrical and when i see things that are symmetrical but something is out of place I get annoyed because its ruined. I see symmerty as being perfect.

It's a pleasure for me too... and sometimes hassle.

I feel a mild discomfort if the car radio volume is on an odd number (18 good, 17 bad...) , or the fan setting too ( 2 not 3...) . If i am placing plant pots (i work in a nursery) I like to make symmetrical patterns with them. An odd number is fine if I can still make it symmetrical, but if it's a pattern you can't reflect or rotate symmetrically i get that same discomfort.

When patterns work out cleanly in many things it just feel "right"... symmetry is a pleasure.

Do you have any of your building designs online Tensho? I'd love to see some...

Les

I liked this program. I subscribe to the series by podcast. I especially like it when they do maths and science topics. I never knew there was so much to do with symmetry before listening to this. I also like it when I see symmetric things or things with patterns but some things that don't have nice patterns are also ok, for example prime numbers have no exact pattern.