The Left Hand of the Electron

The Left Hand of the Electron

First edition
Author	Isaac Asimov
Language	English
Series	Fantasy & Science Fiction essays
Subject	Science
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	1972
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback and Paperback)
Pages	225
ISBN	0-385-04345-7
Preceded by	The Stars in their Courses
Followed by	The Tragedy of the Moon

The Left Hand of the Electron is a collection of seventeen nonfiction science essays by American writer and scientist Isaac Asimov, first published by Doubleday & Company in 1972. ^[1] It was the ninth of a series of books collecting essays from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction . The title comes from the topic of the first section which deals with chirality of electroweak interactions and chirality of organic compounds and the possible connection between the two. Other essays in this book concern the effect of electron-spin direction on molecular structure e.g. the "Inverse Sugar" (similar to Inverted sugar syrup) in honey with philosophical reflections on the minority of left handedness in general.

Chapters

• A — The Problem of Left and Right
  • 1 — Odds and Evens
  • 2 — The Left Hand of the Electron
  • 3 — Seeing Double
  • 4 — The 3-D Molecule
  • 5 — The Asymmetry of Life
• B — The Problem of Oceans
  • 6 — The Thalassogens
  • 7 — Hot Water
  • 8 — Cold Water
• C — The Problem of Numbers and Lines
  • 9 — Prime Quality
  • 10 — Euclid's Fifth
  • 11 — The Plane Truth
• D — The Problem of the Platypus
  • 12 — Holes in the Head
• E — The Problem of History
  • 13 — The Eureka Phenomenon
  • 14 — Pompey and Circumstance
  • 15 — Bill and I
• F — The Problem of Population
  • 16 — Stop!
  • 17 — ...But How?

References

1. "Bill Nye told us which Isaac Asimov book inspired him as a child". Business Insider. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2025.

External links

• Asimovonline.com
• Asimov, Isaac (1972). The Left Hand of the Electron (PDF). New York: Doubleday. ISBN   0-440-94717-0 . Retrieved 2013-09-24.