3. Maxwell and a Chinese Dinner

Available for over a year

Will Self continues his road trip from Edinburgh to Cambridge on the trail of a Scottish physicist. In 1865 James Clerk Maxwell pioneered the theory of electromagnetic waves which made mobile phones, radio, radar and GPS all possible. In a bid to understand Maxwell and his achievements, Will is driving 600 miles in an electric car. He's accompanied by Akram Khan, Professor of Particle Physics at Brunel University. Over a Chinese meal in Manchester, Will expresses fundamental concerns about the nature and value of scientific progress. Akram is troubled by Will's misgivings. Producer: Laurence Grissell First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2015.