Physics World Weekly Podcast
Episodes
Quantum sensors benefit from miniaturized ultrahigh vacuum
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The quantum-technology sector is burgeoning, but challenges remain when it comes to creating viable commercial products. While quantum sensors show g...
Proteins on manuscript reveal how Renaissance medicines were made
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gleb Zilberstein is my guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast. A physicist by training, Zilberstein applies the principles of prot...
Backing winners in deep tech: physicist and venture capitalist Alexandra Vidyuk
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The physicist and venture capitalist Alexandra Vidyuk is our guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast. She is the chief executive an...
Biomedical optics play crucial roles across medicine
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Brian Pogue, who is professor of biomedical engineering at Dartmouth College in the US. He...
How IOP Publishing cut its carbon footprint by 36% since 2020
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
My guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is Liz Martin, who is sustainability lead at IOP Publishing. We chat about how the schol...
From the classroom to the committee room: Dave Robertson MP on politics and physics
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with Dave Robertson, who was elected member of the UK parliament for Lichfie...
Droplet scientists push the boundary between living and non-living matter
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, we hear from a trio of scientists with a common interest in the physics of droplets. Specificall...
Ultrasound system solves the “unsticking problem” in biomedical research
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Surround sound for biological cells,” is how Luke Cox describes the ultrasound technology that Impulsonics has developed to solve the “unstick...
LHCb upgrade: CERN collaboration responds to UK funding cut
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Later this year, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its huge experiments will shutdown for the High Luminosity upgrade. When complete in 2030, ...
Quantum Systems Accelerator focuses on technologies for computing
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Developing practical technologies for quantum information systems requires the cooperation of academic researchers, national laboratories and industr...
Asteroid deflection: why we need to get it right the first time
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Science fiction became science fact in 2022 when NASA’s DART mission took the first steps towards creating a planetary defence system that could so...
Physics‑based simulations help diagnose and treat disease
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Amanda Randles, who is a computer scientist and biomedical engineer at Duke University in t...
AI-based tool improves the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatment
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Todd McNutt, who is a medical physicist at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Onco...
Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with the plasma physicist Debbie Callahan who is chief strategy officer at F...
Quantum metrology at NPL: we explore the challenges and opportunities
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with Tim Prior and John Devaney of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), w...
Quantum information theory sheds light on quantum gravity
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Alex May, whose research explores the intersection of quantum gravity and quantum informati...
Oscar-winning computer scientist on the physics of computer animation
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Pat Hanrahan, who studied nuclear engineering and biophysics before becoming a founding emp...
How to make 2D metals: Guangyu Zhang on his team’s award-winning research
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Guangyu Zhang. Along with his colleagues at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy...
Exploring this year’s best physics research in our Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2025
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a lively discussion about our Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2025, which include important rese...
Building a quantum future using topological phases of matter and error correction
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Tim Hsieh of Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. We explore some of tod...
Quantum gravity: we explore spin foams and other potential solutions to this enduring challenge
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bianca Dittrich of the Perimeter Institute is our podcast guest
Talking physics with an alien civilization: what could we learn?
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do Aliens Speak Physics? author Daniel Whiteson is our podcast guest
Better coffee, easier parking and more: the fascinating physics of daily life
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The author of Physics Around the Clock is our podcast guest
Designing better semiconductor chips: NP hard problems and forever chemicals
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We report from the Heidelberg Laureate Forum
Unlocking the potential of 2D materials: graphene and much more
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features Antonio Rossi at the Italian Institute of Technology
Quantum steampunk: we explore the art and science
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are a physicist and a sculptor
Quantum computing and AI join forces for particle physics
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We explore how new computing technologies could guide future LHC experiments
Astronauts could soon benefit from dissolvable eye insert
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A solution to microgravity-related vision problems is the topic of this week's podcast
From quantum curiosity to quantum computers: the 2025 Nobel Prize for Physics
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quantum physicist and entrepreneur Ilana Wisby on the legacy of this year’s laureates
The curious history of Nobel prizes: from lighthouses to gravitational waves
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we also make predictions for this year’s physics award
Imagining alien worlds: we explore the science and fiction of exoplanets
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Keith Cooper chats about his new book in this podcast
Peer review in the age of artificial intelligence
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global survey of reviewers reveals a growing polarization about the use of AI
Juno: the spacecraft that is revolutionizing our understanding of Jupiter
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PI Scott Bolton talks about the mission’s discoveries and endurance in this podcast
Artificial intelligence predicts future directions in quantum science
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast explains what happens when 66,000 research papers are used as training data
From a laser lab to the Economist: physicist Jason Palmer on his move to journalism
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast explores a career in science writing and broadcasting
Cosmic chemistry: Ewine van Dishoeck shares her zeal for astrochemistry
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is a Kavli Prize in Astrophysics laureate
Building a quantum powerhouse in the US Midwest
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are Preeti Chalsani and David Awschalom
Building a career from a passion for science communication
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is Kirsty McGhee of the quantum software company Qruise
Third age careers for physicists: writing and the arts beckon
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is Michael Albrow, scientist emeritus at Fermilab
From rabbits and foxes to the human gut microbiome, physics is helping us understand the natural world
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation about theoretical ecology with physicists Ada Altieri and Silvia De Monte
Oak Ridge’s Quantum Science Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to developing quantum materials and technologies
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features Oak Ridge's Travis Humble
Inside ATLAS: Sara Alderweireldt explains how the CERN experiment homes in on new physics
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast also looks at the high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider
Making science careers more accessible to people with disabilities
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features Francesca Doddato, co-author of “Towards a fully inclusive environment for disabled people in STEMM”
Reversible computing could help solve AI’s looming energy crisis
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Earley of Vaire Computing is our podcast guest
Helgoland: leading scientists reflect on 100 years of quantum physics and look to the future
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast comes from the birthplace of modern quantum mechanics
Exploring careers in healthcare for physicists and engineers
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet two early-career medical physicists in this podcast
Richard Bond and George Efstathiou: meet the astrophysicists who are shaping our understanding of the early universe
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are the 2025 Shaw Prize in Astronomy winners
Teaching quantum physics to everyone: pictures offer a new way of understanding
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about a new way of describing quantum mechanics
A Martian aurora, how the universe fades away, Heisenberg on holiday, physics of fake coins
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Physics World editors talk about what’s new in physics
Quantum computing for artists, musicians and game designers
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Wootton of Moth Quantum is our podcast guest
Molecular engineering and battery recycling: developing new technologies in quantum, medicine and energy
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are Nadya Mason and Jeffrey Spangenberger
Ferenc Krausz explains how ultrashort laser pulses could help detect disease
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nobel laureate also talks about science education for children displaced by war
Driving skills and innovation in the UK’s semiconductor industry
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features the director of Swansea’s Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials
Radiosurgery made easy: the role of the Gamma Knife in modern radiotherapy
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is sponsored by Elekta
Non-invasive pressure sensor could revolutionize how brain injuries are diagnosed
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Panicos Kyriacou of UK-based Crainio is our podcast guest
William Phillips: Nobel laureate talks about his passion for quantum physics
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laser-cooling expert looks to the future of quantum technologies
Microsoft’s Chetan Nayak on topological qubits, the physics of bigger splashes
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Manu jumping and Majorana zero modes feature in this podcast
Artur Ekert explains how Albert Einstein and John Bell inspired quantum cryptography
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is the theoretical crypto-physicist Artur Ekert
Ionizing radiation: its biological impacts and how it is used to treat disease
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are NPL’s Ileana Silvestre Patallo and Ruth McLauchlan of the NHS
New materials for quantum technology, how ultrasound can help detect breast cancer
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NPL’s Daniel Sarno and IIT Bombay’s Bhaskaran Muralidharan are our guests
Exploring CERN: Physics World visits the world’s leading particle-physics lab
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Harris reports back about LHC upgrades, antimatter advances and future colliders
Jim Gates updates his theorist’s bucket list and surveys the damage being done to US science and society
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The theoretical physicist and media personality is our podcast guest
Quantum superstars gather in Paris for the IYQ 2025 opening ceremony
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast Physics World’s Matin Durrani describes the gala event
How the changing environment affects solar-panel efficiency: the Indian perspective
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Climate scientist Sushovan Ghosh is our podcast guest
Mark Thomson looks to the future of CERN and particle physics
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CERN’s next director-general is our podcast guest
Why electrochemistry lies at the heart of modern technology
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is Colm O’Dwyer, president of the Electrochemical Society
Ceryx Medical: company uses bioelectronics to coordinate the heart and lungs
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Biomedical engineer Stuart Plant and physicist Ashok Chauhan are our podcast guests
Humanitarian engineering can improve cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The medical physicists Eric Ford and Afua Yorke are our podcast guests
International Year of Quantum Science and Technology: our celebrations begin with a look at quantum networks and sensors
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features quantum physicist Mete Atatüre of the University of Cambridge
The physics of ice cream: food scientist Douglas Goff talks about this remarkable material
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is a leading expert on frozen desserts
Mikhail Lukin and Dolev Bluvstein explain how they used trapped atoms to create 48 logical qubits
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet two winners of the Physics World 2024 Breakthrough of the Year
Hartmut Neven talks about Google Quantum AI’s breakthrough in quantum error correction
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a winner of the Physics World 2024 Breakthrough of the Year
Exploring this year’s best physics research in our Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2024
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lively chat about antimatter, medical physics, quantum computing, lasers and more
How the UK Metamaterials Network supports scientific and commercial innovation
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Network leads Alastair Hibbins and Claire Dancer are our podcast guests
Astronomers can play an important role in explaining the causes and consequences of climate change, says astrophysicist
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast also looks at the connections between clouds and global warming
Top tips for physics outreach from a prize winner, making graphene more sustainable
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features an advanced-materials expert and a prizewinning science communicator
Space travel: the health effects of space radiation and building a lunar GPS
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We chat to a radiation oncologist and two atomic-clock experts
How to boost the sustainability of solar cells
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Roadmap authors look to the future of photovoltaic technologies in this podcast
Peter Hirst: MIT Sloan Executive Education develops leadership skills in STEM employees
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is sponsored by MIT Sloan School of Management
Julia Sutcliffe: chief scientific adviser explains why policymaking must be underpinned by evidence
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Exploring a career in physics, systems engineering and advising the UK's Department for Business and Trade
Data-intensive PhDs at LIV.INNO prepare students for careers outside of academia
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is sponsored by LIV.INNO, the Liverpool Centre for Doctoral Training for Innovation in Data-Intensive Science
Deep connections: why two AI pioneers won the Nobel Prize for Physics
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is Anil Ananthaswamy, author of Why Machines Learn
Nobel predictions and humorous encounters with physics laureates
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Physics World editors gaze into their crystal ball and reminisce about past Nobel winners
Science thrives on constructive and respectful peer review
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unhelpful or rude feedback can shake the confidence of early career researchers
Diagnosing and treating disease: how physicists keep you safe during healthcare procedures
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two medical physicists talk about the future of treatment and diagnostic technologies
Looking to the future of statistical physics, how intense storms can affect your cup of tea
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we chat about active matter, artificial intelligence and storm Ciarán
Hybrid quantum–classical computing chips and neutral-atom qubits both show promise
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Equal1’s Elena Blokhina and Harvard’s Brandon Grinkemeyer are our guests
The Wow! signal: did a telescope in Ohio receive an extraterrestrial communication in 1977?
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features an astrobiologist who has identified similar radio signals
Physics for a better future: mammoth book looks at science and society
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guest is Christophe Rossel, co-author of EPS Grand Challenges
Quantum sensors monitor brain development in children
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast explores how quantum technologies are revolutionizing medicine
Abdus Salam: celebrating a unifying force in global physics
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests are Claudia de Rham and Ian Walmsley at Imperial College
Non-physicists find opportunity in the quantum industry, improving the university experience
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We also chat about the 42nd International Conference on High Energy Physics
Zap Energy targets fusion power without magnets, Claudia de Rham on the beauty of gravity
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we chat about small-scale fusion and a familiar yet mysterious force
Diamond dust for MRI, 4D printing creates advanced devices
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mahdi Bodaghi and Jelena Lazovic Zinnanti are our podcast guests
Precision medicine: meet two medical physicists who are making it possible
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Barnes and Nicky Whilde explain how technological advances are enabling precision medicine
Shrinivas Kulkarni: 2024 Shaw Prize in Astronomy winner talks about his fascination with variable and transient objects
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is sponsored by The Shaw Prize Foundation
Linking silicon T centres with light offers a route to fault-tolerant quantum computing
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Simmons of Photonic Inc is our podcast guest
The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics: meet the 2024 laureates David Charbonneau and Sara Seager
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is sponsored by The Kavli Prize
Teaching nuclear physics using data rather than models, recovering helium from party balloons
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A cryogenics technician and nuclear physicist are our podcast guests
Baltimore bridge collapse: engineers explain how failures can be avoided
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our podcast guests specialize in bridges and coastal infrastructure