TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Physics World Stories Podcast

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100 episodes
2017 to 2026
Median: 45 minutes
Collection: Physics, Math, and Astronomy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast is a long-form interview and storytelling series that uses physics as a lens on both the natural world and human society. Across the episodes, the host speaks with working scientists, engineers, writers, artists, filmmakers and policy voices to unpack how research is done, how discoveries are communicated, and how scientific ideas move into culture and technology.

A major thread is frontier physics and space science, including cosmology and astrophysics topics such as gravitational waves, dark matter versus modified gravity, radio astronomy, comet missions, and the development and impact of major observatories and space programmes. Another recurring focus is quantum science in its many forms: the history of quantum mechanics and overlooked contributors, current research directions, commercialization and careers in quantum technology, and creative “quantum-inspired” work in art, music, theatre and fiction.

The podcast also returns to physics in public life and decision-making. Episodes touch on nuclear accidents and energy policy, sustainability and climate-related technologies (renewables, batteries, fusion), the environmental footprint of computing and AI, and research funding and science policy. Alongside these are physics-in-everyday-life themes—crowd and animal motion, sport and biomechanics, fluids and speculative “what if” questions—used to illustrate core principles.

Human experience within science is another theme, with conversations about training and professional pathways (including astronaut preparation), inclusion and retention in physics, disability access, wellbeing and mental health, and the role of community and communication in shaping scientific careers.

Episodes:

Chernobyl at 40: physics, politics and the nuclear debate today 2026-Feb-27 53 minutes

Cosmic time capsules: the search for pristine comets 2026-Jan-23 51 minutes

Forging a more inclusive new generation of physicists 2025-Dec-17 48 minutes

Quantum 2.0: Paul Davies on the next revolution in physics 2025-Nov-19 39 minutes

Queer Quest: a quantum-inspired journey of self-discovery 2025-Oct-27 45 minutes

Training for the stars: Rosemary Coogan on becoming an astronaut 2025-Sep-23 30 minutes

Overlooked pioneers from quantum history 2025-Aug-19 51 minutes

Entangled expressions: where quantum science and art come together 2025-Jul-23 56 minutes

Painting the unseen: visualizing the quantum world 2025-Jun-24 64 minutes

The Physics Chanteuse: when science hits a high note 2025-May-27 47 minutes

Alternate quantum realities: what if Heisenberg stayed at home? 2025-Apr-30 52 minutes

AI and the future of physics 2025-Mar-24 63 minutes

Threads of fire: uncovering volcanic secrets with Pele’s hair and tears 2025-Feb-17 52 minutes

Helgoland: leading physicists to gather on the tiny island where quantum mechanics was born 2025-Jan-24 57 minutes

From physics to filmmaking: Mark Levinson on his new documentary, The Universe in a Grain of Sand 2024-Dec-13 60 minutes

Trailblazer: Astronaut Eileen Collins reflects on space, adventure, and the power of lifelong learning 2024-Nov-14 38 minutes

Flocking together: the physics of sheep herding and pedestrian flows 2024-Oct-21 60 minutes

Working in quantum tech: where are the opportunities for success? 2024-Sep-23 45 minutes

CERN at 70: how the Higgs hunt elevated particle physics to Hollywood status 2024-Aug-13 59 minutes

Could humans run on water? 2024-Jul-24 27 minutes

Physics and sport: flying balls, perfecting technique, and wellbeing in academia 2024-Jun-19 52 minutes

Swift Quakes and new podcast music inspired by the fine-structure constant 2024-May-28 46 minutes

3 Body Problem: a deep dive into the Netflix show 2024-Apr-30 51 minutes

An orchestral trip through the moons of our solar system 2024-Mar-22 49 minutes

Dark matter vs modified gravity: which team are you on? 2024-Feb-26 62 minutes

Radio pioneers: the enduring role of ‘amateurs’ in radio astronomy 2024-Jan-23 34 minutes

Radiant chills: the revolutionary science of laser cooling 2023-Dec-19 45 minutes

The biographer who inspired Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film Oppenheimer 2023-Nov-21 40 minutes

Physics for fairness: tackling global sustainability challenges through science 2023-Oct-13 40 minutes

Green and novel: the future of energy generation 2023-Sep-04 57 minutes

Our universe is humming with gravitational waves 2023-Aug-07 30 minutes

Moore’s law in peril and the future of computing 2023-Jul-04 61 minutes

Will AI chatbots replace physicists? 2023-Jun-09 54 minutes

Cosmic generosity: a selfless investment in the future of physics 2023-May-12 38 minutes

How can we make lithium-ion batteries more sustainable? 2023-May-03 39 minutes

Quantum melodies: the intersection of music and quantum physics 2023-Mar-28 59 minutes

Finding solace in the stars 2023-Feb-24 33 minutes

Making spaceflight accessible to people with physical disabilities 2023-Jan-31 44 minutes

Robin Ince and the joy of popular-science books 2022-Dec-21 26 minutes

Quantum technology gathers pace 2022-Nov-28 43 minutes

Is the 2022 FIFA World Cup really carbon neutral? 2022-Oct-28 58 minutes

Trouble on the Horizon for UK-based researchers 2022-Sep-16 56 minutes

The science-fiction legacy of Satyajit Ray 2022-Aug-16 58 minutes

The Higgs boson discovery revisited 2022-Jul-04 56 minutes

Fixing our bodies with glass 2022-Jun-01 39 minutes

Cutting the carbon footprint of supercomputing in scientific research 2022-May-04 36 minutes

JET’s record result and the quest for fusion energy 2022-Apr-04 37 minutes

Music from our material world 2022-Mar-08 51 minutes

The James Webb Space Telescope launches astronomy into a new era 2022-Jan-25 46 minutes

Physics books that captured the imagination in 2021 2021-Dec-22 48 minutes

Sharing is caring: open hardware has global impact 2021-Nov-24 42 minutes

Searching for signs of alien technologies 2021-Oct-20 43 minutes

Free and open-source software is driving physics forwards 2021-Sep-22 44 minutes

We’re all going on a geeky holiday 2021-Aug-24 43 minutes

Deflecting asteroids and exploring a metal world 2021-Jul-09 50 minutes

Helgoland and the captivating origins of quantum theory 2021-Jun-15 45 minutes

The bots are not as fair-minded as they seem 2021-May-28 45 minutes

Muon mania: are we finally on the brink of new physics? 2021-Apr-29 48 minutes

Arecibo Observatory: a scientific giant that fell to Earth 2021-Mar-17 39 minutes

Searching for signs of past life on Mars with NASA’s Perseverance rover 2021-Feb-10 44 minutes

Life at CERN during the pandemic 2021-Jan-22 48 minutes

The best of physics in books, TV and film in 2020 2020-Dec-23 62 minutes

Physics and LEGO: an enduring love affair 2020-Nov-23 49 minutes

How capable are today’s quantum computers? 2020-Oct-14 29 minutes

Could there really be life in the clouds of Venus? 2020-Sep-23 49 minutes

Autonomous cars: potential lifesavers but with new risks 2020-Aug-26 43 minutes

Planet Nine: is it a planet, a primordial black hole, or something else entirely? 2020-Jul-17 42 minutes

Working in medical physics: not your average career 2020-Jun-30 41 minutes

The mystery of missing marine plastic 2020-May-27 33 minutes

Doing physics in the time of COVID-19 2020-Apr-28 43 minutes

Tips for a rewarding career in physics 2020-Mar-31 55 minutes

The acoustics of music and theatre venues 2020-Mar-06 50 minutes

Book of the year 2019 2019-Dec-18 53 minutes

Physics and film, a match made in Hollywood 2019-Nov-28 36 minutes

Doing physics in microgravity environments 2019-Oct-28 39 minutes

Driving in the present 2019-Sep-30 41 minutes

Physics and the climate crisis 2019-Aug-16 48 minutes

50th anniversary of Apollo 11 – returning to the Moon and going beyond 2019-Jul-24 29 minutes

50th anniversary of Apollo 11 – hidden stories 2019-Jun-26 53 minutes

The story behind the first ever black hole image 2019-May-22 36 minutes

The future of the Internet 2019-Apr-23 38 minutes

Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – 30 years of the World Wide Web 2019-Mar-12 60 minutes

Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – high-temperature superconductivity 2019-Feb-27 30 minutes

Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – fusion energy 2019-Jan-22 48 minutes

Physics World Book of the Year 2018 2018-Dec-17 65 minutes

Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – gravitational waves 2018-Nov-28 68 minutes

Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – particle physics 2018-Oct-23 43 minutes

Communicating science at music festivals 2018-Sep-18 49 minutes

Driving in the future 2018-Aug-17 29 minutes

A quantum leap for industry 2018-Jul-24 44 minutes

Doing business in space 2018-Jun-18 34 minutes

Learning from the ozone solution 2018-May-21

Plant-inspired innovations 2018-Apr-18 15 minutes

Artificial intelligence: is there anything to fear? 2018-Mar-21 29 minutes

Falcon Heavy and Humanity Star: trailblazers or space junk? 2018-Mar-15 32 minutes

Physics in 2018 2018-Jan-23 28 minutes

Book of the Year 2017 2017-Dec-13 36 minutes

Exploring the cosmos with gravitational waves 2017-Nov-09 38 minutes

Illuminating a radio icon 2017-Oct-10 30 minutes

How science gets women wrong 2017-Sep-21 44 minutes