Graham Farmelo

Frank Close, a particle physicist and science communicator, Michela Massimi, a philosophy of science professor, and Graham Farmelo, a science writer and historian, dive into the life and groundbreaking ideas of Wolfgang Pauli. They discuss the crucial Exclusion Principle, which states that no two electrons can occupy the same quantum state. The guests explore Pauli's early brilliance, his connection with Jung, and his bold prediction of the neutrino. They also touch on the amusing 'Pauli Effect' of equipment failure around him and his lasting impact on quantum physics.

In this engaging discussion, Graham Farmelo, a biographer of Paul Dirac and Fellow at Cambridge, teams up with Valerie Gibson, a Professor of High Energy Physics, to shed light on the life of the uncelebrated genius. They explore Dirac's journey from engineering to revolutionary contributions in quantum mechanics, including his groundbreaking Dirac Equation and the prediction of antimatter. The conversation reveals Dirac's unique intellect and quirky personality, offering insight into how his mathematical brilliance reshaped modern physics.