Steven Bramwell

In this discussion, Frank Close, a theoretical physicist, Steven Bramwell, a condensed matter physics expert, and Jess Wade, a materials science researcher, dive into the life of Lise Meitner, a groundbreaking female physicist. They explore her pivotal role in discovering nuclear fission while facing significant societal challenges. The conversation highlights her collaborations with Otto Hahn and her moral stance against the military use of her discoveries. They also examine the impacts of political persecution on her career and her eventual, albeit delayed, recognition in the scientific community.

Steven Bramwell, a Professor of Physics at University College London, and Isobel Falconer, a Reader in the History of Mathematics at the University of St Andrews, dive into the intriguing evolution of kinetic theory. They discuss the historic clash between static particle theories and the revolutionary ideas brought by Maxwell and Boltzmann. The conversation reveals how understanding gas behavior set the stage for modern physics, and they explore the fascinating implications of these theories on atomic existence, entropy, and even the philosophical debates surrounding them.