Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Global Physics Summit (GPS) in Anaheim California, where I rubbed shoulders with 15,0000 fellow physicists. The best part of being there was chatting with lots of different people, and in this podcast I share two of those conversations. First up is Chetan Nayak, who is a senior researcher at Microsoft’s Station Q quantum computing research centre here in California. In February, Nayak and colleagues claimed a breakthrough in the development of topological quantum bits (qubits) based on Majorana zero modes. In principle, such qubits could enable the development of practical quantum computers, but not all physicists were convinced, and the announcement remains controversial – despite further results presented by Nayak in a packed session at the GPS. I caught up with Nayak after his talk and asked him about the challenges of achieving Microsoft’s goal of a superconductor-based topological qubit. That conversation is the first segment of today’s podcast. Distinctive jumping technique Up next, I chat with Atharva Lele about the physics of manu jumping, which is a competitive aquatic sport that originates from the Māori and Pasifika peoples of New Zealand. Jumpers are judged by the height of their splash when they enter the water, and the best competitors use a very distinctive technique. Lele is an undergraduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, and is part of team that analysed manu techniques in a series of clever experiments that included plunging robots. He explains how to make a winning manu jump while avoiding the pain of a belly flop. This article forms part of Physics World‘s contribution to the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), which aims to raise global awareness of quantum physics and its applications. Stayed tuned to Physics World and our international partners throughout the next 12 months for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.

When physicists got their first insights into the quantum world more than a century ago, they found it puzzling to say the least. But gradually, and through clever theoretical and experimental work, a consistent quantum theory emerged. Two physicists that who played crucial roles in this evolution were Albert Einstein and John Bell. In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast the theoretical crypto-physicist Artur Ekert explains how a quantum paradox identified by Einstein and colleagues in 1935 inspired a profound theoretical breakthrough by Bell three decades later. Ekert, who splits his time between the University of Oxford and the National University of Singapore, describes how he used Bell’s theorem to create a pioneering quantum cryptography protocol and he also chats about current research in quantum physics and beyond. You can read more about this topic here: “Bohr, Einstein and Bell: what the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics tells us about quantum mechanics” This article forms part of Physics World‘s contribution to the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), which aims to raise global awareness of quantum physics and its applications. Stayed tuned to Physics World and our international partners throughout the next 12 months for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.

Ileana Silvestre Patallo is a medical physicist at the UK's National Physical Laboratory, and Ruth McLauchlan is a consultant radiotherapy physicist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. They dive into the dual nature of ionizing radiation, detailing how it can both harm and heal. The discussion covers the precision of radiotherapy in targeting cancer cells while protecting healthy tissue, the evolution of treatment techniques, and exciting innovations like flash radiotherapy. They emphasize the importance of technology in improving patient outcomes.

Bhaskaran Muralidharan, a leading expert in computational nanoelectronics from IIT Bombay, discusses how his team is pioneering new quantum materials that could revolutionize technology. He's passionate about the transformative potential of quantum physics in various fields. Daniel Sarno, CTO of Sona at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, reveals groundbreaking ultrasound techniques that improve breast cancer detection, especially for women with dense breast tissue. Their innovative approach promises safer and more effective screening solutions.

Margaret Harris, the online editor for Physics World, shares her vivid experiences from a recent trip to CERN, the leading particle-physics lab. She delves into the fascinating workings of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), including the planned upgrades to enhance particle collisions and insights about Higgs bosons. Harris also explores the Antimatter Factory, discussing groundbreaking experiments that examine antimatter's behavior under gravity. Additionally, she shares insights from CERN’s leaders about the future of the lab and its ambitious research goals.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features an interview with the theoretical physicist Jim Gates who is at the University of Maryland and Brown University – both in the US. He updates his theorist’s bucket list, which he first shared with Physics World back in 2014. This is a list of breakthroughs in physics that Gates would like to see happen before he dies. One list item – the observation or gravitational waves – happened in 2015 and Gates explains the importance of the discovery. He also explains why the observation of gravitons, which are central to a theory of quantum gravity, is on his bucket list. Quantum information Gates is known for his work on supersymmetry and superstring theory, so it is not surprising that experimental evidence for those phenomena are on the bucket list. Gates also talks about a new item on his list that concerns the connections between quantum physics and information theory. In this interview with Physics World’s Margaret Harris, Gates also reflects on how the current political upheaval in the US is affecting science and society – and what scientists can do ensure that the public has faith in science. Photo courtesy: Nick Dentamaro/Brown University

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology – or IYQ. UNESCO kicked-off IYQ on 4–5 February at a gala opening ceremony in Paris. Physics World’s Matin Durrani was there, and he shares his highlights from the event in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast. No fewer than four physics Nobel laureates took part in the ceremony alongside representatives from governments and industry. While some speakers celebrated the current renaissance in quantum research and the burgeoning quantum-technology sector, others called on the international community to ensure that people in all nations benefit from a potential quantum revolution – not just people in wealthier countries. The dangers of promising too much from quantum computers and other technologies, was also discussed – as Durrani explains. This article forms part of Physics World‘s contribution to the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), which aims to raise global awareness of quantum physics and its applications. Stayed tuned to Physics World and our international partners throughout the next 12 months for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.

Sushovan Ghosh, a climate scientist at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, discusses how climate change impacts solar panel efficiency in India. He highlights the alarming decline in solar radiation due to aerosol pollution despite abundant sunshine. Rising temperatures further compromise the performance of solar panels. Ghosh emphasizes the urgent need for innovative solar technologies and climate action to maintain India’s solar energy potential and meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Mark Thomson, who will become the next director-general of CERN in January 2026. In a conversation with Physics World’s Michael Banks, Thomson shares his vision of the future of the world’s preeminent particle physics lab, which is home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). They chat about the upcoming high-luminosity upgrade to the LHC (HL-LHC), which will be completed in 2030. The interview explores long-term strategies for particle physics research and the challenges of managing large international scientific organizations. Thomson also looks back on his career in particle physics and his involvement with some of the field’s biggest experiments.     This podcast is supported by Atlas Technologies, specialists in custom aluminium and titanium vacuum chambers as well as bonded bimetal flanges and fittings used everywhere from physics labs to semiconductor fabs.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with Colm O’Dwyer, who is professor of chemical energy at University College Cork in Ireland and president of the Electrochemical Society. He talks about the role that electrochemistry plays in the development of modern technologies including batteries, semiconductor chips and pharmaceuticals. O’Dwyer chats about the role that the Electrochemical Society plays in advancing the theory and practice of electrochemistry and solid-state science and technology. He also explains how electrochemists collaborate with scientists and engineers in other fields including physics – and he looks forward to the future of electrochemistry.   This podcast is supported by American Elements. Trusted by researchers and industries the world over, American Elements is helping shape the future of battery and electrochemistry technology.