Physics World Weekly Podcast

"Physics World Weekly Podcast": Toby Cubitt, co-founder and chief technology officer at Phasecraft, discusses the development of quantum algorithms for noisy hardware in current processors. He also talks about career opportunities in quantum computing and the potential for solving scientifically relevant problems with quantum computers.

Fusion industry aims to deliver electricity by 2035. Physics World discusses the challenges of practical fusion energy. Five physicists win Nobel prizes, including the fifth female physics laureate since 1901. The podcast addresses gender disparity in the physics field and advocates for promoting women in STEM and equal treatment in academia.

Physics World's Margaret Harris and Matin Durrani discuss the Nobel Prizes for Physics and Chemistry. They explore the concept and significance of attosecond pulses in studying atoms and electrons, as well as the research behind the development of attosecond pulses. The hosts also delve into quantum dots and their applications, address the leakage of the chemistry Nobel Prize winners, and promote the podcast's sponsor.

Pablo Sobron of the SETI Institute discusses how studying the deep ocean floor informs the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Jeffrey Hangst talks about the observation of freefalling antimatter, and the possibility of identifying differences in how matter and antimatter respond to gravity. The episode explores underwater chimney systems, analyzing sample composition using spectroscopy, and scanning the seabed with lasers to identify rare elements and minerals for undersea mining and potential exploration of other moons.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with the astrophysicist Victoria Grinberg, who is a liaison scientist at the European Space Agency (ESA). Based at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands, Grinberg explains how X-ray observatories are being used to study some of the most violent environments in the universe – the regions around black holes and neutron stars. She also chats about her enthusiasm for science communication and how she has revived her childhood love of drawing by doing scientific illustrations. Grinberg is also a winner of the Röntgen Prize, which is given for outstanding work on basic research in radiation physics and radiation biology. The €15,000 prize is awarded by Germany’s Justus Liebig University Giessen and it sponsored by Pfeiffer Vacuum and the Ludwig Schunk Foundation. Also in this episode, the civil engineer Benyi Cao explains how ground-source heat pumps could soon be used to prevent potholes from forming on British roads. Based at the UK’s University of Surrey, Cao describes how potholes form and how controlling the temperature of roads could reduce the number of potholes on major roads. He also describes a pilot scheme that could soon be rolled out in Surrey. This episode is sponsored by Pfeiffer Vacuum. Pfeiffer Vacuum provides all types of vacuum equipment, including hybrid and magnetically-levitated turbopumps, leak detectors and analysis equipment, as well as vacuum chambers and systems. You can explore all of its products on the Pfeiffer Vacuum website.

In this podcast, the threat of quantum computers to cryptographic systems is discussed. The importance of transitioning to quantum-safe encryption methods is emphasized. The growth and team composition of PQ Shield, a company developing quantum-safe cryptography, is highlighted. Advice is given to students interested in a career in cryptography. The future plans of PQ Shield and the timeline for the release of official post quantum cryptography standards are also discussed.

Mathematical biologist and author Kit Yates discusses the relevance of mathematical principles in everyday life, the intersection of biology and math, and his role in communicating math to the public. They also explore the importance of understanding exponential growth in controlling infectious diseases and preview Yates' upcoming book and writing projects.

In this episode, the guest discusses how metasurfaces are replacing bulky lenses in optical systems, enabling miniaturization. They explain the concept of meta-optics and its advantages over conventional lenses. They also explore the applications of LiDAR systems in smartphones. The guest highlights the production process of meta optics using semiconductor techniques and introduces a new product called polar eyes for polarization imaging. The episode ends with a reflection on Metalenz and a teaser for upcoming content on cosmic muons.

Materials scientist Ross Colman discusses the challenges of replicating someone else's research on room temperature superconductivity. Also, Australia's chief scientist Cathy Foley talks about the country's national quantum strategy and the importance of international collaborations.

For millennia, humans have used units of measurement based on aspects of the human body. Familiar examples include the fathom (arm span) and the qubit (forearm length). Our guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is the Finnish social scientist Roope Kaaronen, who has studied the development and use of body-based units in 186 cultures around the world. While many traditional units have been superseded by international standards, Kaaronen tells Physics World’s Margaret Harris that some body-based units are alive and well today, and they can sometimes be more useful than their modern counterparts. Useful units include those that emerged from the need to fit technologies such as skis and kayaks to individual users. Indeed, Kaaronen says that the existence of such units suggests that rather than being a modern concept, the idea of ergonomics has been around for a very long time. Also in the podcast, Physics World editors chat about the blockbuster film Oppenheimer.