Physics World Stories Podcast

In this engaging discussion, Paul Davies, a renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist from Arizona State University, delves into his latest book, Quantum 2.0. He explores the fascinating intersection of quantum technology and artificial intelligence, raising ethical dilemmas about delegating planetary management to machines. Additionally, he envisions a world where quantum principles inspire the arts, from quantum-infused jazz to interactive theatre. The conversation blends science and creativity, illustrating the transformative potential of the next quantum revolution.

This episode of Physics World Stories features an interview with Jessica Esquivel and Emily Esquivel – the creative duo behind Queer Quest. The event created a shared space for 2SLGBTQIA+ Black and Brown people working in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). Mental health professionals also joined Queer Quest, which was officially recognized by UNESCO as part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Over two days in Chicago this October, the event brought science, identity and wellbeing into powerful conversation. Jessica Esquivel, a particle physicist and associate scientist at Fermilab, is part of the Muon g-2 experiment, pushing the limits of the Standard Model. Emily Esquivel is a licensed clinical professional counsellor. Together, they run Oyanova, an organization empowering Black and Brown communities through science and wellness. Quantum metaphors and resilience through connection Courtesy: Oyanova Queer Quest blended keynote talks, with collective conversations, alongside meditation and other wellbeing activities. Panellists drew on quantum metaphors – such as entanglement – to explore identity, community and mental health. In a wide-ranging conversation with podcast host Andrew Glester, Jessica and Emily speak about the inspiration for the event, and the personal challenges they have faced within academia. They speak about the importance of building resilience through community connections, especially given the social tensions in the US right now. Hear more from Jessica Esquivel in her 2021 Physics World Stories appearance on the latest developments in muon science. 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 year for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.  

In this episode of the Physics World Stories podcast, Rosemary Coogan offers a glimpse into life as one of the European Space Agency’s newest astronauts. Selected as part of ESA’s 2022 cohort, she received astronaut certification in 2024, and is now in line to visit the International Space Station within the next five years. One day, she may even walk on the Moon as part of the Artemis programme. Coogan explains what astronaut training really entails: classroom sessions packed with technical knowledge, zero-gravity parabolic flights, and underwater practice in Houston’s neutral buoyancy pool. Born in Northern Ireland, Coogan reflects on her personal journey. From a child dreaming of space, she went on to study physics and astrophysics at Durham University, then completed a PhD on the evolution of distant galaxies. When not preparing for lift off, Coogan counts sci-fi among her interests – she loves getting lost in the world of possibilities. She’s also candid about the psychological side of astronaut training, and how she’s learned to savour the learning process itself rather than obsess over launch dates. Hosted by Andrew Glester, this episode captures both the challenge and wonder of preparing for an imminent journey to space.

In the folklore of physics, the origins of quantum mechanics are often told as the story of a handful of brilliant young men, trading ideas in lecture halls and cafes. The German term Knabenphysik – “boys’ physics” – helped cement that image, and its gender bias went largely unchallenged for decades. The latest Physics World Stories podcast, hosted by Andrew Glester, features Margriet van der Heijden, professor of science communication at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and Michelle Frank, a 2024–25 Public Scholar with the US National Endowment for the Humanities. Both contributed to Women in the History of Quantum Physics: Beyond Knabenphysik, a new book that brings together the stories of sixteen women whose work, ideas and problem-solving helped shape the field from the very start. The book challenges the “lone genius” narrative, showing that quantum theory emerged from a much wider network of people – many of whom were women, and many of whom went unrecognized. The discussion also reflects on barriers that remain in physics today. Van der Heijden and Frank are part of the international working group of Women in the History of Quantum Physics. Visit the group’s website for links to a range of publications and events. 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 year for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.

What happens when you put a visual artist in the middle of a quantum physics lab? This month’s Physics World Stories podcast explores that very question, as host Andrew Glester dives into the artist-in-residence programme at the Yale Quantum Institute in the US. Serena Scapagnini, 2025. (Credit: Filippo Silvestris) Each year, the institute welcomes an artist to explore the intersections of art and quantum science, bridging the ever-fuzzy boundary between the humanities and the sciences. You will hear from the current artist-in-residence Serena Scapagnini, a visual artist and art historian from Italy. At Yale, she’s exploring the nature of memory, both human and quantum, through her multidisciplinary projects. You’ll also hear from Florian Carle, managing director of the institute and the co-ordinator of the residency. Once a rocket scientist, Carle has always held a love of theatre and the arts alongside his scientific work. He believes art–science collaborations open new possibilities for engaging with quantum ideas, and that includes music – which you’ll hear in the episode. Discover more about quantum art and science in the free-to-read Physics World Quantum Briefing 2025 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 year for more coverage of the IYQ. Find out more on our quantum channel.

What does quantum physics have to do with vibrant oil paintings and the ghostly grin of a disappearing cat? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this month’s Physics World Stories podcast, host Andrew Glester takes a colourful look at how we visualize – and try to make sense of – the curious world of quantum mechanics. First up is Felicity Inkpen, a Scotland-based artist who began her career in physics and neuroscience before turning to art full-time. Her painting Qubits, Duality appears on the cover of a Physics World Quantum Briefing published to celebrate the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Felicity shares her journey from academia to art, and how her experience of number-colour synaesthesia – where numbers are associated with colours in her mind – shapes her creative process as she explores the elusive nature of quantum reality. Later, Physics World features editor Tushna Commissariat introduces the Physics World Quantum Briefing and delves into one of its stories, ‘The curious case of quantum Cheshire cats’. It explores the strange phenomenon where a particle’s properties seem to be in a different place from the particle itself – reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s famous feline in Alice in Wonderland, whose grin lingers even after he’s gone. You’ll find plenty more on the history, mystery and industry of quantum mechanics in the free-to-read Quantum Briefing. Stay tuned to the Physics World quantum channel for more IYQ content throughout the year. You can already enjoy a blog series from Matin Durrani, reporting from the tiny North Sea archipelago Helgoland, where Heisenberg made his breakthrough in quantum mechanics 100 years ago.

What do pulsars, nuclear politics and hypothetical love particles have in common? They’ve all inspired songs by Lynda Williams – physicist, performer and self-styled “Physics Chanteuse”. In this month’s Physics World Stories podcast, host Andrew Glester is in conversation with Williams, whose unique approach to science communication blends physics with cabaret and satire. You’ll be treated to a selection of her songs, including a toe-tapping tribute to Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the Northern Irish physicist who discovered pulsars. Williams discusses her writing process, which includes a full-blooded commitment to getting the science right. She describes how her shows evolve throughout the course of a tour, how she balances life on the road with other life commitments, and how Kip Thorne once arranged for her to perform at a birthday celebration for Stephen Hawking. (Yes, really.) Her latest show, Atomic Cabaret, dives into the existential risks of the nuclear age, marking 80 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The one-woman musical kicks off in Belfast on 18 June and heads to the Edinburgh Festival in August. If you like your physics with a side of showbiz and social activism, this episode hits all the right notes. Find out more at Lynda’s website.

In this episode of Physics World Stories, writer Kevlin Henney discusses his new flash fiction, Heisenberg (not) in Helgoland – written exclusively for Physics World as part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The story spans two worlds: the one we know, and an alternate reality in which Werner Heisenberg never visits the island of Helgoland – a trip that played a key role in the development of quantum theory. Henney reads an extract from the piece and reflects on the power of flash fiction – why the format’s brevity and clarity make it an interesting space for exploring complex ideas. In conversation with host Andrew Glester, he also discusses his varied career as an independent software consultant, trainer and writer. Tune in to hear his thoughts on quantum computing, and why there should be greater appreciation for how modern physics underpins the technologies we use every day. The full version of Henney’s story will be published in the Physics World Quantum Briefing 2025 – a free-to-read digital issue launching in May. Packed with features on the history, mystery and applications of quantum mechanics, it will be available via the Physics World website. The image accompanying this article is Werner Heisenberg in 1933 (Credit: German Federal Archive with posterised version by James Dacey/Physics World) CC-BY-SA 3.0 On 13–14 May, The Economist is hosting Commercialising Quantum Global 2025 in London. The event is supported by the Institute of Physics – which brings you Physics World. Participants will join global leaders from business, science and policy for two days of real-world insights into quantum’s future. In London you will explore breakthroughs in quantum computing, communications and sensing, and discover how these technologies are shaping industries, economies and global regulation. Register now and use code QUANTUM20 to receive 20% off. This offer ends on 4 May.

Artificial intelligence is transforming physics at an unprecedented pace. In the latest episode of Physics World Stories, host Andrew Glester is joined by three expert guests to explore AI’s impact on discovery, research and the future of the field. Tony Hey, a physicist who worked with Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann at Caltech in the 1970s, shares his perspective on AI’s role in computation and discovery. A former vice-president of Microsoft Research Connections, he also edited the Feynman Lectures on Computation (Anniversary Edition), a key text on physics and computing. Caterina Doglioni, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester and part of CERN’s ATLAS collaboration, explains how AI is unlocking new physics at the Large Hadron Collider. She sees big potential but warns against relying too much on AI’s “black box” models without truly understanding nature’s behaviour. Felice Frankel, a science photographer and MIT research scientist, discusses AI’s promise for visualizing science. However, she is concerned about its potential to manipulate scientific data and imagery – distorting reality. Frankel wrote about the need for an ethical code of conduct for AI in science imagery in this recent Nature essay. The episode also questions the environmental cost of AI’s vast energy demands. As AI becomes central to physics, should researchers worry about its sustainability? What responsibility do physicists have in managing its impact? Hey and Doglioni were advisers for the IOP report Physics and AI: A Physics Community Perspective, which explores the opportunities and challenges at the intersection of AI and physics. Listen now for a lively discussion on AI’s evolving role in physics.

Volcanoes are awe-inspiring beasts. They spew molten rivers, towering ash plumes, and – in rarer cases – delicate glassy formations known as Pele’s hair and Pele’s tears. These volcanic materials, named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire, are the focus of the latest Physics World Stories podcast, featuring volcanologists Kenna Rubin (University of Rhode Island) and Tamsin Mather (University of Oxford). Pele’s hair is striking: fine, golden filaments of volcanic glass that shimmer like spider silk in the sunlight. Formed when lava is ejected explosively and rapidly stretched into thin strands, these fragile fibres range from 1 to 300 µm thick – similar to human hair. Meanwhile, Pele’s tears – small, smooth droplets of solidified lava – can preserve tiny bubbles of volcanic gases within themselves, trapped in cavities. These materials are more than just geological curiosities. By studying their structure and chemistry, researchers can infer crucial details about past eruptions. Understanding these “fossil” samples provides insights into the history of volcanic activity and its role in shaping planetary environments. Rubin and Mather describe what it’s like working in extreme volcanic landscapes. One day, you might be near the molten slopes of active craters, and then on another trip you could be exploring the murky depths of underwater eruptions via deep-sea research submersibles like Alvin. For a deeper dive into Pele’s hair and tears, listen to the podcast and explore our recent Physics World feature on the subject.