Best LASER Materials Science Podcasts (2025)

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Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea 33:03

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21h ago33:03

33:03

00:45 The deepest ecosystem ever discovered Researchers have dived down to more than 9,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific and discovered surprisingly complex communities of life living in deep ocean trenches. The new research shows an array of animal life that appears to be using methane as a source of energy. The researchers are planning …

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Giant laser heats solid gold to 14 times its melting point 35:38

8d ago35:38

35:38

00:46 How hot can solid gold get? A new study suggests that gold can be superheated far beyond its melting point without it becoming a liquid. Using an intense burst from a laser, a team heated a gold foil to 14 times its melting point, far beyond a theoretical limit put forward in previous studies. The team suggest that the speed at which they hea…

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Why Ursa Major is Betting Big on Additive Manufacturing 54:09

8d ago54:09

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Thomas Pomorski, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Ursa Major. Tom discusses his extensive background in additive manufacturing, including his work at Bechtel Plant Machinery and Penn United. He shares insights into Ursa Major's journey in scaling propulsion manufac…

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Episode 119: Futureproofing Trust with Garland Garris 36:28

9d ago36:28

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In Episode 119, Patrick and Ciprian welcome back Garland Garris of Accenture Federal Services for an insightful conversation on what it takes to prepare for a post-quantum future. The trio dives into the challenges of separating hype from reality in quantum computing, the urgent need to futureproof cryptographic systems, and how to build resilience…

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AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are taking on errors 49:19

10d ago49:19

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A simple methodological error meant that for years researchers considered drinking moderate amounts of alcohol to be healthy. Now plenty of evidence suggests that isn't the case, but errors like this still plague the scientific literature. So, how can the scientific literature become more error-free? In the first episode of this two-part series, to…

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‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator stalk its prey 32:50

15d ago32:50

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In this episode: 00:48 The ancient mega-predator with a ‘stealth mode’ The extinct marine mega-predator Temnodontosaurus had specialised adaptations to stealthily hunt its prey, suggests an analysis of a fossil flipper. Although Temnodontosaurus was a member of a well-studied group of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, its lifestyle has been a my…

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What the Wholers Report & ASTM Reveal about the Industry's Future 1:16:11

15d ago1:16:11

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Madhi Jamshid and Scott Sevcik of the ASTM Additive Manufacturing Community to discuss significant trends and insights within the additive manufacturing industry. They delve into the history and evolution of the Wohlers Report, various advancements in different sectors …

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Three weeks in a hide to spot one elusive bear: the life of a wildlife film-maker 12:47

20d ago12:47

12:47

Vianet Djenguet is an award-winning wildlife film-maker and camera operator whose work has featured in a number of major nature documentaries. In this podcast, Vianet joins us to talk about his career, how wildlife film-making have changed, and his experiences working with local researchers to capture footage of endangered animals on the new televi…

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Submarines, Supply Chains, & Skilled Labor: Inside the Navy’s Advanced Manufacturing Push 44:36

22d ago44:36

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In this episode of the podcast, host Fabian Alefeld interviews Chris Holshouser, Deputy Program Director of Maritime Systems at BlueForge Alliance. They discuss the Navy's ambitious projects, focusing on advanced technologies like additive manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and workforce development. Chris elaborates on the challenges and go…

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Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases 37:06

22d ago37:06

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00:48 The past 35,000 years of disease Ancient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago. The DNA, extracted from human teeth, shows the history of diseases present in Eurasia over tens of thousands of years. The approach used could be a…

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Episode 118: Quantum Crossroads with Prineha Narang: Where Energy, Materials, and Sensors Meet 36:42

23d ago36:42

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In Episode 118, Patrick welcomes back returning guest Prineha Narang, professor at UCLA and a leader at the intersection of quantum science and materials engineering. They explore the accelerating trajectory of Quantum Computing, including the rising private venture interest, and how hybrid approaches are advancing both materials science and energy…

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Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works 16:13

27d ago16:13

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Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of research on vaccine hesitancy is starting to offer ways to address the issue…

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3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry 27:19

29d ago27:19

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In this episode: 00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimics Many harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution sometimes favours imperfect mimicry, a team 3D printed a range of imaginary insects. The novel creatures were designed to mimic wasps with varying degree…

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Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research and surveillance 31:30

1M ago31:30

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We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 Is AI-research being co-opted to keep track of people? A significant amount of research in the AI field of computer vision is being used to analyse humans in ways that support the development of surveillance technologies, accordin…

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Episode 117: The Dignity of Work: Helen Young Hayes on Workforce Transformation 34:14

1M ago34:14

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In Episode 117, Patrick and Ciprian speak with Helen Young Hayes, Founder and CEO of ActivateWork. A former award-winning global fund manager turned workforce innovator, Helen shares how she’s helping underserved individuals achieve economic mobility through the dignity of work. The conversation explores building inclusive career pipelines, prepari…

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Flight simulator for moths reveals they navigate by starlight 30:37

1M ago30:37

30:37

We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 The tiny moths that use the stars to navigate Bogong moths use the stars to help them navigate during their enormous migration across Australia, according to new research. Every year, billions of these nocturnal moths travel up to…

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Additive Manufacturing, Then & Now: A Conversation with Alex Oster, Autodesk 1:28:19

1M ago1:28:19

1:28:19

In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld interviews Alex Oster, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Autodesk. The conversation spans Alex's journey from his early career in 1998 in Bavaria to his current influential role at Autodesk. They delve into the evolution of the additive manufacturing industry, from its early day…

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Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit the ultimate quantum party 9:07

2M ago9:07

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According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland. To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics. Nature r…

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This stretchy neural implant grows with an axolotl's brain 36:55

2M ago36:55

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00:45 A flexible neural-implant that grows with the brain Researchers have developed a soft electronic implant that can measure brain activity of amphibian embryos as they develop. Understanding the neural activity of developing brains is a key aim for neuroscientists, but conventional, rigid probes can damage growing brains. To overcome this, a te…

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Implicit Design, AI & Next Gen Design Tools: Inside nTop’s Bold New Design Frontier 1:00:52

2M ago1:00:52

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld welcomes Brad Rothenberg, CEO and founder of nTop, formerly known as nTopology. They discuss the evolution of additive manufacturing and nTop’s role over the past three to four years. Topics include the founding story of nTop, the concept of implicit modeling, and how design tools h…

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Episode 116: Quantum 2025: Hype, Hope, and What’s Actually Happening 41:30

2M ago41:30

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In Episode 116 of Entangled Things, Patrick and Ciprian go solo to explore whether 2025 will be the year quantum computing lives up to the hype. They dive into the rapid development of quantum chips, the scalability challenge, and how we’re beginning to bridge the gap between logical and physical qubits. The conversation also covers: How quantum al…

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Trump wants to put humans on Mars: what scientists think of the plan 11:47

2M ago11:47

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In this Podcast Extra, we examine President Donald Trump's calls for NASA to land humans on Mars. Although the White House has proposed spending some US$1 billion in 2026 on Mars plans, critics say the final cost will likely be hundreds of billions of dollars spread over a number of years. This call comes amidst plans to drastically reduce NASA's f…

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Male mice can grow female organs — if their mothers lack iron 30:08

2M ago30:08

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00:45 Iron’s role in mice sex determination Iron deficiency in mice mothers can sometimes result in their offspring developing female sex organs despite having male sex genes, according to new research. While genetics has been thought to be the primary factor in determining offspring sex in mammals, the new work shows that a lack of iron disrupts a…

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From Desktop to Factory Floor: AM’s Expanding Reach 40:51

2M ago40:51

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld welcomes Carolyn Schwaar, the editor of All3DP.com. Together, they explore current trends in additive manufacturing, the transition of hobbyists to professionals, and the role of platforms like All3DP and Kraft Cloud in the industry. Carolyn shares success stories from readers who h…

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Audio long read: Three ways to cool Earth by pulling carbon from the sky 15:59

2M ago15:59

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With the world looking likely to blow past the temperature targets laid out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, a growing number of voices are saying that carbon removal technologies will be necessary if humanity is to achieve its long-term climate goals. If these approaches succeed, they could help nations and corporations to meet their climate c…

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AI linked to boom in biomedical papers, infrared contact lenses, and is Earth's core leaking? 20:11

2M ago20:11

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00:33 Was a boom in papers driven by AI? A spike in papers formulaically analysing a public data set has sparked worries that AI is being used to generate low quality and potentially misleading analyses. Nature: AI linked to explosion of low-quality biomedical research papers 08:07 Lenses that give humans infrared vision Researchers in China have c…

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Episode 115: Quantum in Motion: Scaling Trust, Talent & Technology with Dr. Bob Sutor 41:53

2M ago41:53

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In this episode of Entangled Things, Patrick and Ciprian welcome back quantum tech pioneer Dr. Bob Sutor, recognized as one of the top 20 individuals shaping the Quantum Technology Revolution. Together, they explore the evolving frontiers of quantum innovation—from the significance of Majorana fermions to the role of error correction and the delica…

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These malaria drugs treat the mosquitos — not the people 31:40

2M ago31:40

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00:45 Treating mosquitoes for malaria Researchers have developed two compounds that can kill malaria-causing parasites within mosquitoes, an approach they hope could help reduce transmission of the disease. The team showed that these compounds can be embedded into the plastics used to make bed nets, providing an alternative to insecticide-based mal…

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The Mathematics Behind Additive Manufacturing 51:04

2M ago51:04

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld explores the critical role of mathematics in additive manufacturing with guest Harshil Goel, founder, and CEO of Dyndrite. Harshil shares his unconventional entry into the additive manufacturing industry, driven by his deep background in mathematics and mechanical engineering. The c…

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How to transport antimatter — stick it on the back of a van 30:31

3M ago30:31

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00:46 An antimatter delivery van takes its first road trip Researchers have developed a portable antimatter containment device and tested it by putting it in a truck and driving it around CERN. Their system could represent a big step forward in efforts to take particles made at CERN’s ‘antimatter factory’ and transport them to other labs, something…

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The Critical Role of Depowdering Automation in Additive Manufacturing 47:43

3M ago47:43

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In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld explores the importance of automating powder removal in the additive manufacturing (AM) process with Hemank Raj, Process Development Engineer from Solukon. They discuss how automating this process, which may seem minor, is crucial for scaling production and ensuring high-quality out…

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Episode 114: From Lasers to Logic: Scaling Up with Yuval Boger from QuEra 38:55

3M ago38:55

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In Episode 114 of Entangled Things, Patrick and Ciprian welcome back Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer at QuEra, for a lively and insightful conversation on the fast-moving frontier of quantum computing. They dive into the latest from NVIDIA’s NVQAC event, the challenge and promise of quantum error correction, and QuEra’s impressive $230M fundr…

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NSF terminates huge number of grants and stops awarding new ones 11:15

3M ago11:15

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In this Podcast Extra, we examine recent developments US National Science Foundation, which has seen significant numbers of research grants terminated. In addition, there have been freezes on funding for new grants and any additional money to existing ones. We also discuss US President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which call…

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Herring population loses migration 'memory' after heavy fishing 37:34

3M ago37:34

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00:46 How fishing activity altered the migration pattern of Herring Selective fishing of older herring has resulted in a large shift in the migration pattern of these fish, according to new research. For years, herring have visited sites on the south coast of Norway to spawn, but in 2020 a rapid shift was seen, with the fish instead visiting areas …

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Design for AM: CAD Tools, Simulation, Voxels & the Future of AM Design 41:49

3M ago41:49

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In a special live episode of the Additive Snack Podcast recorded at RAPID + TCT 2025 in Detroit, host Fabian Alefeld welcomes Dr. Andreas Vlahinos, a leading expert in design and additive manufacturing. The conversation spans the evolution of design for additive manufacturing over recent years, focusing on advances in simulation-driven design and t…

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The dismantling of US science: can it survive Trump 2.0? 27:52

3M ago27:52

27:52

In this episode: 00:46 What will be left of US science after Trump 2.0? 100 days into his term, President Donald Trump and his administration have already caused the biggest shakeup in modern scientific history, slashing funding, bringing large swathes of US research to a standstill and halting many clinical trials. But many fear these actions are …

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Quantum Computing: The Future of Technology Explained by Prof. Peter Zoller 35:31

3M ago35:31

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In the last episode before the Physics For Future conference, we had the privilege of speaking with Professor Peter Zoller, a renowned theoretical physicist from the University of Innsbruck. As we celebrate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, Professor Zoller provided us with a comprehensive overview of the evolution and signi…

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Frankenstein's Electric Organism | Burnt Ancient Scrolls, Sleeping While Awake, and a Shocking New Organism Discovery 28:39

3M ago28:39

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On this week's episode of The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna, Steph and their producer Beemo, unravel ancient burnt scrolls, and explore how AI can be used to read them. They then zone out a bit and discuss a new study related to our brains and what is going on when we "blank." Finally, they get zapped by a new organism that can conduct electricity l…

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Additive Economics: Reshoring, Risk & Revenue in Additive Manufacturing 50:20

3M ago50:20

50:20

In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld discusses the intersection of finance and additive manufacturing with Danny Piper, Managing Partner at New Cap Partners live at RAPID + TCT 2025. Danny, also the host of the Printing Money podcast, shares his expertise on the financial landscape of additive manufacturing, the challe…

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Episode 113: Entangled at a Distance: The Oxford Breakthrough 37:55

3M ago37:55

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In episode 113, Patrick and Ciprian unpack a major milestone in quantum teleportation from Oxford University, where scientists successfully linked two quantum processors using photons to collaboratively run algorithms across distance. They explore how this breakthrough advances distributed quantum computing, including teleportation between atomic e…

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Audio long read: Do smartphones and social media really harm teens’ mental health? 17:33

3M ago17:33

17:33

Research shows that, over the past two decades, rates of mental illness have been increasing in adolescents in many countries. While some scientists point to soaring use of smartphones and social media as a key driver for this trend, others say the evidence does not show a large effect of these technologies on teenagers’ psychological health. At th…

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A brand-new colour created by lasers, a pig-liver transplant trial gets the green light, and a nugget-sized chunk of lab-grown meat 20:27

3M ago20:27

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00:27 Five people see ‘olo’, a brand-new colour Using a laser system to activate specific eye cells, a team has allowed five study participants to perceive a vibrant blue-greenish hue well outside the natural range of colours seen by humans. Although the setup required to accomplish this feat is currently complicated, this finding could provide mor…

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Lucy in the Sky with Asteroids | NASA's Trojan Flyby, Self-Healing Fungal Building Material, and Historical Colossal Squid Footage 30:00

3M ago30:00

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On this week's episode of The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna, Steph and their producer Beemo, look for Jupiter's Trojan asteroids with Lucy, NASA's far-out spacecraft. They then dive into a news story about a self-healing fungus that can be used as a building material, and then swim down into the depths to discuss the historic footage that captured o…

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‘Dark matter’, 'Big Bang' and ‘spin’: how physics terms can confuse researchers 33:11

3M ago33:11

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Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. What’s in a name is a series exploring naming in science and how names impact the world. We look at whether the system of naming species remains …

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Startups, Tariffs & AI: What's Really Shaping the Future of Additive Manufacturing? 34:43

3M ago34:43

34:43

In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld speaks with Arno Held, co-founder and managing partner of AM Ventures. Recording live from RAPID + TCT 2025, they discuss the current state and future outlook of the additive manufacturing landscape, touching on startup trends, the impacts of global tariffs, and increased defense sp…

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What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spud 32:41

4M ago32:41

32:41

In this episode: 00:46 A potato pangenome Researchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties. The potato's complicated genetics has made it difficult to sequence the plant's genome, but improvements in technology have allowed the …

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How Copper, Diamonds, & Beam Shaping are Revolutionizing 3D Printing 1:06:12

4M ago1:06:12

1:06:12

In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld welcomes guests from the University of Wolverhampton — Arun Arjunan, John Robinson, and Manpreet Singh. They delve into the university's significant contributions to additive manufacturing over the past 25 years, discussing their pioneering work in laser powder bed fusion, material …

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"Psycho Salmon, Qu'est-ce que c'est?" | Pharmaceutical Water Pollution, 3D Interactive Holograms, and E-Taste 27:30

4M ago27:30

27:30

On this week's episode of The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna and Steph, along with their feline producer, Beemo the Cat, run far far far far away from the "psycho salmon" that seem to be appearing due to pharmaceutical pollution in waterways. Next they play with some 3D holograms that have becoming interactive, and taste the latest research into 'dig…

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Episode 112: Quantum-Proof Messaging: The Future of Secure Communication with Anurag Lal 34:40

4M ago34:40

34:40

In Episode 112 of Entangled Things, Patrick and Ciprian sit down with Anurag Lal, CEO of Infinite Convergence Solutions, to explore the cutting edge of secure digital communication. The conversation dives into the capabilities of the NetSfere platform, the urgent need for post-quantum cryptography, and how organizations can future-proof their commu…

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Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their evolution — and ours 29:48

4M ago29:48

29:48

00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomes Researchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-en…