Best Laser Materials Science Podcast Podcasts (2025)

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Imagining alien worlds: we explore the science and fiction of exoplanets 42:04

Play Pause

1d ago42:04

42:04

In the past three decades astronomers have discovered more than 6000 exoplanets – planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. Many of these exoplanets are very unlike the eight planets of the solar system, making it clear that the cosmos contains a rich and varied array of alien worlds. Weird and wonderful planets are also firmly entrenched in the…

1
How a dangerous tick-borne virus sneaks into the brain 32:42

2h ago32:42

32:42

00:48 New insights into tick-borne encephalitis Researchers have identified a key protein that helps tick-borne encephalitis virus enter the brain. In rare cases an infection can lead to serious neurological symptoms, but little was known about how the virus interacts with human cells. Now, a team show that a protein found on the outside of cells p…

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Apocalypse then: how cataclysms shaped human societies 27:39

5d ago27:39

27:39

Science journalist Lizzie Wade’s first book, Apocalypse: A Transformative Exploration of Humanity's Resilience Through Cataclysmic Events explores some of the cataclysmic events that humans have faced through history. Lizzie joined us to discuss what modern archaeology has revealed about these events, and the role these they’ve have played in shapi…

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Peer review in the age of artificial intelligence 28:22

7d ago28:22

28:22

It is Peer Review Week and the theme for 2025 is “Rethinking Peer Review in the AI Era”. This is not surprising given the rapid rise in the use and capabilities of artificial intelligence. However, views on AI are deeply polarized for reasons that span its legality, efficacy and even its morality. A recent survey done by IOP Publishing – the scient…

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This AI tool predicts your risk of 1,000 diseases — by looking at your medical records 35:31

7d ago35:31

35:31

00:50 The AI tool that predicts disease risk Researchers have developed an AI tool that can calculate a person’s risk of developing over 1,000 different diseases, sometimes years in advance. The system, called Delphi-2M, was trained to identify patterns of disease progression using 400,000 people's health records from data repository the UK Biobank…

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Detecting gravitational waves 10:21

12d ago10:21

10:21

In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) facilities in the US directly detected ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves. These waves were produced by the final spiral of two orbiting black holes that smashed into each other, sending ripples across the Universe. In this podcast, Benjamin Thompson speaks to …

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Juno: the spacecraft that is revolutionizing our understanding of Jupiter 36:22

15d ago36:22

36:22

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Scott Bolton, who is principal investigator on NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter. Launched in 2011, the mission has delivered important insights into the nature of the gas-giant planet. In this conversation with Physics World’s Margaret Harris, Bolton explains how Juno continues to change our u…

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Feeling the heat: fossil-fuel producers linked to dozens of heatwaves 36:39

14d ago36:39

36:39

00:45 Attributing extreme heat events to major energy producers Major energy producers increased the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves, according to research published in Nature. Using data from an international disaster database, a team developed a methodology to investigate how much anthropogenic climate change had influenced heatwaves. They …

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Research misconduct: how the scientific community is fighting back 52:13

16d ago52:13

52:13

In 2016, Brian Wansink wrote a blog post that prompted scientific sleuths to investigate his work. They found evidence of data manipulation, and, after several news articles and two investigations by his institution, he would found to have committed misconduct, as defined by Cornell University. His work had been used to inform US policy around food…

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Nature goes inside the world’s largest ‘mosquito factory’ — here’s the buzz 10:57

19d ago10:57

10:57

Raising mosquitoes to tackle disease might sound like an odd concept, but that’s what a facility in Brazil is aiming to do. Millions of mosquitoes are produced there every week, but these insects carry harmless Wolbachia bacteria that curbs their ability to spread deadly human viruses. Nature reporter Mariana Lenharo visited the facility and told u…

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Artificial intelligence predicts future directions in quantum science 36:59

20d ago36:59

36:59

Can artificial intelligence predict future research directions in quantum science? Listen to this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast to discover what is already possible. My guests are Mario Krenn – who heads the Artificial Scientist Lab at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light – and Felix Frohnert, who is doing a PhD on …

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Two ants, two species, one mother 27:06

21d ago27:06

27:06

00:45 The ant queen that can produce two different species Researchers have made an unusual observation that appears at odds with biology: an ant, known as the Iberian Harvester Ant can produce offspring of two completely different species. Many ants need to mate with other species to produce workers that are a genetic mix of the two, known as hybr…

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Audio long read: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI 19:57

26d ago19:57

19:57

The search for signs of consciousness has expanded, thanks to advanced neuroimaging techniques. These tools allow researchers to detect consciousness in unresponsive humans, and now researchers are looking to develop tests that work in animals and perhaps even artificial intelligence systems of the future. This is an audio version of our Feature: H…

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From a laser lab to The Economist: physicist Jason Palmer on his move to journalism 41:10

27d ago41:10

41:10

My guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is the journalist Jason Palmer, who co-hosts “The Intelligence” podcast at The Economist. Palmer did a PhD in chemical physics at Imperial College London before turning his hand to science writing with stints at the BBC and New Scientist. He explains how he made the transition from the la…

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Viral spread: how rumours surged in revolutionary France 24:44

28d ago24:44

24:44

00:48 How the 18th-Century 'Great Fear’ spread across rural France In the late 1700s, rural France was beset with rapidly spreading rumours of aristocratic plots to suppress revolutionary ideas. But how, and why, these rumours were able to spread so quickly has puzzled historians. Now, using modern epidemiological modelling, a team suggests that a …

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Cosmic chemistry: Ewine van Dishoeck shares her zeal for astrochemistry 36:07

1M ago36:07

36:07

This episode features a wide-ranging interview with the astrochemist Ewine van Dishoeck, who is professor emeritus of molecular astrophysics at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. In 2018 she was awarded The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics and in this podcast she talks about her passion for astrochemistry and how her research combines astronomy, ast…

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Fusion energy gets a boost from cold fusion chemistry 19:57

1M ago19:57

19:57

00:46 Electrochemical fusion Researchers have used electrochemistry to increase the rates of nuclear fusion reactions in a desktop reactor. Fusion energy promises abundant clean energy, but fusion events are rare, hindering progress. Now, inspired by the controversial claim of cold fusion, researchers used electrochemistry to get palladium to absor…

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Controversial climate report from Trump team galvanizes scientists into action 13:05

1M ago13:05

13:05

In this Podcast Extra, we discuss a report released by the US Department of Energy, which concluded that global warming is “less damaging economically than commonly believed”. However, many researchers say that the report misrepresents decades of climate science. We discuss how scientists are trying to coordinate a unified response amidst concerns …

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Building a quantum powerhouse in the US Midwest 47:53

1M ago47:53

47:53

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast I am in conversation two physicists who are leading lights in the quantum science and technology community in the US state of Illinois. They are Preeti Chalsani who is chief quantum officer at Intersect Illinois, and David Awschalom who is director of Q-NEXT. As well as being home to Chicago, the …

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Sun-powered flyers could explore the mysterious mesosphere 31:53

1M ago31:53

31:53

00:46 Tiny solar flyer Researchers have used a phenomenon known as thermal transpiration to create a solar-powered flying device that can stay aloft without any moving parts. The diminutive device, just one centimetre across, consists of two thin, perforated membranes that allow air to flow through the device, generating lift. Although only a proof…

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Building a career from a passion for science communication 38:13

2M ago38:13

38:13

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features an interview with Kirsty McGhee, who is a scientific writer at the quantum-software company Qruise. It is the second episode in our two-part miniseries on careers for physicists. While she was doing a PhD in condensed matter physics, McGhee joined Physics World’s Student Contributors Network…

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Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test 28:14

2M ago28:14

28:14

00:45 Researchers develop a new glue and test it on a rubber duck Aided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. Inspired by animals like barnacles, the team developed a new kind of a material called a hydrogel. The material is capable of securely fastening objects together even w…

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Third age careers for physicists: writing and the arts beckon 45:40

2M ago45:40

45:40

Many of us will have careers with three distinct eras: education, work and retirement. While the first two tend to be regimented, the third age offers the possibility of pursuing a wide range of interests. Our guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is the retired particle physicist Michael Albrow, who is scientist emeritus at Fer…

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

2M 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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From rabbits and foxes to the human gut microbiome, physics is helping us understand the natural world 40:28

2M ago40:28

40:28

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is a conversation with two physicists, Ada Altieri and Silvia De Monte, who are using their expertise in statistical physics to understand the behaviour of ecological communities. A century ago, pioneering scientists such as Alfred Lotka and Vito Volterra showed that statistical physics techniques co…

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

2M 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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AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are taking on errors 49:19

2M ago49:19

49:19

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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Oak Ridge’s Quantum Science Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to developing quantum materials and technologies 39:02

2M ago39:02

39:02

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Travis Humble, who is director of the Quantum Science Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Located in the US state of Tennessee, Oak Ridge is run by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Quantum Science Center links Oak Ridge with other US national labs, universities and companies. Humb…

Laser Materials Science Podcast

51
Nature Podcast

Springer Nature Limited

1
Physics World Weekly Podcast

Physics World

1
LASER: Materials Science Podcast

LASER: Materials Science Podcast

1
Physics for Future

Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPhyMS) - University of Luxembourg

1
The Debrief Weekly Report | A Science and Technology News Podcast

The Debrief

1
Imagining alien worlds: we explore the science and fiction of exoplanets 42:04

1
How a dangerous tick-borne virus sneaks into the brain 32:42

1
Apocalypse then: how cataclysms shaped human societies 27:39

1
Peer review in the age of artificial intelligence 28:22

1
This AI tool predicts your risk of 1,000 diseases — by looking at your medical records 35:31

1
Detecting gravitational waves 10:21

1
Juno: the spacecraft that is revolutionizing our understanding of Jupiter 36:22

1
Feeling the heat: fossil-fuel producers linked to dozens of heatwaves 36:39

1
Research misconduct: how the scientific community is fighting back 52:13

1
Nature goes inside the world’s largest ‘mosquito factory’ — here’s the buzz 10:57

1
Artificial intelligence predicts future directions in quantum science 36:59

1
Two ants, two species, one mother 27:06

1
Audio long read: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI 19:57

1
From a laser lab to The Economist: physicist Jason Palmer on his move to journalism 41:10

1
Viral spread: how rumours surged in revolutionary France 24:44

1
Cosmic chemistry: Ewine van Dishoeck shares her zeal for astrochemistry 36:07

1
Fusion energy gets a boost from cold fusion chemistry 19:57

1
Controversial climate report from Trump team galvanizes scientists into action 13:05

1
Building a quantum powerhouse in the US Midwest 47:53

1
Sun-powered flyers could explore the mysterious mesosphere 31:53

1
Building a career from a passion for science communication 38:13

1
Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test 28:14

1
Third age careers for physicists: writing and the arts beckon 45:40

1
Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea 33:03

1
From rabbits and foxes to the human gut microbiome, physics is helping us understand the natural world 40:28

1
Giant laser heats solid gold to 14 times its melting point 35:38

1
AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are taking on errors 49:19

1
Oak Ridge’s Quantum Science Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to developing quantum materials and technologies 39:02