Looking to the future of statistical physics, how intense storms can affect your cup of tea

Physics World Weekly Podcast

#Tech #Physics #Physics World #Science #Natural Sciences

1:15:36

In this episode, we welcome back David French, columnist for The New York Times , former constitutional attorney, and author of Divided We Fall . We discuss the current state of American democracy, the challenges of political division, and how we can engage in civil discourse despite deep ideological differences. David also shares a personal update on his family and reflects on the profound trials and growth that come with adversity. 📌 What We Discuss: ✔️ How David and his family navigated the challenges of a serious health crisis. ✔️ The rise of political polarization and the factors driving it. ✔️ Why distinguishing between “unwise, unethical, and unlawful” is crucial in analyzing political actions. ✔️ How consuming different perspectives (even opposing ones) helps in understanding political dynamics. ✔️ The role of Christian values in politics and how they are being redefined. ⏳ Episode Highlights 📍 [00:01:00] – David French’s background and his journey from litigation to journalism. 📍 [00:02:30] – Personal update: David shares his wife Nancy’s battle with cancer and their journey as a family. 📍 [00:06:00] – How to navigate personal trials while maintaining faith and resilience. 📍 [00:10:00] – The danger of political paranoia and the pitfalls of extreme polarization. 📍 [00:18:00] – The "friend-enemy" paradigm in American politics and its influence in Christian fundamentalism. 📍 [00:24:00] – Revisiting Divided We Fall : How America’s divisions have devolved since 2020. 📍 [00:40:00] – The categories and differences of unwise, unethical, and unlawful political actions. 📍 [00:55:00] – The balance between justice, kindness, and humility in political engagement. 📍 [01:00:00] – The After Party initiative: A Christian approach to politics focused on values rather than policy. 💬 Featured Quotes 🔹 "You don't know who you truly are until your values are tested." – David French 🔹 "If we focus on the relational, we can have better conversations even across deep differences." – Corey Nathan 🔹 "Justice, kindness, and humility—if you're missing one, you're doing it wrong." – David French 🔹 "The United States has a history of shifting without repenting. We just move on." – David French 📚 Resources Mentioned David French’s Writing: New York Times David’s Book: Divided We Fall The After Party Initiative – More Info Advisory Opinions Podcast (with Sarah Isgur & David French) – Listen Here 📣 Call to Action If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect With Us on Social Media @coreysnathan: Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack David French: 🔗 Twitter | BlueSky | New York Times Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com Let’s keep talking politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡…

hace un año 37:17

MP3•Episodio en casa

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast we explore two related areas of physics, statistical physics and thermodynamics.

First up we have two leading lights in statistical physics who explain how researchers in the field are studying phenomena as diverse as active matter and artificial intelligence.

They are Leticia Cugliandolo who is at Sorbonne University in Paris and Marc Mézard at Bocconi University in Italy.

Cugliandolo is also chief scientific director of Journal of Statistical Mechanics, Theory, and Experiment (JSTAT) and Mézard has just stepped down from that role. They both talk about how the journal and statistical physics have evolved over the past two decades and what the future could bring.

The second segment of this episode explores how intense storms can affect your cup of tea. Our guests are the meteorologists Caleb Miller and Giles Harrison, who measured the boiling point of water as storm Ciarán passed through the University of Reading in 2023. They explain the thermodynamics of what they found, and how the storm could have affected the quality of the millions of cups of tea brewed that day.

The Journal of Statistical Mechanics, Theory, and Experiment is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed international journal created by the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) and IOP Publishing, which also brings you Physics World.

333 episodios

Looking to the future of statistical physics, how intense storms can affect your cup of tea

Physics World Weekly Podcast

610 subscribers

published hace un año

MP3•Episodio en casa

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast we explore two related areas of physics, statistical physics and thermodynamics.

First up we have two leading lights in statistical physics who explain how researchers in the field are studying phenomena as diverse as active matter and artificial intelligence.

They are Leticia Cugliandolo who is at Sorbonne University in Paris and Marc Mézard at Bocconi University in Italy.

The Journal of Statistical Mechanics, Theory, and Experiment is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed international journal created by the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) and IOP Publishing, which also brings you Physics World.

333 episodios

#Tech #Physics #Physics World #Science #Natural Sciences

Усі епізоди

1
Microsoft’s Chetan Nayak on topological qubits, the physics of bigger splashes 32:15

hace 4 días32:15

32:15

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.…

1
Artur Ekert explains how Albert Einstein and John Bell inspired quantum cryptography 55:00

hace 11 días55:00

55:00

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.…

1
Ionizing radiation: its biological impacts and how it is used to treat disease 37:49

hace 18 días37:49

37:49

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Ileana Silvestre Patallo , a medical physicist at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, and Ruth McLauchlan , consultant radiotherapy physicist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. In a wide-ranging conversation with Physics World ’s Tami Freeman, Patallo and McLauchlan explain how ionizing radiation such as X-rays and proton beams interact with our bodies and how radiation is being used to treat diseases including cancer. This episode was created in collaboration with IPEM , the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. IPEM owns the journal Physics in Medicine & Biology .…

1
New materials for quantum technology, how ultrasound can help detect breast cancer 35:16

hace 25 días35:16

35:16

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, we explore how computational physics is being used to develop new quantum materials; and we look at how ultrasound can help detect breast cancer. Our first guest is Bhaskaran Muralidharan , who leads the Computational Nanoelectronics & Quantum Transport Group at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. In a conversation with Physics World ’s Hamish Johnston, he explains how computational physics is being used to develop new materials and devices for quantum science and technology. He also shares his personal perspective on quantum physics in this International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Our second guest is Daniel Sarno of the UK’s National Physical Laboratory , who is an expert in the medical uses of ultrasound. In a conversation with Physics World ’s Tami Freeman, Sarno explains why conventional mammography can struggle to detect cancer in patients with higher density breast tissue. This is a particular problem because women with such tissue are at higher risk of developing the disease. To address this problem, Sarno and colleagues have developed a ultrasound technique for measuring tissue density and are commercializing it via a company called sona . Bhaskaran Muralidharan is an editorial board member on Materials for Quantum Technology . The journal is produced by IOP Publishing, which also brings you Physics World 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.…

1
Exploring CERN: Physics World visits the world’s leading particle-physics lab 28:38

hace 5 weeks28:38

28:38

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, online editor Margaret Harris chats about her recent trip to CERN . There, she caught up with physicists working on some of the lab’s most exciting experiments and heard from CERN’s current and future leaders. Founded in Geneva in 1954, today CERN is most famous for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is currently in its winter shutdown. Harris describes her descent 100 m below ground level to visit the huge ATLAS detector and explains why some of its components will soon be updated as part of the LHC’s upcoming high luminosity upgrade. She explains why new “crab cavities” will boost the number of particle collisions at the LHC. Among other things, this will allow physicists to better study how Higgs bosons interact with each other, which could provide important insights into the early universe. Harris describes her visit to CERN’s Antimatter Factory, which hosts several experiments that are benefitting from a 2021 upgrade to the lab’s source of antiprotons. These experiments measure properties of antimatter – such as its response to gravity – to see if its behaviour differs from that of normal matter. Harris also heard about the future of the lab from CERN’s director general Fabiola Gianotti and her successor Mark Thomson , who will take over next year.…

1
Jim Gates updates his theorist’s bucket list and surveys the damage being done to US science and society 47:06

hace 6 weeks47:06

47:06

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…

1
Quantum superstars gather in Paris for the IYQ 2025 opening ceremony 27:23

hace 7 weeks27:23

27:23

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.…

1
How the changing environment affects solar-panel efficiency: the Indian perspective 26:16

hace 8 weeks26:16

26:16

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast looks at how climate and environmental change affect the efficiency of solar panels. Our guest is the climate scientist Sushovan Ghosh , who is lead author of paper that explores how aerosols, rising temperatures and other environmental factors will affect solar-energy output in India in the coming decades. Today, India ranks fifth amongst nations in terms of installed solar-energy capacity and boosting this capacity will be crucial for the country’s drive to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 – when compared to 2005. While much of India is blessed with abundant sunshine, it is experiencing a persistent decline in incoming solar radiation that is associated with aerosol pollution. What is more, higher temperatures associated with climate change reduce the efficiency of solar cells – and their performance is also impacted in India by other climate-related phenomena. In this podcast, Ghosh explains how changes in the climate and environment affect the generation of solar energy and what can be done to mitigate these effects. Ghosh co-wrote the paper when at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and he is now at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Spain. His co-authors in Delhi were Dilip Ganguly, Sagnik Dey and Subhojit Ghoshal Chowdhury; and the paper is called, “Future photovoltaic potential in India: navigating the interplay between air pollution control and climate change mitigation ”. It appears in Environmental Research Letters , which is published by IOP Publishing – which also brings you Physics World .…

1
Mark Thomson looks to the future of CERN and particle physics 38:50

hace 9 weeks38:50

38:50

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.…

1
Why electrochemistry lies at the heart of modern technology 35:17

hace 10 weeks35:17

35:17

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.…

1
Ceryx Medical: company uses bioelectronics to coordinate the heart and lungs 41:33

hace 11 weeks41:33

41:33

Heart failure is a serious condition that occurs when a damaged heart loses its ability to pump blood around the body. It affects as many as 100 million people worldwide and it is a progressive disease such that five years after a diagnosis, 50% of patients with heart failure will be dead. The UK-based company Ceryx Medical has created a new bioelectronic device called Cysoni, which is designed to adjust the pace of the heart as a patient breathes in and out. This mimics a normal physiological process called respiratory sinus arrhythmia, which can be absent in people with heart failure. The company has just began the first trial of Cysoni on human subjects. This podcast features the biomedical engineer Stuart Plant and the physicist Ashok Chauhan, who are Ceryx Medical’s CEO and senior scientist respectively. In a wide-ranging conversation with Physics World ’s Margaret Harris, they talk about how bioelectronics could be used treat heart failure and some other diseases. Chauhan and Plant also chat about challenges and rewards of developing medical technologies within a small company.…

1
Humanitarian engineering can improve cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries 48:08

hace 12 weeks48:08

48:08

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast explores how the concept of humanitarian engineering can be used to provide high quality cancer care to people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is an important challenge because today only 5% of global radiotherapy resources are located in LMICs, which are home to the majority of the world’s population. Our guests are two medical physicists at the University of Washington in the US who have contributed to the ebook Humanitarian Engineering for Global Oncology. They are Eric Ford , who edited the ebook and Afua Yorke , who along with Ford wrote the chapter “ Cost-effective radiation treatment delivery systems for low- and middle-income countries ”. They are in conversation with Physics World ’s Tami Freeman.…

1
International Year of Quantum Science and Technology: our celebrations begin with a look at quantum networks and sensors 37:06

hace 13 weeks37:06

37:06

As proclaimed by the United Nations, 2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology , or IYQ for short. This year was chosen because it marks the 100th anniversary of Werner Heisenberg’s development of matrix mechanics – the first consistent mathematical description of quantum physics. Our guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast is the Turkish quantum physicist Mete Atatüre , who heads up the Cavendish Laboratory at the UK’s University of Cambridge. In a conversation with Physics World ’s Katherine Skipper, Atatüre talks about hosting Quantour , the quantum light source that is IYQ’s version of the Olympic torch. He also talks about his group’s research on quantum sensors and quantum networks. There is much more about Heisenberg’s mathematical breakthrough in quantum physics here: “ Return to Helgoland: celebrating 100 years of 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.…

1
The physics of ice cream: food scientist Douglas Goff talks about this remarkable material 40:39

hace 14 weeks40:39

40:39

December might be dark and chilly here in the northern hemisphere, but it’s summer south of the equator – and for many people that means eating ice cream. It turns out that the physics of ice cream is rather remarkable – as I discovered when I travelled to Canada’s University of Guelph to interview the food scientist Douglas Goff . He is a leading expert on the science of frozen desserts and in this podcast he talks about the unique material properties of ice cream, the analytical tools he uses to study it, and why ice cream goes off when it is left in the freezer for too long.…

1
Mikhail Lukin and Dolev Bluvstein explain how they used trapped atoms to create 48 logical qubits 39:18

hace 15 weeks39:18