Podcast · Tech & Science

People doing Physics

by Cavendish Laboratory · English · Tech & Science

As fascinating as physics can be, it can also seem very abstract, but behind each experiment and discovery stands a real person trying to understand the universe. Join us at the Cavendish Laboratory on the first Thursday of every month as we get up close and personal with the researchers, technician

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 42 min
Latest: 1 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026 · 55 min

Thulani Rachia & Oli Shorttle in conversation

Each year, we invite the Cavendish Arts Science Fellow to join us for a conversation with one of the scientists whose ideas helped shape their time in Cambridge. Today’s episode is one of those conversations, and I’m delighted to welcome artist Thulani Rachia and planetary geoscientist Oliver – Oli - Shorttle to the studio. Thulani is the fifth Cavendish Arts Science Fellow. A South African artist working across moving image, performance, music composition and sculpture, he explores two closely connected ideas: critique and recovery. His work, which has been shown nationally and…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E42 · 4 Jun 2026 · 51 min
Didier Queloz: the importance of getting it wrong
Today, we have the privilege of being joined by one half of the team behind what is arguably one of humankinds’ epochal breakthroughs – the first observation of a planet outside our solar system. Both a professor at the University of Zurich and Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy here at Cambridge, Didier Queloz began his research career by achieving the great aim of all PhD students; a publication in Nature . Since then, the techniques and instruments he pioneered have led to the identification of over 4,000 other exoplanets and revolutionised our understanding of planetary…
E41 · 7 May 2026 · 46 min
Montu Saxena: insights from a condensed-matter physicist
Today we are delighted to be joined by Siddharth Shanker Saxena, known to friends and colleagues as Montu, a condensed-matter physicist at the Cavendish Laboratory and head of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum. By Montu’s own admission, he was never able to pick a side, and so has spent his whole life exploring the world of superconductivity, all the while advocating for international relations and anthropology. Together we talk about the moments that shape a scientific life: learning to believe you belong, the role of mentoring, and what “failure" can teach you. We also dig into the enduring…
E40 · 2 Apr 2026 · 31 min
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: a star among the stars
We are so happy to be joined by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, legendary astrophysicist who made the first observations of pulsars during her PhD at the Cavendish, and went on to become a fierce advocate of diversity in science. Dame Jocelyn is visiting Cambridge to give a special talk organised by the Cambridge University Women in Physics Society for International Women’s Day and we’re really excited to be able to spend time with her and ask her about her journey. -- A brief note for our listeners: this episode includes personal reflections on life in academia and physics in past…
E39 · 4 Dec 2025 · 34 min
Verity Allan: From ancient words to distant worlds
Today we’re joined by Verity Allan, who works as a project manager, developer, and programmer of architecture and software for the Square Kilometre Array, which will be the world's largest radio telescope. A graduate of Cambridge, Oxford, and The Open University, Verity came to Cambridge from a town in the Midlands to study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. How did she go from studying ancient languages, to coding, designing security for telescope software systems, and pursuing a PhD in high performance computing for astrophysics? These are just some of the twists and turns we hope to explore…
E38 · 4 Sep 2025 · 47 min
Creativity in science: a conversation with Akeelah Bertram and Kevin Lim
I’m delighted to welcome Akeelah Bertram and Kevin Lim to this episode of People Doing Physics. Akeelah, a British multi-disciplinary artist and the current Cavendish Arts Science Fellow, creates immersive installations that blend digital and interactive art, performance, creative technology, and sculpture—all with a focus on collective storytelling. Her work often experiments with new modes of communication, crafting experiences that connect people across different locations and contexts. Over the past year, Akeelah has been deeply engaged with scientists at the Cavendish Laboratory as part…
E37 · 3 Jul 2025 · 48 min
Teuta Pilizota: The itch that drives research
Today in People Doing Physics, we’re delighted to welcome Professor Teuta Pilizota, a physicist who works at the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics. Having set up her first lab during her PhD, Teuta is no stranger to the challenges of moving a lab, and she recently brought her innovative biological physics work to the Cavendish Laboratory. Teuta brings a unique perspective to science. She’s someone who finds the complexities of maths more straightforward than those of human nature, and who will choose excitement over logic when selecting scientific questions to research. Her…
E36 · 3 Apr 2025 · 45 min
Russell Cowburn: physics, faith... and nanotechnology
We’re excited to welcome Russell Cowburn, professor or experimental physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, serial entrepreneur, and a man of faith, newly appointed Canon Scientist at St Albans Cathedral . Russel’s journey to becoming a physicist started with a light bulb moment, quite literally. From his early interest in electronics to his education and career in Cambridge, with a couple of detours through engineering and France, his profile sits at the intersection between science and technology. With over 60 patents granted, Russell is a master at translating discoveries into technologies.…
E35 · 6 Mar 2025 · 29 min
Charlotte Simmonds: Chasing Stars
Today on People Doing Physics, we’re delighted to welcome Charlotte Simmonds, an astronomer with an incredible journey and a woman on a quest. Of all the guests we had the pleasure to welcome here, Charlotte stands out as one of the most determined, driven by an unshakable fascination for the universe, and our place within it. If astronomy was always her end goal, she first studied and started her career as a music teacher. But when the time was right, she finally embraced her first love and passion and navigated her way through the various challenges that academia invariably presents. Now a…
E34 · 6 Feb 2025 · 43 min
Simone Eizagirre Barker: Taking research to the world (Replay)
This episode was first published in May 2024 This month on People Doing Physics, we have a voice very familiar to listeners; Simone Eizagirre Barker, PhD student in the Quantum Optical Materials and Systems group at the Cavendish. Following a winding path into Optical Physics, Simone previously dipped her toes into Nanotechnology in the Cavendish’ NanoDTC, and Chemical Physics at the University of Edinburgh. Her interdisciplinary background builds on her fascination for figuring out how the world works, whether looking at quantum systems or how to structure the perfect argument. Outside of…
E33 · 9 Jan 2025 · 40 min
Richard King: From Cambridge with Love (Replay)
Welcome back to a world of People Doing Physics! For this first episode of 2024, let us introduce you to Richard King, the Undergraduate Lab Manager at the Cavendish Laboratory. Richard oversees the practical side of the undergraduate physics course, managing the team that designs, develops, and deploys lecture demos and undergraduate experiments. A former electronic engineer, his background was in circuit design and computing before he joined the Cavendish in 2008. With Richard, we talk about how Cambridge has changed over the years, what it’s like going from fast-paced industry to the…
E32 · 5 Dec 2024 · 44 min
The Bad Boy of Science: Particle Physics meets Science Communications
This month, our guest is Dr Sam Gregson, better known as YouTube’s Bad Boy of Science. Formerly a Cavendish particle physicist working on the LHCb experiment at CERN, Sam found that he enjoyed finding ways to engage non-specialist audiences with fundamental physics more than submitting himself to peer-review and moved into science communication. The founder of LHComedy, CERN’s first ever comedy show, he now runs science education shows that have played in venues as diverse as the Royal Institution and The Green Man Festival. His Hunting the Higgs talk was recently performed for hundreds of…
E31 · 7 Nov 2024 · 35 min
Behind the lab coat: Oliwia Zawadzka on apprenticeships in physics
This month, we are joined by Oliwia Zawadzka, a Research Laboratory Technician at the Cavendish Laboratory. Oliwia grew up in Poland before moving to the UK aged 9. Dropped in at the deep end, she spent the next few years learning English just in time to sit her exams. Despite doing well, she decided the typical path through university wasn’t for her and set about finding an apprenticeship that suited. This brought her to the Cavendish, where she started as a laboratory technician apprentice, helping the technicians in their work supporting the research of the department. Today, we’ll talk…
E30 · 3 Oct 2024 · 38 min
Exploring the Intersection of Physics and Business with Sam Stranks
Today we are joined by Professor Sam Stranks, Professor of Optoelectronics and Royal Society University Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and a Joint Member here at the Cavendish Laboratory. Growing up in Australia, Sam graduated from the University of Adelaide with a BA in German and Applied Mathematics, alongside a BSc in Physics and Physical Chemistry, before completing a PhD at Oxford University. His research focuses on developing novel materials for low-cost electronics applications, such as solar cells and LEDs, and he is co-founder of Swift…
E29 · 5 Sep 2024 · 46 min
Curiosity Unbound: Robert Ssempijja and Harry Cliff
Our guests today come from very different walks of life and have been following widely different paths, which have both led them here to Cambridge and the Cavendish. More than just location, it’s clear that our guests have a lot in common and a lot to share. Ugandan contemporary artist, dancer and researcher, Robert Ssempijja , is the third Cavendish Arts Science Fellow at Girton College, a programme that creates collective encounters between art and science, that explores the world, our humanity and our place in the world. His work explores things that spoken language cannot always explain,…
E13 · 1 Aug 2024 · 39 min
Replay: A tour of the Cavendish's new home with Andy Parker
The team is taking a short break this summer and will be back in September with a plethora of new guests. To help you wait, we’ve selected a couple of previous episodes we wanted to share again with you. This month, we go back to the Ray Dolby Centre for a tour of what was, at the time of recording in January 2023, still very much a building site. A year and a bit later, the newest home of the Cavendish Laboratory is now completed and we’re gearing up for the migration of 1,100 staff and students, along with research and teaching labs, scientific equipment, and technical instruments. Let’s…
E18 · 4 Jul 2024 · 42 min
Replay: An open conversation with physics students
Hello dear listeners. The team of People doing Physics is taking a short break this summer and will be back in September with new guests and more physics chats. To help you wait, we’ve selected a couple of previous episodes we wanted to share again with you. We start with our panel episode with three Undergraduate students, which comes out just as we are about to welcome once again hundreds of potential new students for the University of Cambridge Open Days. This episode was recorded in June 2023, with Misha de Fockert and Armaan Shaikh, who were just finishing their 2nd year, and Ming-Shau…
E28 · 6 Jun 2024 · 43 min
Pushing boundaries with Lisa Jardine-Wright
We are joined by Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, OBE; Director of Isaac Physics, Director of Studies for Physics at Churchill College, and Vice-President for Education and Skills at the Institute of Physics. An astrophysicist by training, Lisa studied Natural Sciences and for a Master’s Degree in Physics at Trinity College in Cambridge, before completing her PhD at the Institute of Astronomy just over the road from the Cavendish. While there, she became involved in the Institute’s outreach activities, contributing to the first Cambridge Festivals and the regular Public Open Evenings, before moving…
E27 · 2 May 2024 · 43 min
Simone Eizagirre Barker: Taking research to the world
This month on People Doing Physics, we have a voice very familiar to listeners; Simone Eizagirre Barker, PhD student in the Quantum Optical Materials and Systems group at the Cavendish. Following a winding path into Optical Physics, Simone previously dipped her toes into Nanotechnology in the Cavendish’ NanoDTC, and Chemical Physics at the University of Edinburgh. Her interdisciplinary background builds on her fascination for figuring out how the world works, whether looking at quantum systems or how to structure the perfect argument. Outside of science, Simone has been involved in student…
E26 · 4 Apr 2024 · 47 min
Playful physics with Oleg Brandt
This month we are delighted to welcome Oleg Brandt, a Professor of Experimental Physics in the High Energy Physics group of the Cavendish. Oleg’s journey into the world of particle physics is both captivating and enlightening. From his early days inspired by a remarkable physics teacher directly followed by a rocky start at University, to a transformative experience abroad and a few more pivotal moments along the way, Oleg's insatiable curiosity for the fundamental mysteries of nature and his passion for teaching has led him to Cambridge where he now teaches the next generations of…
E25 · 7 Mar 2024 · 55 min
The many paths from physics
This episode is also available in video format on our YouTube channel - check it out! Today’s format is a little different to our usual episodes, as we’ve invited four Cavendish alumni for a panel discussion about all things physics and career development. They’ll tell us about what they learnt at the Cavendish, their natural sciences and physics background, as well as how their doctoral research in physics shaped their careers and brought them to where they are today. We’re joined by Aswathy Girija , commissioning editor at the Institute of Physics, Professor Kerstin Göpfrich , group leader…
E24 · 1 Feb 2024 · 33 min
Eloy de Lera Acedo: Tiny signals, big ambitions
Have you ever looked at the sky at night and wondered about the mysteries of the universe? When most of us are just looking at those bright stars in awe, our guest today would be searching for tiny, minuscule signals that would help unlock the mysteries of the so-called Cosmic Dawn, when the universe went from dark to bright. Eloy de Lera Acedo is an Associate Professor of Radio Cosmology and the head of the Radio Astronomy and Cosmology research group. His background in engineering and thirst of learning about the big science questions have led him to the Cavendish where he is involved in…
E23 · 4 Jan 2024 · 40 min
Richard King: From Cambridge with Love
Welcome back to a world of People Doing Physics! For this first episode of 2024, let us introduce you to Richard King, the Undergraduate Lab Manager at the Cavendish Laboratory. Richard oversees the practical side of the undergraduate physics course, managing the team that designs, develops, and deploys lecture demos and undergraduate experiments. A former electronic engineer, his background was in circuit design and computing before he joined the Cavendish in 2008. With Richard, we talk about how Cambridge has changed over the years, what it’s like going from fast-paced industry to the…
E22 · 7 Dec 2023 · 28 min
The power of saying yes with Emily Roe
Our guest today is Emily Roe, who has recently joined us from industry to start a new role as Senior Research Laboratory Technician. Contrary to many of our previous guests, Physics is actually not her first love. What Emily was really interested in as a young mind, was geology. But it turns out field trips were not her thing, so after a degree in geology, she shifted to a lab role at the University of Durham . And shifting, she has continued to do throughout her career, jumping from one city to the next, and between University and Industry, showing off her versatility and adaptability…
E21 · 2 Nov 2023 · 35 min
The rise of the machine (learning) with Gareth Conduit
Today we’re joined by Dr Gareth Conduit. Gareth is a lecturer at Gonville and Caius College and Royal Society Research Fellow here at the cavendish Laboratory. He leads a research group focused on developing machine learning methods for understanding and designing new materials and chemicals. In 2017, he co-founded the startup Intellegens, through which he’s worked with companies such as Rolls Royce to apply software developed in the lab to the kinds of materials questions faced by industry. Today, we talk about how the joy of physics can come from breaking things down to understand how they…
E20 · 5 Oct 2023 · 44 min
The joy of physics with Mete Atatüre
Long silver hair in a ponytail, a pair of Converse All Star and a Grateful Dead t-shirt… The guest sitting opposite us today in the studio is not your average Cambridge academic. But don't be fooled by his relaxed demeanour; Professor Mete Atatüre is a serious trailblazer in his field. Co-founder of the Atomic, Mesoscopic and Optical Physics Group of the Cavendish Laboratory, his ground-breaking work in quantum optics and solid-state physics has earned him accolades and respect worldwide. His experimental research group investigates light-based quantum science to enable future quantum…
E19 · 7 Sep 2023 · 36 min
Ain Bailey & Gemma Bale: Exploring the Intersection of Sound, Science, and Music
Help us get better by taking our quick survey ! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you for your time. Here’s a question for you dear listener. What’s the link between music and physics? What is the sound of physics? Today we're diving into a fascinating world where art, science, and music intersect. Joining us in our studio are two incredible individuals who have embarked on a journey that brings together the realms of sound, physics, and human emotion. Ain Bailey is a composer and the second Cavendish Arts Science Fellow. Cavendish Arts Science…
E19 · 3 Aug 2023 · 1 min
Returning in September!
The team is taking a short break and will be back in September with new guests and more physics chats. Stay tuned! While you wait, why not taking 2 minutes to answer a few questions about the podcast and help us get better? People Doing Physics is a podcast produced by the Cavendish Laboratory, the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. Visit the Cavendish website and learn more abour our research and teaching, and how you could get involved! Share and join the conversation If you like this podcast, don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It…
E18 · 6 Jul 2023 · 41 min
An open conversation with physics students, Misha de Fockert, Ming-Shau Liu and Armaan Shaikh
Help us get better by taking our quick survey ! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you. This is July and the streets of Cambridge burst with sun and excitement as students let a communal sigh of relief now that the academic year is over. This is July, and the time for future students to think about what subject they might be studying when choosing to go to university. As we are welcoming hundreds of potential new students today and tomorrow for the University of Cambridge Open Days, we have invited three of our current undergraduate students to join…
E17 · 1 Jun 2023 · 38 min
Replay: Malcolm Longair, the memory of the Cavendish Laboratory (episode 9)
On 16th June, the Cavendish Laboratory will be celebrating its 149th anniversary! To mark this occasion, we wanted to replay one of our previous episodes with one of our longest standing member of staff, Malcolm Longair. Malcolm is the memory of the Department, and his stories are fascinating, so let's jump back in with Simone, Jacob and our guest. We hope you enjoy! If you like this episode, don’t forget to rate it or leave a review on your favourite podcast app. Episode 9: With us this month is Prof. Malcolm Longair, CBE, FRS, FRSE (and Munroist). Born in Dundee, in 1941, Malcolm studied…

About People doing Physics

People doing Physics is a English tech & science podcast from Cavendish Laboratory. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Cavendish Laboratory
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 42 min
Latest episode: 1 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1607476026

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