Physics World Weekly Podcast

Developing practical technologies for quantum information systems requires the cooperation of academic researchers, national laboratories and industry. That is the mission of the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), which is based at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US. The QSA’s director Bert de Jong is my guest in this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast. His academic research focuses on computational chemistry and he explains how this led him to realise that quantum phenomena can be used to develop technologies for solving scientific problems. In our conversation, de Jong explains why the QSA is developing a range of qubit platforms − including neutral atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting qubits – rather than focusing on a single architecture. He champions the co-development of quantum hardware and software to ensure that quantum computing is effective at solving a wide range of problems from particle physics to chemistry. We also chat about the QSA’s strong links to industry and de Jong reveals his wish list of scientific problems that he would solve if he had access today to a powerful quantum computer. This podcast is supported by Oxford Ionics.

Science fiction became science fact in 2022 when NASA’s DART mission took the first steps towards creating a planetary defence system that could someday protect Earth from a catastrophic asteroid collision. However, much more work on asteroid deflection is needed from the latest generation of researchers – including Rahil Makadia, who has just completed a PhD in aerospace engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, Makadia talks about his work on how we could deflect asteroids away from Earth. We also chat about the potential threats posed by near-Earth asteroids – from shattered windows to global destruction. Makadia’s stresses the importance of getting a deflection right the first time, because his calculations reveal that a poorly deflected asteroid could return to Earth someday. In November, he published a paper that explored how a bad deflection could send an asteroid into a “keyhole” that guarantees its return. But it is not all gloom and doom, Makadia points out that our current understanding of near-Earth asteroids suggests that no major collision will occur for at least 100 years. So even if there is a threat on the horizon, we have lots of time to develop deflection strategies and technologies.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Amanda Randles, who is a computer scientist and biomedical engineer at Duke University in the US. In a conversation with Physics World’s Margaret Harris, Randles explains how she uses physics-based, computationally intensive simulations to develop new ways to diagnose and treat human disease. She has also investigated how data from wearable devices such as smartwatches can be used identify signs of heart disease. In 2024, the Association for Computing Machinery awarded Randles its ACM Prize in Computing for her groundbreaking work. Harris caught up with Randles at the 2025 Heidelberg Laureate Forum, which brings prizewinning researchers and early-career researchers in computer science and mathematics to Heidelberg, Germany for a week of talks and networking. Randles began her career as a physicist and she explains why she was drawn to the multidisciplinary research that she does today. Randles talks about her enduring love of computer coding and also reflects on what she might have done differently when starting out in her career.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Todd McNutt, who is a medical physicist at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Oncospace. In a conversation with Physics World’s Tami Freeman, McNutt explains how an artificial intelligence-based tool called Plan AI can help improve the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatments. As well as discussing the benefits that Plan AI brings to radiotherapy patients and cancer treatment centres, they examine its evolution from an idea developed by an academic collaboration to a clinical product offered today by Sun Nuclear, a US manufacturer of radiation equipment and software. This podcast is sponsored by Sun Nuclear.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with the plasma physicist Debbie Callahan who is chief strategy officer at Focused Energy — a California and Germany based fusion-energy startup. Prior to that she spent 35 years working at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US. Focused Energy is developing a commercial system for generating energy from the laser-driven fusion of hydrogen isotopes. Callahan describes LightHouse, which is the company’s design for a laser-fusion power plant, and Pearl, which is the firm’s deuterium–tritium fuel capsule. Callahan talks about the challenges and rewards of working in the fusion industry and also calls on early-career physicists to consider careers in this burgeoning sector.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with Tim Prior and John Devaney of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), which is UK’s national metrology institute. Prior is NPL’s Quantum Programme Manager and Devaney is its Quantum Standards Manager. They talk about NPL’s central role in the recent launch of NMI-Q, which brings together some of the world’s leading national metrology institutes to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies. Prior and Devaney describe the challenges and opportunities of developing metrology and standards for rapidly-evolving technologies including quantum sensors, quantum computing and quantum cryptography. They talk about the importance of NPL’s collaborations with industry and academia and explore the diverse career opportunities for physicists at NPL. Prior and Devaney also talk about their own careers and share their enthusiasm for working in the cutting-edge and fast-paced field of quantum metrology. Further reading Why quantum metrology is the driving force for best practice in quantum standardization Performance metrics and benchmarks point the way to practical quantum advantage End note: NPL retains copyright on this article.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Alex May, whose research explores the intersection of quantum gravity and quantum information theory. Based at Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, May explains how ideas being developed in the burgeoning field of quantum information theory could help solve one of the most enduring mysteries in physics – how to reconcile quantum mechanics with Einstein’s general theory of relativity, creating a viable theory of quantum gravity. This interview was recorded in autumn 2025 when I had the pleasure of visiting the Perimeter Institute and speaking to four physicists about their research. This is the last of those conversations to appear on the podcast. The first interview in this series from the Perimeter Institute was with Javier Toledo-Marín, “Quantum computing and AI join forces for particle physics”; the second was with Bianca Dittrich, “Quantum gravity: we explore spin foams and other potential solutions to this enduring challenge“; and the third was with Tim Hsieh, “Building a quantum future using topological phases of matter and error correction”. This episode is supported by the APS Global Physics Summit, which takes place on 15–20 March, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, and online.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Pat Hanrahan, who studied nuclear engineering and biophysics before becoming a founding employee of Pixar Animation Studios. As well as winning three Academy Awards for his work on computer animation, Hanrahan won the Association for Computing Machinery’s A.M. Turing Award for his contributions to 3D computer graphics, or CGI. Earlier this year, Hanrahan spoke to Physics World’s Margaret Harris at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany. He explains how he was introduced to computer graphics by his need to visualize the results of computer simulations of nervous systems. That initial interest led him to Pixar and his development of physically-based rendering, which uses the principles of physics to create realistic images. Hanrahan explains that light interacts with different materials in very different ways, making detailed animations very challenging. Indeed, he says that creating realistic looking skin is particularly difficult – comparing it to the quest for a grand unified theory in physics. He also talks about how having a background in physics has helped his career – citing his physicist’s knack for creating good models and then using them to solve problems.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Guangyu Zhang. Along with his colleagues at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhang has bagged the 2025 Physics World Breakthrough of the Year award for creating the first 2D metals. In a wide-ranging conversation, we chat about the motivation behind the team’s research; the challenges in making 2D metals and how these were overcome; and how 2D metals could be used to boost our understanding of condensed matter physics and create new technologies. I am also joined by my Physics World colleague Matin Durrani to talk about some of the exciting physics that we will be showcasing in 2025. Physics World‘s coverage of the Breakthrough of the Year is supported by Reports on Progress in Physics, which offers unparalleled visibility for your ground-breaking research.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a lively discussion about our Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2025, which include important research in quantum sensing, planetary science, medical physics, 2D materials and more. Physics World editors explain why we have made our selections and look at the broader implications of this impressive body of research. The top 10 serves as the shortlist for the Physics World Breakthrough of the Year award, the winner of which will be announced on 18 December. Links to all the nominees, more about their research and the selection criteria can be found here. Physics World‘s coverage of the Breakthrough of the Year is supported by Reports on Progress in Physics, which offers unparalleled visibility for your ground-breaking research.

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Tim Hsieh of Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. We explore some of today’s hottest topics in quantum science and technology – including topological phases of matter; quantum error correction and quantum simulation. Our conversation begins with an exploration of the quirky properties quantum matter and how these can be exploited to create quantum technologies. We look at the challenges that must be overcome to create large-scale quantum computers; and Hsieh reveals which problem he would solve first if he had access to a powerful quantum processor. This interview was recorded earlier this autumn when I had the pleasure of visiting the Perimeter Institute and speaking to four physicists about their research. This is the third of those conversations to appear on the podcast. The first interview in this series from the Perimeter Institute was with Javier Toledo-Marín, “Quantum computing and AI join forces for particle physics”; and the second was with Bianca Dittrich, “Quantum gravity: we explore spin foams and other potential solutions to this enduring challenge“. This episode is supported by the APS Global Physics Summit, which takes place on 15–20 March, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, and online.

Bianca Dittrich of the Perimeter Institute is our podcast guest

Do Aliens Speak Physics? author Daniel Whiteson is our podcast guest

The author of Physics Around the Clock is our podcast guest

We report from the Heidelberg Laureate Forum

This podcast features Antonio Rossi at the Italian Institute of Technology

Our podcast guests are a physicist and a sculptor

We explore how new computing technologies could guide future LHC experiments

A solution to microgravity-related vision problems is the topic of this week's podcast

Quantum physicist and entrepreneur Ilana Wisby on the legacy of this year’s laureates