Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Physics is full of captivating stories, from ongoing endeavours to explain the cosmos to ingenious innovations that shape the world around us. In the Physics World Stories podcast, Andrew Glester talks to the people behind some of the most intriguing and inspiring scientific stories. Listen to the podcast to hear from a diverse mix of scientists, engineers, artists and other commentators. Find out more about the stories in this podcast by visiting the Physics World website. If you enjoy what you hear, then also check out the Physics World Weekly podcast, a science-news podcast presented by our award-winning science journalists.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ quantum science/technology, history, computing and careers • space astronomy, comets, astronauts, gravitational waves • AI in physics and computing sustainability • science–art–music–film intersections • inclusion, wellbeing, policy, energy/climate, geophysics, sports physicsThis podcast features in-depth conversations that use physics as a lens on both the natural world and the people, technologies and cultures shaped by it. Hosted by Andrew Glester, it regularly brings together researchers, engineers, communicators, artists and other commentators to unpack how scientific ideas develop, how instruments and experiments work in practice, and how physics connects to wider society.
A major thread is space and astronomy: missions to study comets and icy moons, the operation and promise of major observatories, astronaut training and the human experience of spaceflight, and debates in cosmology about what explains galaxy dynamics. Listeners also encounter physics in Earth and planetary processes, from volcanic materials that preserve clues about past eruptions to geophysics sparked by large-scale human activity.
Quantum science is another recurring focus, spanning both fundamentals and applications. The podcast explores quantum history and overlooked contributors, contemporary research areas such as sensing and information science, and the growing quantum-technology sector, including workforce and commercialization questions. Quantum ideas also appear in creative contexts, with episodes examining how art, music, literature and performance can interpret or be inspired by quantum concepts and scientific uncertainty.
Technology and computation form a further pillar. Discussions look at artificial intelligence in physics research, its interpretability and ethics, and its energy costs, alongside broader questions about the future of computing as conventional chip scaling becomes harder. Several episodes address energy and sustainability more directly—renewables, batteries, fusion research, and the environmental footprint of supercomputing—often emphasizing practical constraints, engineering trade-offs and real-world impacts.
Across these topics, the podcast frequently highlights the human side of physics: education and inclusion initiatives, mentorship and scholarships, mental health and community-building, science communication during major discoveries, and the ways careers can move between academia, industry and the arts.
