People doing Physics Cavendish Laboratory

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 physicists while searching for dark matter, long-lived particles and other exciting new phenomena at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and beyond.
In this episode, Oleg offers a glimpse into the intricate world of particle physics through his unique perspective. Together we talk about the fulfilment and frustrations of a life in research, the importance of feeding one’s curiosity, navigating setbacks, and advice for aspiring physicists.
Useful linksLearn more about Oleg Brandt’s research on dark matter long-lived particles and other exciting new phenomena here. Are you curious about those particle accelerators and detectors discussed in the episode? Explore CERN's Large Hadron Collider and Fermilab’s science.The Arithmeum in Bonn (Germany) is the museum  housing the most comprehensive collection worldwide of historical calculating machines. Chek it out!To learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested in joining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish website.
Share and join the conversationHelp us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHosts: Jacob Butler and Vanessa Bismuth
Recording and editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Joanne Baker, author of four popular science books and Chief Opinion Editor at Nature, and Emma Williams, professional development coach and careers expert who has a wealth of insight into not just her own journey, but those she mentors.
We hope that this conversation will give you valuable insights into the many paths and opportunities for people doing physics.
Useful linksLearn more about Kerstin Göpfrich's research at the Max Plank Institute for Medical ResearchYou might also want to check out IOP Publishing and its portfolio of scientific journalsJoanne Baker's is the author of '50 physics ideas you really need to know', and many more. If you are interested in getting some training yourself, Emma William's website is full of resources. If you are a postdoc you should also explore Hello postdocs - The Nerd Coach To learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested injoining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish websiteAnd finally, if you are a Cavendish Alumnus and you would like to share your journey with our listeners, please get in touch!
Share and join the conversationHelp us get better by taking our quick survey! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you.If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others tofind us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHost: Simone Eizagirre Barker
Recording and Editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 multiple international projects for new radio telescopes exploring a very, very infant universe.
So, with Eloy, we talk about the universe of course and how it went from darkness to radiant, but also about childhood curiosity, choosing between technical and theoretical knowledge, and about convincing people.     
Useful linksExplore the REACH and SKA projects that Eloy presents in the episode.To learn more about his research work on the early epochs of the Universe, visit Eloy’s research group website.Curious about the history of radio astronomy in Cambridge? Read this article.To learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested injoining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish website
Share and join the conversationHelp us get better by taking our quick survey! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you.If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others tofind us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHosts: Shelly Liu and Vanessa Bismuth
Recording and Editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 sedate world of the university, the processes involved in setting up practical work for hundreds of undergraduates, and what exactly he was doing wandering around Costa Rica with photographs of old airfields last year.
Useful linksTo learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested in joining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish website.
Share and join the conversationHelp us get better by taking our quick survey! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you.If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHost: Jacob ButlerRecording and Editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 skills in the process. She is known for her curiosity and willingness to take on new challenges, which made her accept this invitation on the podcast, but also landed her the title of “only female forklift operator” in her previous role.
After nine years doing R&D in industry, she’s made yet another jump to join the Cavendish Laboratory where she now supports and assist cryostat users with their experiments and equipment.
Together with Emily we talk about bridging the knowledge gap, pretty gems, culture shifts and a bit about forklifting, of course.
Useful linksExplore research at Hexcel and Emily's work on the ITER project, the way to new energyTo learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested in joining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish website.
Share and join the conversationHelp us get better by taking our quick survey! Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you.If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHosts: Shelly Liu and Vanessa BismuthRecording and Editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 work, Gareth’s journey through Cambridge life as an undergraduate, postgraduate and now independent researcher, and the exciting opportunities and advances that arise when you bring physics and computers together to solve real-world challenges.
Useful linksYou can find out more about Gareth's research at quantum.cam.ac.uk Learn more about Intellegens, the spin-out company founded in 2017Interested in the Physics Olympiad? Visit the International Physics Olympiad website or start with the British one. Watch David MacKay's TED talk and check the book mentioned in this episode: Sustainable Energy - without the hot airTo learn more about the Cavendish Laboratory, or if you are interested in joining us or studying with us, go to the Cavendish website.
Share and join the conversationIf you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.
Episode creditsHosts: Simone Eizagirre Barker and Jacob ButlerRecording and Editing: Chris Brock


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy