Hi Darling!
This week I sit down with Dr Aaron Breidenbach, a Stanford physicist, Nature-published scientist, and self-proclaimed Quantum Shaman. Aaron’s research into exotic magnetic crystals could hold the key to the next generation of quantum computers, but his curiosity doesn’t stop there.
These crystals aren’t just lab-grown, amazingly, they occur naturally in the Atacama Desert, one of the most remote and mysterious places on Earth. The indigenous Atacameño people, whose traditions are deeply animistic, believe everything is conscious... even the mountains themselves. Aaron is heading there to see if these two worlds can meet: could the physics of his crystals and the spirituality of the desert reveal a shared understanding of consciousness?

We talk about quantum computers, consciousness, AI, and whether matter itself might be aware. Aaron shares why he thinks a computer made from his crystals could one day be conscious and how he plans to use psychedelics and indigenous wisdom to understand what physics alone can’t explain.

If you’ve ever wondered where science ends and spirituality begins, this one’s for you.

You can follow Aarons jouney here: thequantumshaman.wordpress.com

This is the final episode in series 1 of Alex the Physicist & friends, I'll be back with more in a few weeks time!

@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!
After two international moves, from the UK to Amsterdam and more recently to California, I've learnt a thing or two about the process. There are inevitable losses and incredibly tough moments but there is also exciting new places and brilliant new friends. In this episode, I share the raw side of moving countries: the loneliness, the heartbreak, and the growth that comes after everything falls apart.

@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!
Have you ever wondered what a science conference is like? Come behind the scenes with me at a LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (gravitational wave detectors) collaboration meeting. I'll take you around the conference (and into the pub), describing what I'm up to and talking to other scientists about their conference experiences, which gravitational wave emitter they would be and the case of the stolen blueberry muffin.

Big thanks to all of the scientists who got involved in this episode:
Mike Landry, Jenne Driggers, Matthew Todd, Bram Slagmolen, Disha Kapasi, Tomislav Andric, Derek Davis, Lucy Thomas, Lauren McDermott (& of course Nako), Brian Lantz & others in the pub!

@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!
This episode was recorded on a hike in the Rocky mountains with Mattia Emma, a gravitational wave astrophysicist who is finishing up his PhD at the Royal Holloway in London. Mattia shares how a summer volunteer trip led him to setting up the Storm Project, an NGO to support a girls boarding school in a remote part of Kenya. We discuss the many times he was told he was 'too young' by accountants and lawyers, the creation of a league-winning basketball program at the school, and the challenges of COVID which led to teaching being provided on WhatsApp.

This conversation moves from the vastness of the universe to the realities of rural Kenya: the power of education, the challenges of culture and tradition, and what it means to balance cutting-edge science with grassroots change.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone can chase gravitational waves and transform lives on the ground at the same time, this episode is for you.

The Storm Project:
@stormprojectonlus instagram
https://www.linkedin.com/company/storm-project/
https://mattiamaralal.github.io/stormproject/en/ website - in the process of being updated!
https://www.teaming.net/storm donation page

Hi Darling!
Today I share a story from my PhD about a trip I went on to America. This trip changed my whole perspective and I went from considering quitting my PhD to having a dream job in the field.
The paper I mention is now published! You can find it here: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/ae0087

@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!
For part two of the GW10 series I sit down with Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, a founder of LIGO, black-hole theorist, and the science mind behind Interstellar.

We talk about the 50 year journey from a bold idea to the first detection of gravitational waves, the brainstorms that seeded quantum computing and precision measurement, and how collaborating with artists and filmmakers reshaped the way he thinks about the universe.

Kip shares lessons on finding your own niche in science, embracing creativity, and having fun with hard problems whether you’re chasing spacetime ripples or crafting Hollywood blockbusters.

@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!
For the final part of the GW10 series I sit down with the second Nobel Laureate physicist Barry Barish, the leader who guided LIGO to the first detection of gravitational waves.

Barry invited me to his home in Santa Monica for my very first interview for the podcast, quite a way to start! We talk about his path from engineering student to particle-physics pioneer, the bold decisions that turned LIGO into a success, and what it was like to keep the 2015 discovery secret while the world waited.

He also shares the excitement (and chaos) of winning the Nobel Prize and offers thoughtful advice on finding joy and purpose in a scientific career.

Hi Darling! GW10 is a three part series celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the first detection of gravitational waves on September 14th 2015.
In this episode I introduce what gravitational waves are in basic terms and describe their effect and therefore how we detect them. I also discuss my own research in the field and how this could improve our ability to observe the universe, and the future plans for gravitational wave detectors, where we hope to detect astronomical events from closer to the big bang than ever before!
In the following two parts I will be interviewing Kip Thorne and Barry Barish about the first detection, their careers and winning the Nobel prize.

This episode is dedicated to Rainer Weiss, the third Nobel prize winner for the first detection, who sadly passed away just a couple of weeks ago. Rai was a pioneer of the field and we benefitted heavily from his insight and brilliance. The entire gravitational wave community will miss him dearly.

Some videos showing the 'fabric of spacetime' demonstration are linked below:
https://youtu.be/MTY1Kje0yLg?si=tl_IMLXDL00um_Uj
https://youtu.be/dw7U3BYMs4U?si=KM1kem8QjZY5qf_o