In case you haven’t listened to it yet, make sure you check out our new topical podcast, Physics World Weekly.  Each week, a selection of Physics World journalists discuss research breakthroughs, key events and some of the most important talking points in physics and its related disciplines.

Now in its seventh week, yesterday’s episode, presented by Hamish Johnston, explored asteroids, the incredible properties of water, and what it takes to create a successful spin-out business from physics research. We were also joined by special guest Lincoln Carr (see photo above) of the Colorado School of Mines who spoke about his research in quantum simulators as well as his passion for bridging the gap between the sciences and the humanities.

Football fans should also take a listen to this episode where Matin Durrani and I chewed the fat about the ways physics interacts with the beautiful game. The only bit of “fake news” is Matin’s World Cup predictions, which included England crashing out in the group stages of the tournament!

As someone who has spent a good few years learning the craft of video production, I must admit it that producing these first few episodes has been a liberating experience. Where video has an endless list of considerations (lighting, composition, exposure, what to wear??), producing a conversation-based podcast is relatively streamlined. There is a satisfying simplicity in setting up a couple of microphones and encouraging our journalists to speak their minds on the issues they are immersed in every day.

If you enjoy what you hear, then you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts and other podcast applications. You can also listen to our other podcast Physics World Stories, which takes a wider look at specific themes in the physics community.