Montu Saxena: insights from a condensed-matter physicist

Today we are delighted to be joined by Siddharth Shanker Saxena, known to friends and colleagues as Montu, a condensed-matter physicist at the Cavendish Laboratory and head of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum. By Montu’s own admission, he was never able to pick a side, and so has spent his whole life exploring the world of superconductivity, all the while advocating for international relations and anthropology.

Together we talk about the moments that shape a scientific life: learning to believe you belong, the role of mentoring, and what “failure" can teach you. We also dig into the enduring puzzle of superconductivity: how to explain it simply, why it continues to captivate physicists, and how to stay comfortable saying “we don’t know.”

Useful Links:

• Montu talked in depth about superconductivity in this podcast for Quanta Magazine: Will Better Superconductors Transform the World? | Quanta Magazine
• He was also recently featured in this Varsity article: Meet the Cambridge physicist who advocates for the humanities | Varsity
• To explore Montu's work : Siddharth Saxena | Jesus College in the University of Cambridge
• And finally, to learn more about the Cambridge Central Asia Forum, visit Cambridge Central Asia Forum |

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Episode credits

Hosts: Charlotte Lane and Vanessa Bismuth

Recording and editing: Chris Brock

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