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Physical Attraction

Thomas

Physical Attraction is the show that explores topics in science, technology, and the future - from a physicist's perspective. From the birth of stars to the end of the world, from interviews with experts to meticulously-researched deep dives, we'll explore the topics that shape our world.

  • 247 episodes
  • Updated Mar 9, 2022

Episodes247

  • Sep 13, 2019 · 35 min

    Nuclear Fusion: Fusion's Dark Horses, I

    In this double-header, we examine the various startups that are trying to make commercial nuclear fusion a reality. What technologies are they using? Who's backing them? And do any of them have a prayer of beating ITER to the punch? Comments, questions, concerns? Find the contact form on the website, or contact us on Twitter or Facebook. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Sep 5, 2019 · 25 min

    TT: What Can Four-Year-Olds Do that AI Can't?

    What Can Four-Year-Olds Do that AI Can't? ==> Children are the greatest learners on the planet. As machine learning comes more and more into focus, and ambitious AI types are aiming to simulate the human brain in its entirety, there is a question to ask: how can our machine-learning algorithms learn from the curiosity and adaptability of children? @physicspod www.physicspodcast.com

  • Aug 29, 2019 · 1 hr 1 min

    Justin Ball and Jason Parisi on The Future of Fusion Energy - Part II

    Hello and welcome to this episode of Physical Attraction. I've been excited about this for a while. Today, on the show, for the first time ever, we have not one but TWO guests, who have co-written an excellent book together. They are both currently researching nuclear fusion, and they have written a book about the future of fusion energy called… well, the Future of Fusion Energy. Dr Justin Ball is currently studying plasma theory at Lausanne, and Jason Parisi works on turbulent transport in highly magnetized plasmas just a few buildings away from me here at the University of Oxford. Their book is an excellent guide to the science, history, and future of fusion energy, and of real help in compiling the marathon efforts in the show so far, so I was excited to be able to grab both of them for an interview to talk about fusion. Since this comes after I've already been yakking about fusion for ages, the conversation does assume some knowledge of what nuclear fusion is, but should be easy to follow if you've listened to some of the episodes in this series already. Thank you for listening to this episode of Physical Attraction. My guests were Justin Ball and Jason Parisi. If you'd like to find out more, please do get their book – The Future of Fusion Energy – which is a highly entertaining and informative read. They also both have websites in the same format – Justin-ball.com and Jason-Parisi.com – and they can both be found on Twitter if you're into that sort of thing. Remember, comments, questions, concerns, feedback, etc. can all be directed to me on Twitter at physicspod, or via the contact form on our website at www.physicspodcast.com – it's always so wonderful to hear from listeners, and this is your chance to help me make the show as good as it can be! You can help us out by leaving a review on iTunes, purchasing past bonus episodes from the website, or just telling as many people as possible about the show to help spread the word if you like what we do. Until next time, then, take care.

  • Aug 21, 2019 · 55 min

    Justin Ball and Jason Parisi on The Future of Fusion Energy - Part I

    Hello and welcome to this episode of Physical Attraction. I've been excited about this for a while. Today, on the show, for the first time ever, we have not one but TWO guests, who have co-written an excellent book together. They are both currently researching nuclear fusion, and they have written a book about the future of fusion energy called… well, the Future of Fusion Energy. Dr Justin Ball is currently studying plasma theory at Lausanne, and Jason Parisi works on turbulent transport in highly magnetized plasmas just a few buildings away from me here at the University of Oxford. Their book is an excellent guide to the science, history, and future of fusion energy, and of real help in compiling the marathon efforts in the show so far, so I was excited to be able to grab both of them for an interview to talk about fusion. Since this comes after I've already been yakking about fusion for ages, the conversation does assume some knowledge of what nuclear fusion is, but should be easy to follow if you've listened to some of the episodes in this series already. Thank you for listening to this episode of Physical Attraction. My guests were Justin Ball and Jason Parisi. If you'd like to find out more, please do get their book – The Future of Fusion Energy – which is a highly entertaining and informative read. They also both have websites in the same format – Justin-ball.com and Jason-Parisi.com – and they can both be found on Twitter if you're into that sort of thing. Remember, comments, questions, concerns, feedback, etc. can all be directed to me on Twitter at physicspod, or via the contact form on our website at www.physicspodcast.com – it's always so wonderful to hear from listeners, and this is your chance to help me make the show as good as it can be! You can help us out by leaving a review on iTunes, purchasing past bonus episodes from the website, or just telling as many people as possible about the show to help spread the word if you like what we do. Until next time, then, take care.

  • Aug 6, 2019 · 28 min

    Nuclear Fusion XXIV: Is ITER "The Way"?

    In this episode, we examine some of the chaotic politics and causes of delay to the ITER project - and the perils of trying to collaborate across multiple countries on a multi-billion-dollar, multi-decade enterprise. After all this, is ITER still "The Way"? www.physicspodcast.com for comments, questions, concerns. @physicspod

  • Jul 25, 2019 · 26 min

    Nuclear Fusion XXIII: ITER's Challenges

    Many would argue that the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), currently under construction, is now 'The Way' to achieving power from nuclear fusion. But it faces extraordinary challenges. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jul 18, 2019 · 31 min

    Thermonuclear Takes: Tech Giants Move Into Healthcare - and Outer Space

    On this week's edition of TT, we take a brief break from the fusion series to look at two recent news stories about giant tech companies expanding their markets: both into healthcare, and into providing internet via satellites. www.physicspodcast.com for any comments, questions, concerns

  • Jul 11, 2019 · 34 min

    Nuclear Fusion XXII: The National Almost-Ignition Facility

    The National Ignition Facility poured the heart and soul of the first few years of their work into achieving ignition - a plasma that would heat itself by thermonuclear reactions by as much as it was heated externally. Ultimately, it was close, but no cigar. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jul 4, 2019 · 19 min

    Nuclear Fusion XXI: NIF-ty Business

    The National Ignition Facility is, to date, the largest inertial confinement fusion experiment ever developed - and carried with it a huge amount of hope and hype that breakeven might be reached with this new device. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jun 27, 2019 · 19 min

    Nuclear Fusion XX: Halite/Centurion and Secret Codes

    Inertial confinement fusion has a secret weapon - after all, it's just a scaled-down hydrogen bomb, which gives us hope that it might not be too difficult to fuse fuel under these conditions. This was supposedly confirmed by underground nuclear tests called Halite and Centurion... but all the details are classified. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jun 20, 2019 · 50 min

    Nuclear Fusion XIX: Cold Comfort

    In this episode, we cover one of the biggest scientific scandals in history: the tragic, tawdry tale of Fleischmann, Pons, and "Cold Fusion". www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jun 13, 2019 · 10 min

    BONUS: Description of a JET Pulse

    A step by step description of an experiment run at JET, with information from the Culham Website (CCFE). www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Jun 6, 2019 · 33 min

    Nuclear Fusion XVIII: From JET to ITER

    We discuss the Joint European Torus - the most successful tokamak fusion reactor to date, and the source of a great deal of our knowledge about the outer limits of performance for magnetic confinement fusion. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • May 30, 2019 · 26 min

    Nuclear Fusion XVII: Penthouse Fusion

    This episode, we're looking into one of the most bizarre fusion episodes in its long and storied history. Yes, it's that time a new experimental tokamak fusion reactor was funded almost entirely by pornography millions from the founder of Penthouse Magazine... Comments, questions, concerns, feedback, reviews? Get in touch with us: www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • May 23, 2019 · 28 min

    Nuclear Fusion XVI: The Big Three Tokamaks

    At the start of the tokamak revolution, there was a huge proliferation of different designs for tokamaks from universities and establishments around the world - but gradually, as it became clear that making progress would require larger and larger machines, these efforts broadly ended up concentrated in three main devices. The Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK, the JT-60 in Japan, and the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) in the US. www.physicspodcast.com

  • May 17, 2019 · 24 min

    Nuclear Fusion XV: The Buzzkill Episode

    Is nuclear fusion really the perfect energy source that it's sold as and cracked up to be? Even if we can get it working, will it live up to the considerable hype? www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • May 2, 2019 · 24 min

    Nuclear Fusion XIII: Two-Faced Gods

    The second generation of laser fusion (inertial confinement fusion) devices was built in the USA in the 1970s and 1980s - but, unfortunately, those pesky plasma instabilities wouldn't go away. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod

  • Apr 24, 2019 · 22 min

    Nuclear Fusion XII: Frickin' Lasers

    The invention of the laser in 1960 opened up an entirely new approach to nuclear fusion - dramatically, and drastically compressing individual pellets of fuel with lasers. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod