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Physical AttractionThe Appallingly Bad Neoclassical Economics of Climate Change, with Professor Steve KeenThis episode, we have a guest on the show that I'm very excited about. Professor Steve Keen is an economist and author who has been a longstanding critic of neoclassical economics, which has included writing the bestselling Debunking Economics book and hosting the podcast of the same name, as well as developing several alternative models of the macroeconomy. In recent years, he has turned his attention to how neoclassical economics has tried to deal with the issue of climate change... and, well, the fact that his paper is called "The appallingly bad neoclassical economics of climate change" probably tells...2021-02-011h 13

Physical AttractionDebunking Economics, with Professor Steve KeenThis episode, we have a guest on the show that I'm very excited about. Professor Steve Keen is an economist and author who has been a longstanding critic of neoclassical economics, which has included writing the bestselling Debunking Economics book and hosting the podcast of the same name, as well as developing several alternative models of the macroeconomy. In recent years, he has turned his attention to how neoclassical economics has tried to deal with the issue of climate change... and, well, the fact that his paper is called "The appallingly bad neoclassical economics of climate change" probably tells...2021-01-261h 04

The Secret To Success with Antonio T Smith Jrs10ep30 How To Get Into The Top 1% part 8Hey Secret To Success Family!Check out Friends over at Physical Attraction PodcastThey are a physics podcast. But not just a physics podcast - interviews with scientists, scholars, authors and reflections on the history and future of science and technology are all in the wheelhouse.You can read about them at http://www.physicalattraction.libsyn.com/, which includes an episode guide for new listeners, you can contact them at http://www.physicalattraction.libsyn.com/contact and if you like what we do and...2020-12-221h 51

Physical AttractionModern Monetary Theory with the MMT Podcast II: What Your Economy Can Do For YouHello and welcome to this episode of Physical Attraction. We have a special couple of guests on the show today. Listeners to our episodes about QE for the People will remember that we briefly mentioned Modern Monetary Theory as a new perspective on how economics works, and I'd talked about getting some MMT speakers on the show to explore that in more detail. I was lucky enough to get the hosts of the MMT Podcast, Patricia Pino and Christian Reilly, who have interviewed many of the founding scholars and most active economists in MMT as...2020-10-081h 43

Physical AttractionModern Monetary Theory with the MMT Podcast I: Where Does Money Come From? We have a special couple of guests on the show today. Listeners to our episodes about QE for the People will remember that we briefly mentioned Modern Monetary Theory as a new perspective on how economics works, and I'd talked about getting some MMT speakers on the show to explore that in more detail. I was lucky enough to get the hosts of the MMT Podcast, Patricia Pino and Christian Reilly, who have interviewed many of the founding scholars and most active economists in MMT as part of that brilliant podcast. We had a very wide-ranging...2020-10-0750 min

Physical AttractionRage Inside The Machine: Algorithmic Bias and What It Means to be Human, with Dr Robert SmithI’m very excited today to talk to Dr Robert Elliot Smith, who – after a thirty-year career working in AI and working with algorithms - has written one of the best books I’ve ever read about artificial intelligence and the impact of algorithms on society – Rage Inside the Machine. More than this, though, it’s really about… the dangers that can arise from trying to boil down complex aspects of what it means to be human, or what is valuable and important, to numbers and metrics which can be processed by these machines. Which I think is a much more fu...2020-09-031h 24

Physical AttractionOff-Topic: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories in US Political LifeWell, I asked Twitter if they wouldn't mind more off-topic content, and although the electorate was pretty tiny, they said they didn't mind. So, with that shaky endorsement in place, I'm going to spend an hour talking about the psychology of conspiracy theories, US politics, the Anabaptist Siege of Munster, millennialist thinking, and satanic cabals that may or may not run the world. (Spoiler: they do not.)2020-08-2452 min

Physical AttractionFelicity Boardman on the ethics of genetic screening and genome editingThis week, we have a guest on the show - Professor Felicity Boardman, who works at the University of Warwick on the ethics of genetic screening and genome editing. Specifically, she is co-leader of the Imagined Futures project, which looks at the impact of new genetic technologies on those with rare genetic conditions. This is a little outside the topics we usually cover on this show - but at the same time, it's an extremely important and under-appreciated topic - how the genetic technologies of today are already impacting people. We had an excellent conversation, and I...2020-07-291h 14

Physical AttractionKit Yates on the Maths of Life and DeathThis week, we have a guest on the show - Kit Yates, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and co-director of the Centre for Mathematical Biology at the University of Bath, and who's written an excellent book "The Maths of Life and Death" on various applications of maths in biology, from epidemics to exponential growth. He's been interviewed extensively in the media lately to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, and we talked about that and the rest of his work, as well as the book, in this interview. Remember you can find Kit's w...2020-05-211h 00

Physical AttractionSmoke and Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future, and How to See Past It - with Gemma MilneI'm excited today to say that we have a guest on the show - Gemma Milne, who has written a book, Smoke and Mirrors, about how technological hype distorts the future. I really enjoyed the book, which deals with nine areas of considerable hype in technology, and not only takes you through some of the fascinating near-term applications for these technologies but also grounds them in reality. It was a fascinating conversation that I'm glad to be able to present you with. You can find more of her work on Twitter @gemmamilne or on her website at w...2020-05-151h 03

Physical AttractionWho Wants to Live Forever?On this episode of Physical Attraction, we take a massively tangential dive into wild philosophical speculation. If I offered you the choice of immortality - but with no possibility of reversing the decision once you made it - would you? Answers on a postcard to www.physicspodcast.com 2019-11-0725 min

Physical AttractionDrexler and Xiaoice: Tales from AIIn this episode, we discuss Eric Drexler's model of "Comprehensive AI Services" as an alternative route towards artificial general intelligence, and Xiaoice, Microsoft's incredibly popular chatbot software. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod 2019-10-2435 min

Physical AttractionFusion Conclusion: Building Cathedrals27 episodes, spanning a hundred years of history and many months of this show, some wonderful plasma physics, some truly amazing machines, and a dream that's captivated thousands across the world for decades. The fusion series is over. And while it's hard to conclude something this monumental, I tried my best. www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod 2019-10-1226 min

Physical AttractionFusion's Dark Horses, Episode IIIn 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 2019-09-2638 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion: Fusion's Dark Horses, IIn 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 2019-09-1335 min

Physical AttractionTT: 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 2019-09-0525 min

Physical AttractionJustin Ball and Jason Parisi on The Future of Fusion Energy - Part IIHello 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...2019-08-291h 01

Physical AttractionJustin Ball and Jason Parisi on The Future of Fusion Energy - Part IHello 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...2019-08-2155 min

Physical AttractionNuclear 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 2019-08-0628 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XXIII: ITER's ChallengesMany 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 2019-07-2526 min

Physical AttractionThermonuclear Takes: Tech Giants Move Into Healthcare - and Outer SpaceOn 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 2019-07-1831 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XXII: The National Almost-Ignition FacilityThe 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 2019-07-1134 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XXI: NIF-ty BusinessThe 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 2019-07-0419 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XX: Halite/Centurion and Secret CodesInertial 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 2019-06-2719 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XIX: Cold ComfortIn 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 2019-06-2050 min

Physical AttractionBONUS: Description of a JET PulseA step by step description of an experiment run at JET, with information from the Culham Website (CCFE). www.physicspodcast.com @physicspod 2019-06-1310 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XVIII: From JET to ITERWe 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 2019-06-0633 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XVII: Penthouse FusionThis 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 2019-05-3126 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XVI: The Big Three TokamaksAt 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 2019-05-2428 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XV: The Buzzkill EpisodeIs 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 2019-05-1724 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XIV: Simple Engineering Problems?What's stopping us from getting magnetic confinement fusion reactors that work? Is it really just... simple engineering problems? www.physicspodcast.com 2019-05-1022 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XIII: Two-Faced GodsThe 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 2019-05-0224 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XII: Frickin' LasersThe 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 2019-04-2422 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion XI: The Tokamak RevolutionIn the late 1960s, scientists crossed the Iron Curtain. Their mission was to investigate whether the claims of Russian scientists about their new nuclear fusion device, the tokamak, were really true. Their findings would change fusion research forever. www.physicspodcast.com 2019-04-1229 min

Physical AttractionKate Devlin on Turned On: Science, Sex and RobotsTaking a break from our nuclear fusion odyssey this week, I have a very special episode for you today. This week, our guest is Dr Kate Devlin. She’s a senior lecturer in computer science who studies artificial intelligence and human-robot interaction, and she wrote a magnificent book: Turned On, Science, Sex and Robots. Now, the tagline is that the book is about love and sex with robots – and there is a great deal of fascinating stuff in there about that – but it’s also a wonderful history of humanoid robotics, in reality and in fiction, and a great survey o...2019-04-0559 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion X: Doldrums and TokamaksAfter the first generation of nuclear fusion reactors had profound instabilities, and couldn't confine the plasma for long enough to achieve their aims, the world began to realise that fusion might not be just ten years away from reality - and the whole field sank into the doldrums... until a very Soviet intervention. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. [I'm very good at responding to...2019-03-2231 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion IX: A Sun of Our OwnIn 1958, to great fanfare, the ZETA experiment at Harwell announced that they had achieved thermonuclear reactions, controlled in the lab. It was considered a huge breakthrough along the road towards nuclear fusion, and tabloids at the time trumpeted the experiment as allowing "limitless energy from sea water", and called it "Britain's Sputnik". But not everyone was convinced. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. [I'm ver...2019-03-1527 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion VIII: Kinky and UnstableIn the early 1950s, optimism surrounding the potential for nuclear fusion in devices like the Stellarator, the pinch devices, and the magnetic mirror were frustrated by plasma instabilities. It turns out that you cannot treat plasmas like charged particles whizzing around in magnetic fields - instead, the complex theory of magnetohydrodynamics needs to be taken into account, and, as the name suggests, it's not easy to understand! Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any...2019-03-0823 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion VII - Juan Step BeyondIn 1950-1, Argentine dictator Juan Peron and German scientist Ronald Richter announced that they had cracked the secret of limitless energy from nuclear fusion, and would soon sell energy "in pint-sized bottles, like milk" to every household in the nation. Of course, the slight problem was that this technology was really (perhaps) a century away, and Ronald Richter was a crackpot. But they still had their impact on the history of nuclear fusion. This is their story. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the sh...2019-03-0120 min

Physical AttractionThermonuclear Takes: Teenage Fusion Cloudless Skies and a new AIHello, and welcome to this episode of Thermonuclear Takes - our occasional bonus episodes that deal with topics in the news when there's just TOO MUCH EXCITING STUFF out there to talk about. This episode: The teenager who built a nuclear fusion reactor in his bedroom - should ITER give up and go home? (Spoiler: no.) A new study that suggests possible catastrophic climate feedbacks at high temperatures has been published OpenAI's new neural network is like nothing we've ever seen, and can imitate human writing more convincingly than I'd thought possible yet You...2019-02-2637 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion VI: Pinches, Stellarators, PerhapsatronsBuilding a nuclear fusion power plant is no easy feat. Fusion naturally occurs in temperatures comparable to those at the heart of the Sun - temperatures so hot as to instantly vaporise virtually any substance on Earth. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. [I'm very good at responding to stuff that isn't spam.] You can also donate to the show via www.payp...2019-02-2327 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion V: Teller's Bomb [REUPLOAD][Reupload with the actual, correct file this time - sorry! Thomas] When Teller's dream of a hydrogen, fusion bomb was eventually realised, it was another physicist, Ulam, who really came up with the winning design... and the first steps along the road to nuclear fusion on Earth. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. [I'm very good at responding to stuff...2019-02-1526 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion IV: Teller's DreamYou can get too caught up in praising the beauty of science and conflating that with praising the individual. I think we should recognise and appreciate brilliance, but stop short of hero-worship. It’s reductive. It diminishes people. It removes important parts of who they were. It can, in its worst excesses, be downright dangerous. Nevertheless, that’s not a problem I have today, even though I’m going to tell this story partly biographically. Because Edward Teller, for all his brilliance in physics, is not the kind of person you’d want to worship as a hero. Ye...2019-02-0823 min

Physical AttractionAnnouncing 100th Episode "What Is Physics" Competition, with FABULOUS PRIZESPhysical Attraction: 100th Episode Competition Physical Attraction is the podcast focused on physics, science and technology – and we’re about to reach a very big milestone when our 100th episode releases later on this year. To celebrate, we’re hosting a special competition with FABULOUS PRIZES. To enter, you need to send us your answer to the question “What is physics?”, either in written form, or (even better) recorded by you on some suitable equipment. Ideally, entries will be more than a few sentences long and no longer than 1000 words / ten minutes spoken audio, although ex...2019-02-0504 min

Physical AttractionHuey Long: Episode V-VI OmnibusThe good people of the United States Senate were not prepared for Huey P. Long. Could Huey Long's personality, travelling-salesman charm, and Share Our Wealth populism catapult him into the White House? In this episode, we find out. www.autocracynow.libsyn.com www.physicspodcast.com 2019-02-031h 13

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion III: Semi-Empirical Mass FormulaThere’s a famous saying that’s attributed to the statistician Henry L Box – but it’s one of the most important sayings for thinking about physics, and science in general. “All models are wrong, but some models are useful.” What does this mean, and how does it relate to the nucleus of the atom? Can we work out how the atomic energy levels behave... without knowing the first thing about quantum mechanics or the strong nuclear force that binds the atom together? Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find...2019-01-3140 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion II: The Gold Foil ExperimentOur series of episodes on nuclear fusion begins with the Rutherford Gold Foil experiment, which first discovered the nucleus and changed our understanding of the atomic world forever. From an experiment "every bit as astonishing as if you shot a 15-inch shell at tissue paper and it bounced back", to the poor graduate students who had to stay up all night in pitch dark counting tiny flashes, we'll discuss this seminal experiment and its results. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at ww...2019-01-2522 min

Physical AttractionNuclear Fusion I: Darwin vs KelvinWhat happened when one of history's most esteemed biologists fought with one of history's most esteemed physicists about how old the Earth could be? And what has any of this got to do with nuclear fusion? Find out more in the next, exciting instalment of The Hitchhiker's Guide To --- I mean, Physical Attraction. Physical Attraction is the podcast about physics, science, and technology. You can find further details about the show at www.physicspodcast.com - where you'll find the contact form, for any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. [I'm very good...2019-01-1823 min

Physical AttractionKarin Kuhlemann on Overpopulation Hello, and welcome to this episode of Physical Attraction. In this episode, I interview Karin Kuhlemann on the subject of population. We touched on this briefly during the TEOTWAWKI specials, particularly in relation to the ancient ideas of Malthus - that famine might "correct" natural excesses of human population in due course. In that case, a technological fix in the form of agricultural and green revolutions allowed the Earth to support many times more people. But how sustainable is this? And, if you decide that the world is overpopulated, and there aren't enough natural resources to allow...2019-01-021h 46

Physical AttractionAmy Westervelt on Drilled: the True Crime podcast about Climate DenialThis week, we're going to be talking to Amy Westervelt, host of the new podcast - Drilled - which looks into how fossil fuel companies secretly funded fossil fuel deniers and misled the public about the science. https://podtail.com/en/podcast/drilled/ Amy Westervelt is a print and radio reporter who contributes regularly to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, Fast Company, and various NPR shows and stations. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian, Popular Science, Elle, Teen Vogue, and many other publications. She now hosts multiple podcasts via the C...2018-12-141h 19

Physical AttractionThermodynamics III: You Can't Get Out of The GameThe laws of thermodynamics govern the flow of energy - from your coffee cup to the sparse plasma floating between stars to the formation of black holes. And, in short, they are: You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game. These laws, which were first derived by dreaming of ideal heat engines, turned out to have profound and vital physical and philosophical consequences. Far from just relating to an arbitrary concept called "temperature", they can teach us about how the Universe began - and how i...2018-12-0729 min

Physical AttractionThermonuclear Takes: CRISPR Babies, Future of the ShowIn this episode of Physical Attraction, we'll talk about the breaking news surrounding the birth of the world's first genetically modified CRISPR baby. "He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claims to have helped produce the first people born with edited genomes — twin girls — appeared today at a gene-editing summit in Hong Kong to explain his experiment. He gave his talk amid threats of legal action and mounting questions, from the scientific community and beyond, about the ethics of his work and the way in which he released the results." - Nature Magazine. This experiment, which - if c...2018-11-2824 min

Physical AttractionFree Energy Scams: No, Really, You Can't Break The Laws of Thermodynamics"The law that entropy always increases holds, I think, the supreme position among the laws of Nature. If someone points out to you that your pet theory of the universe is in disagreement with Maxwell's equations — then so much the worse for Maxwell's equations. If it is found to be contradicted by observation — well, these experimentalists do bungle things sometimes. But if your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation." Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, The Nature of the Phys...2018-11-2233 min

Physical AttractionThermodynamics, The Second Law: You Can't Break EvenThe laws of thermodynamics govern the flow of energy - from your coffee cup to the sparse plasma floating between stars to the formation of black holes. And, in short, they are: You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game. These laws, which were first derived by dreaming of ideal heat engines, turned out to have profound and vital physical and philosophical consequences. Far from just relating to an arbitrary concept called "temperature", they can teach us about how the Universe began - and how i...2018-11-1629 min

Physical AttractionThermodynamics, The First Law: You Can't WinThe laws of thermodynamics govern the flow of energy - from your coffee cup to the sparse plasma floating between stars to the formation of black holes. And, in short, they are: You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game. These laws, which were first derived by dreaming of ideal heat engines, turned out to have profound and vital physical and philosophical consequences. Far from just relating to an arbitrary concept called "temperature", they can teach us about how the Universe began - and how i...2018-11-0830 min

Physical AttractionInterstellar Travel: Shooting for the StarsThe Starshot Project is one of those rare, exciting technological plans that seems to come straight out of science fiction - a plan to visit the nearest star to Earth within our lifetimes. It will require huge technological advancements in virtually every relevant field, but it's still the most feasible way to get to the stars. We'll discuss the project, how it would work, and the physics of why interstellar travel is so damn difficult. Comments? Questions? Concerns? Praise? Rage? Visit the website at www.physicspodcast.com Follow us on...2018-10-2923 min

Physical AttractionMalicious Uses for Artificial Intelligence: Part IIA recent report released at https://maliciousaireport.com/ on the potential malicious uses for artificial intelligence brings us sharply to the present. In the TEOTWAWKI episodes on AI, we focused on "hard AI" - the potentials for chaos and rapid change if artificial intelligence becomes "truly sentient". But in the shorter term, machine-learning algorithms and increasing automation are already impacting all of our lives to a greater extent. Recent efforts at electoral manipulation, for example, exploited aspects of the algorithms used by social media companies. Meanwhile, as we turn over the wheel to self-driving cars and the eco...2018-10-2635 min

Physical AttractionMalicious Uses of Artificial Intelligence, Part 1A recent report released at https://maliciousaireport.com/ on the potential malicious uses for artificial intelligence brings us sharply to the present. In the TEOTWAWKI episodes on AI, we focused on "hard AI" - the potentials for chaos and rapid change if artificial intelligence becomes "truly sentient". But in the shorter term, machine-learning algorithms and increasing automation are already impacting all of our lives to a greater extent. Recent efforts at electoral manipulation, for example, exploited aspects of the algorithms used by social media companies. Meanwhile, as we turn over the wheel to self-driving cars and the eco...2018-10-1932 min

Physical AttractionNobel Prize 2018 Special!So, as you probably already know by now, the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 was awarded to another trio: Gérard Mourou, Arthur Ashkin and Donna Strickland, “for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics”. Specifically, Arthur Ashkin was awarded the prize ““for the invention of optical tweezers and their application to biological systems” and Mourou and Strickland were awarded the prize for developing chirped pulse amplification, a method of generating very short but very high-intensity pulses of light with lasers. In this episode, we'll describe how they made these groundbreaking discoveries, and what they meant for science and...2018-10-0936 min

Physical AttractionSuperconductors: Hard to ResistIn this episode, we'll discuss the discovery and possible applications of superconductors - these seemingly miraculous materials which have an electrical resistance that drops to zero at a low enough temperature. Contact us at www.physicspodcast.com Or follow us on Twitter @physicspod And tell as many people as you can about the show if you've enjoyed it or if you learned something worth knowing. 2018-10-0527 min

Physical AttractionThermonuclear Takes: #ExxonKnew and Solar Road to NowhereWelcome to Thermonuclear Takes, our roundup of all the news in science and technology that’s been fascinating me lately. Some of it will relate to things that we’ve discussed on the show before; some of it will relate to things that we’ll discuss in the future – and some will be just plain interesting. This episode, we're going to be talking about Ben Franta's latest reporting that Exxon Knew about climate change in advance, and we'll discuss why Solar Freakin' Roadways might not be such a good idea. You can visit our page at www.p...2018-09-2525 min

Physical AttractionConcealing A Hadron III: I'm Sparticle!Everything is made up of fundamental particles. You have the leptons: that’s the electron, muon, tau, and their ghostly neutrinos that help us to conserve momentum. You have the quarks, which make up all of the hadrons. The up, down, and strange quarks: and their heavier cousins, the top, bottom, and charm quarks. Mixing quarks can give you baryons, like the proton and neutron. It can give you mesons, like the pion particles. But you also have four forces. There’s gravity, which pulls on everything with mass. There’s electromagnetism, which pulls on eve...2018-09-2041 min

Physical AttractionConcealing a Hadron II: The Standard ModelQuarks, hadrons, baryons, leptons - we explore the material particles, ponder the question of why the electron has two heavier cousins, and describe the snark of Wolfgang Pauli in this - our second episode in a series explaining fundamental subatomic and atomic physics, and the Standard Model. Can you tell your quarks from your elbow? If not, never fear, because these episodes will be your guide to particle physics, and, specifically, what’s called the Standard Model. Has absolutely nothing to do with the catwalk, but instead the fundamental building blocks that make up all of vi...2018-09-1425 min

Physical AttractionConcealing a Hadron: Particle Physics 101.1Can you tell your quarks from your elbow? If not, never fear, because these episodes will be your guide to particle physics, and, specifically, what’s called the Standard Model. Has absolutely nothing to do with the catwalk, but instead the fundamental building blocks that make up all of visible matter and energy in the Universe. You can listen to all of our archived episodes up at www.physicspodcast.com or listen to our sister podcast, Autocracy Now, at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com. On the physicspodcast website, you will find a contact form where you can d...2018-09-0731 min

Physical AttractionThermonuclear Takes: Hothouse Earth and HeatwavesSometimes, a news story that relates to some of the topics we talk about on this show catches my eye. That's when you know it's time for a Thermonuclear Take! (tl;dr, experimenting with new bonus episode format.) This episode, we're going to talk about the recent heatwaves over Europe, Japan and North America, and the thorny issues of Climate Change attribution. We'll also discuss that Steffen et al. paper about a Hothouse Earth: Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene. Will climate feedbacks doom us to 4-5C of warming if we fail t...2018-09-0326 min

Physical AttractionUnits and Dimensional Analysis II: GI Taylor and the BombIn this episode, we'll discuss how you can use dimensional analysis to measure the yield of the blast of a nuclear bomb, and weird units from banana equivalent doses to the distance at which sheep remain picturesque. You can listen to all of our archived episodes up at www.physicspodcast.com or listen to our sister podcast, Autocracy Now, at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com. On the physicspodcast website, you will find a contact form where you can discuss any comments, questions, concerns, suggestions for future show topics or interview guests - we'd love to h...2018-08-3124 min

Physical AttractionUnits and Dimensional Analysis, Pt I: The Metric RevolutionUnits and Dimensional Analysis, Pt I: The Metric Revolution No physicist would be anywhere without dimensional analysis. In this episode, we answer the surprisingly complicated question - how long is a metre? www.physicspodcast.com for previous shows, information, donations. @physicspod on Twitter www.autocracynow.libsyn.com for Autocracy Now, a show about historical dictators. 2018-08-2425 min

Physical AttractionCJ Schilt (Corpus Newtonicum) on Isaac Newton, part 2So in this episode, I am fortunate enough to interview Cornelius Schilt – perhaps better known to the world by his blog title, Corpus Newtonicum, which you can go and read at Corpus Newtonicum.wordpress.com. He is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford, studying the History of Science, and focused on the life, career, and works of Isaac Newton. What’s more, he just handed in his thesis the day before I conducted this interview – best of luck on the viva, CJ! In this, the second part of our interview, we talk about the context of the...2018-08-101h 16

Physical AttractionCJ Schilt (Corpus Newtonicum) on Isaac Newton: Part ISo in this episode, I am fortunate enough to interview Cornelis Schilt – perhaps better known to the world by his blog title, Corpus Newtonicum, which you can go and read at Corpus Newtonicum.wordpress.com. He is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford, studying the History of Science, and focused on the life, career, and works of Isaac Newton. What’s more, he just handed in his thesis the day before I conducted this interview – best of luck on the viva, CJ! In this, the first part of our interview, we discuss Newton’s less well-know...2018-08-0358 min

Physical AttractionBONUS: Stalin Omnibus (Episodes IV-V-VI-VII)To keep you all updated on the goings-on at my other podcast, I'm presenting a Stalin Omnibus with all of the episodes that have released since the last time Autocracy Now appeared on my feed. Episode IV: Revolution In The Economy After consolidating power over his Bolshevik rivals, Stalin dispensed with Lenin's pseudo-capitalist NEP and replaced it with the top-down bureaucratic nightmare that was the Five-Year Plans. Episode V: Nadya and Kirov In the early 1930s, two mysterious (at the time) deaths occurred to people who were close to Stalin as he consolidated...2018-07-282h 12

Physical AttractionAntimatterA primer episode on the world of antimatter. Every particle has its antiparticle equivalent - and if they ever meet, it's annihilation. You can find us online at www.physicspodcast.com On Twitter @physicspod On Facebook as Physical Attraction And check out my other show about the life of Stalin: Autocracy Now www.autocracynow.libsyn.com 2018-07-2731 min

Physical AttractionNewton IV: Alchemy, Mercury, LegacyAlongside all of his scientific achievements, there is another fascinating side to Newton - one intimately linked with the supernatural, even the occult. A belief in alchemy, an attempt to establish a new chronology, hunting through the Bible for the ability to predict the future: were these aspects to Newton's intellect contrary to his rationality, or did they actually feed into his studies of physics? And, as we bring his life to its conclusion, we'll try to answer Keynes' question: Was Newton the first of the physicists, or the last of the magicians? You...2018-07-1925 min

Physical AttractionNewton III: The Cosmic BalletIn this episode, we get into the heart of Isaac Newton's scientific contribution. His laws of mechanics and gravitation fundamentally changed the way that we viewed both motion, and one of the (now four) fundamental forces. They would become the theory that dominated our understanding for the next three centuries, and even when relativity is discovered, Newton's laws are accurate enough across a wide enough range of circumstances to allow us to put humans on the Moon. We'll dive into these laws, explain them, and discuss how they govern so many phenomena in the world around us...2018-07-1335 min

Physical AttractionNewton II: Calculus, Corpuscles, and the Plague YearsWe discuss some of Isaac Newton's most notable discoveries, from the invention of calculus (simultaneously with Leibniz) and his early grappling and wrestling with a physical theory of light. Was Newton contemplating wave-particle duality in the 17th century? You can follow the podcast on Twitter @physicspod and follow us on Facebook at the Physical Attraction page. Visit our website at www.physicspodcast.com where you can find A YEAR'S WORTH of back episodes, alongside donation links and opportunities to buy bonus episodes if you want to thank the show and help us keep running. There's al...2018-07-0629 min

Physical AttractionAutocracy Now Bonus: Stalin Episode III: Taking ControlAs Lenin's health declined, Stalin sought to outmanouver his rivals in the Bolshevik party and consolidate single-handed, dictatorial control over Russia. Follow us on Twitter @autocracynow, our sister podcast @physicspod, and subscribe to the show where-ever you listen to podcasts. Visit our online home at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com. If you want to support independent podcasters and enjoyed this show, consider donating to help keep us going, or buying a bonus episode of the physics show - details on the website at www.physicspodcast.com 2018-07-0333 min

Physical AttractionIsaac Newton, Part I : Burning Down The HouseIsaac Newton made an almost incomparable contribution to physics - practically founding the field with his famous Laws that defined the mechanics of how bodies move for centuries, and by discovering gravity when an apple hit his head. At least, that's the story we all learn in school. But this skips a lot of the crucial history of physics between Aristotle and the 17th century - and, what's more, Isaac Newton was not just a physicist. He was the last of the magicians. In this, the first episode in our series about Isaac Newton, we c...2018-06-2825 min

Physical AttractionHow to Save the World, part IIShould we be talking about a one-world government to head off existential threats? What about schemes to preserve human genetic information, or launch relics from our civilisation to land on the moon? Is worrying about the end of the world even worthwhile? What can we practically do to reduce the risks for our civilisation? These are the questions that this, the very last episode in our TEOTWAWKI series (okay... for now...) will explore. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Twitter: @physicspod Facebook: Physical Attraction Website: www.physicspodcast.com -> w...2018-06-1741 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI: How To Save The World, Part 1So, now that I’ve thoroughly frightened us all with the terrifying visions of the apocalypse, I guess I should answer the question: what can we do to save ourselves? What should we do to save ourselves? Of course, this podcast episode won't save the world - not even close. But hopefully it will raise some interesting questions - and, if you agree or disagree with what I'm saying, as ever, please contact me! You can get in touch via Twitter @physicspod, the Facebook page at Physical Attraction, and through the contact form at www.physicspodcast.com Any...2018-06-0949 min

Physical AttractionFuture of Work, Part II - The Rant EditionLast episode on the Future of Work, I described the problem – artificial intelligence is going to potentially make a lot of people unemployed in the near-term future; and the range of opinions, you can kind of pick and mix from: It’s the robot job apocalypse! Society as we know it will soon be over! It’s okay, we’ll just give everyone a Universal Basic Income and they can all start small businesses or learn to code or something. It’s okay, we’ll just retrain everyone so that all the coal miners are m...2018-06-0140 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI - UtopiaSo, what happens if we manage to survive all of the catastrophic risks that we've detailed in the previous episodes? This is a highly-speculative fantasy about what that future might look like. It's highly likely to be wrong. It's a portrait of what someone might call a utopia. I don't know if it's my utopia; I certainly don't know if it's yours. China Mieville says that you already live in a utopia: it's just not your utopia. What could the future mean? Could history end? Tell me what you think: te...2018-05-1126 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI Failed Predictions - Part I (Free Episode)So, it won't come to any surprise to any of you to realise that - while I've researched all of the various ways the world might end - I've found an awful lot of ways the world CATEGORICALLY WON'T END. From Raptures gone wrong to Nibiru, the planet that does not exist and will not crash into Earth, this episode eases the drama a little bit by going through some of the end-of-the-world predictions that didn't come true. The second half of the show will be available via the website as a premium episode; get in...2018-05-0348 min

Physical AttractionStartup Nectome Promises Immortality or Death: Can they deliver?Nectome took the tech social media world by storm when they announced, at Y Combinator, that they'd kill you for $10,000. Well, they'd kill you and preserve your brain, possibly leading to some kind of digital immortality when they upload your brain to a computer. This was met with excitement, skepticism, and - ultimately - MIT severed ties with the company. We look into the science, ethics, and philosophy of Nectome's proposed brain-uploading scheme. Could it really work? Or is it just a techno-fantasy? www.physicspodcast.com -> Contact us with comments, concerns...2018-04-2725 min

Physical AttractionStephen Schwartz, Atomic Analyst, on nuclear weapons: from the Cold War to TrumpWe have a special guest on the show today - Stephen Schwartz. Stephen is an expert on nuclear weapons; he has been studying nuclear weapons policy, particularly in the US, for decades. His book - The Atomic Audit - was the first ever survey of the true financial cost of nuclear weapons; he has been the editor and publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who manage the famous Doomsday clock and publish scholarly and popular literature on existential threats including nuclear weapons. He edited the Non-Proliferation review, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Middlebury - he...2018-04-191h 16

Physical AttractionSimon Ings on Stalin and the Scientists: Triumph and TragedyOne of the best and most enjoyable parts of hosting this show is when my favourite authors are kind enough to speak to me. I'd like to thank Simon for an excellent, enlightening, entertaining discussion: if you enjoy listening to it half as much as I enjoyed the conversation, you're in for a real treat. Today, as part of our series on science in the USSR, I'm delighted to say that we have an interview with Simon Ings, the author of a wonderful book on the subject - Stalin and the Scientists. Simon began his career writing...2018-04-131h 16

Physical AttractionSimon Ings on Stalin and the Scientists: The Revolution.mp3One of the best and most enjoyable parts of hosting this show is when my favourite authors are kind enough to speak to me. I'd like to thank Simon for an excellent, enlightening, entertaining discussion: if you enjoy listening to it half as much as I enjoyed the conversation, you're in for a real treat. Today, as part of our series on science in the USSR, I'm delighted to say that we have an interview with Simon Ings, the author of a wonderful book on the subject - Stalin and the Scientists. Simon began his career writing...2018-04-0644 min

Physical AttractionWe Can Always Shoot Them Later - Stalin, Soviet Science, and the Bomb (II)"Leave the physicists be," said Stalin to his chief of police, Beria. "We can always shoot them later." In this series of episodes, we'll take you inside the world of science in the USSR - with a particular focus on how they developed the atomic bomb. The gulags were not the only prisons in the Soviet Union; in fact, they constructed entire secret cities, called "Atomgrads", to house the scientists working on the bomb project. Technical experts were detained in prisons called sharashka. It was a simple exchange: you got to stay somewhere warm, and l...2018-03-3025 min

Physical AttractionWe Can Always Shoot Them Later - Stalin, Soviet Science, and the Bomb (I)"Leave the physicists be," said Stalin to his chief of police, Beria. "We can always shoot them later." In this series of episodes, we'll take you inside the world of science in the USSR - with a particular focus on how they developed the atomic bomb. The gulags were not the only prisons in the Soviet Union; in fact, they constructed entire secret cities, called "Atomgrads", to house the scientists working on the bomb project. Technical experts were detained in prisons called sharashka. It was a simple exchange: you got to stay somewhere warm, and l...2018-03-2332 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI 1, Nuclear Weapons II: In The Shadow of the BombVasili Arkhipov. Stanislav Petrov. Are the names familiar? They should be: these people saved the world by refusing to use nuclear weapons under incredible circumstances of extraordinary pressure. Even if you trust every head of state in every country that has nuclear weapons - and even if you feel confident that all future heads-of-state in nuclear-armed countries can also be trusted - there's still the possibility of nuclear accidents. Over time, this possibility becomes a probability. One of the scariest things about nukes is the number of times our species has almost annihilated itself by accident. 2018-03-1632 min

Physical AttractionMartin Pfeiffer (@NuclearAnthro) InterviewWe have a special guest on the show today! This one was very fun to record. Martin Pfeiffer, perhaps more notorious by his Twitter handle @NuclearAnthro, is a must-follow expert and Anthropology PhD student who studies the history of nuclear weapons, and how human societies interact with them. We discuss folk beliefs about nuclear weapons, the history of the individuals who've wielded them... and just how easy it is for the President to launch a nuclear strike. We built them. We can take them apart. You can find Martin's Twitter @NuclearAnthro, and his b...2018-03-0950 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI 1 - Nuclear Weapons: A Delicate BalanceTen apocalypses later, we're finally here. It's easy to forget, living our comfortable lives, that there are hundreds of nuclear-armed missiles that could destroy civilisation at the drop of a hat... after just one order. Or maybe - an accident. In this episode, I'll talk about the history of nuclear weapons; some of the incidents when we came closest to annihilation; and what the world would look like after a nuclear war. You can follow us on Twitter @physicspod, and visit the website at www.physicspodcast.com There, you can donate to...2018-03-0231 min

Physical AttractionClimate Conversation with Ben Franta: Scientist, Historian, Activist (II)We have a guest on the show today - Ben Franta. Ben is a scientist, science historian, science writer, and activist. He studied for a PhD at Harvard working on solar cells; while he was at Harvard, he became involved in the movement to persuade that University to divest from fossil fuels. After finishing his first PhD, he moved to Stanford to take up a PhD in the History of Science, where he now studies the history of climate politics, and the influence of fossil fuel companies on that politics. His recent article in the Guardian, published on New...2018-02-2240 min

Physical AttractionClimate Conversation with Ben Franta: Scientist, Historian, Activist (I)We have a guest on the show today - Ben Franta. Ben is a scientist, science historian, science writer, and activist. He studied for a PhD at Harvard working on solar cells; while he was at Harvard, he became involved in the movement to persuade that University to divest from fossil fuels. After finishing his first PhD, he moved to Stanford to take up a PhD in the History of Science, where he now studies the history of climate politics, and the influence of fossil fuel companies on that politics. His recent article in the Guardian, published on New...2018-02-1439 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI: The Psychology of the EndWhy are we so fascinated with the end of the world? How do we think about it? How do cognitive biases impact how we conceive of it? How can we account for existential risks to humanity? What is millenial thinking, and why do we fall into it? All this and more; it's Physical Attraction, the TEOTWAWKI specials. www.physicspodcast.com - where to go if you want to donate to us, or contact us with your questions. @physicspod on Twitter - another great way to contact us if you ca...2018-02-0837 min

Physical AttractionClimate Change - Mitigation and ControversiesIn this episode, I try to explore a little more the politics behind the simple question: why is it that virtually every other proclamation of physicists is accepted, but the consensus around anthropogenic climate change has been so difficult for people to accept? Remember: you can follow us on Twitter @physicspod You can find the website at www.physicspodcast.com And on either one of those, you'll find a sparkly donate button where you can give to us on Paypal if you want to help us cover our costs. 2018-01-2627 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI, Climate Change - Part IIIn this second part of the climate change episode, I will talk about what climate change is going to do to us - what the worst case scenarios are - and what we can do, as individuals and as a collective, to stop it. Remember; if you enjoy the show, please tell others about it. You can visit the website at www.physicspodcast.com and you can find links there to support us via Patreon or Paypal, both of which will allow you to download bonus episodes at low, low prices.2018-01-1234 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI 2.2, Climate Change - Part IOur environment links us all: and we know that we are doing immense harm to that natural environment with our human activities. But where are the weak links? What are the potential pitfalls for the natural world, and for civilisation? In other words - if we don't change our ways - what could happen? We all know that the climate is changing and that humans are responsible for the vast bulk of the change. (If you disagree, I really hope you'll listen to this episode, and I'm happy to take on any questions you might have.) But...2018-01-0530 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI 2.1: EcotastropheOur environment links us all: and we know that we are doing immense harm to that natural environment with our human activities. But where are the weak links? What are the potential pitfalls for the natural world, and for civilisation? In other words - if we don't change our ways - what could happen? This is a simply huge topic. So, for the sake of clarity, I’m going to split the ecological and environmental catastrophe into two parts. The first will focus on pollution, species extinction, and scarcity of resources – what you might call a general ecol...2017-12-2951 min

Physical AttractionZach Weinersmith on Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Improve and/or Ruin EverythingWe have a special guest on the show today: I’m excited, are you excited? It’s Zach Weinersmith. Zach is the creator of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, which I’m sure many of you love and enjoy. He created the Bad Ad-Hoc Hypotheses festival where people give ludicrous solutions to genuine scientific problems. And with his amazing wife Kelly Weinersmith, hosted a podcast, the Weekly Weinersmith, and wrote a book – Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies that Will Improve and/or Ruin Everything. This book deals with the future of space travel, programmable matter, nuclear fusion, all kinds of emerg...2017-12-081h 19

Physical AttractionAnnouncing Patreon and how to Support the Show www.patreon.com/PhysicalAttraction, that's www.patreon.com/PhysicalAttraction . If you go there, and subscribe selecting the $3/episode option, the RSS feed and access to all of the online bonus episodes will be yours. I want to make the subscription $3/bonus episode, so that you're only paying for the content I actually produce and give you rather than some neverending monthly subscription. But I will trail the bonus episodes in advance, so that you know what you're getting. The first one is the second half of the aliens episode that just went up on the feed; in the...2017-11-0304 min

Physical AttractionTEOTWAWKI Bonus: Alien Attack (Free Episode)Things have been very serious and very depressing on our TEOTWAWKI specials; so I thought it was about time to do a little bit of light-hearted debunking, rather than ranting about the genuine dangers of apocalypse that might await us in the future. I'll discuss why the Roswell story doesn't add up - even a little bit - what an actual alien invasion could you like; and why it's just so damn unlikely that any of these alien abduction stories are especially true. We'll even talk about reports of "UFOs" that stretch all the way back to...2017-11-0324 min