Alex the Physicist & Friends

Anne L'Huillier: Watching electrons and winning Nobel Prizes mid-lecture

Hi Darling! This week I'm bringing you a conversation with Anne L'Huillier,  to talk about the science of attosecond pulses… and the very human journey behind them. Anne is a French-born physicist who works as a Professor in atomic physics at Lund university in Sweden and was the fifth woman to ever win the Nobel Prize for Physics.  In this interview we discuss the physics behind watching electrons and how attosecond light pulses help us to 'film' them. Anne's path into physics, her love of teaching and the reality of being a woman in physics over the last 40 years. And, of course, Anne describes what it's like to be a Nobel Laureate and the moment she got the call - in the middle of teaching a lecture! This is a conversation about physics and teaching but also resilience, curiosity and the human side of being one of the top scientists in the world.  Until next time, Darling! @alexthephysicist

International Women's Day: What it's really like to be a woman in STEM in 2026

Hi Darling!  Happy International Women's Day!  In todays episode I am going to discuss what its really like to be a woman working in science, technology, engineering and maths in 2026. Using personal experiences from myself and people in my community I explore the problems and the power that comes with being a gender minority in STEM.  Through stories, survey responses, and honest reflection, we’ll talk about the patterns many women still encounter in scientific workplaces today. From subtle microaggressions and being underestimated, to structural barriers that still exist within academia and industry. But this episode is not just about the problems. It’s also about resilience, community, and the incredible women who continue to shape science despite these challenges.  This conversation is about awareness, accountability, and moving the needle toward a more inclusive scientific culture for everyone. Whether you work in STEM yourself, support someone who does, or simply care about the future of science, I hope this episode sparks thoughtful conversation and encourages positive change. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences for this episode. Your voices matter. If this episode resonates with you, please consider sharing it with a colleague, lab mate, or friend. Conversations like this are how change begins. You can join in the conversation through my social media @alexthephysicist  Until next time, darling!

Kelly Weerman: The Double Life of a Neutrino Physicist and National Athlete

Hi Darling! In this episode I sit down with experimental particle physicist Kelly Weerman, who works on the Japanese neutrino experiment KamLAND-Zen and is also an athlete in the Dutch National Wushu team.  We talk about what doing a PhD actually feels like behind the scenes: burnout, motivation, imposter syndrome, and learning how to build a sustainable relationship with work. We also explore her research detecting neutrinos deep underground in Japan, the subsequent trips she got to take, and how training as an athlete shaped the way she approaches science. A conversation about science, identity, balance, and the reality of building a life in academia. Kelly is a true inspiration.  Until next time Darling!  @alexthephysicist

Wormholes, Academia & What Scientists Really Do

Hi darling!  This week I discuss what it is actually like to work in academia and research, and the science behind 'stranger things'... Are scientists “still in school”? Do professors just teach all day? And is the science in Stranger Things even remotely realistic? In this solo episode of Alex the Physicist & Friends, I break down what a career in science and academia really looks like, from PhDs and postdocs to permanent academic positions. I talk honestly about the pros, cons, instability, freedom, pressure, and misconceptions that come with working in research, especially in physics. We also dive into the real science behind Stranger Things, unpacking wormholes, spacetime, exotic matter, and how much of sci-fi is grounded in real physics (and where it definitely takes creative liberties). The paper I mentioned by Kip Thorne can be found here https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.61.1446  Alongside that, I share life updates from California and Stanford, what I’m currently working on in gravitational wave research @alexthephysicist

Julia Bauman: Inside a Genetics PhD and the Reality of Science TikTok

Hi Darling! This week I sit down with Julia Bauman, a genetics PhD student at Stanford University. Driven by curiosity about what makes people who they are and a desire to help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, which has affected her family, Julia began her path on a pre-med track before realising research was where her passion truly lay and choosing a PhD over an MD. Alongside her research Julia makes science publication explainer videos on TikTok, where she has built a following of over 33,000 as a science communicator.   In this conversation, we talk about her journey from medicine to research, the motivations behind her science communication, and the challenges of balancing content creation with PhD life, as well as her uncertainty around how it might evolve in the future.  Follow Julia on TikTok: @60_secondscience Thanks for listening!  @alexthephysicist