• Luis Perez-Breva: A Masterclass in Innovating | #11
    Sep 2 2023

    Recorded on location in Massachusetts this is a discussion with Dr Luis Perez-Breva, the Faculty Director of MIT’s Innovation Teams; the joint enterprise between MIT Engineering and MIT Sloan to put the Institute’s deep tech advances to work to solve real-world problems. Through this, he has helped nearly 200 MIT technologies find a path to impact leading to the formation of some 40 new, enduring deep tech companies across all industries from mining to telecommunications. Dr. Perez-Breva holds a PhD in artificial intelligence from MIT and degrees in chemical engineering, physics, and business from leading universities in Spain (Institut Quimic de Sarrià), France (Ecole Normale Supérieure), and the United States (MIT). In 2011, the Spanish government recognised his career achievements by awarding him the Order of Civil Merit of the Kingdom of Spain. His work on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, BBC, Wharton Business Radio, Entrepreneur, Zdnet, Quartz, Epsilon Theory and several other national and international media. Luis has worked with venture capital and numerous corporations and adapted his work to develop innovating factories. Currently, Luis is developing a technology repurposing fund to rescue, recycle, and, in essence, turn around technologies analogous to how private equity seeks to turn around companies. In this episode we explore common myths about innovating, how to minimise risk through recycling ideas and technologies, the most effective method to learn anything and much more. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:39 'Innovating' vs 'Innovation' 00:01:39 Breaking down what 'learning by doing' really means 00:09:23 Learning and navigating untraversed terrain 00:13:58 Finding a problem in the first place - the hunch 00:20:15 The art of applying new technologies to problems 00:23:04 The importance of leadership in cultivating a hub of innovation 00:30:31 How to manage (and use) risk 00:43:30 Could AI learn to innovate like us? 00:47:02 The real use of 'AI' systems 00:53:56 Advice for the next generation of problem solvers Resources: Dr Perez-Breva https://lpbreva.mit.edu/ https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/profile/luis-perez-breva/ Innovation Teams https://iteams.mit.edu/ MIT https://web.mit.edu/ Flagship Pioneering https://www.flagshippioneering.com/ Innovating: A Doer's Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/Innovating-Manifesto-Starting-Prototyping-Productively/dp/0262035359

    Another interview with Dr Perez-Breva to tune in to next! https://www.unstoppableteen.com/stem-learning-languages-and-innovating-interview-with-mit-director-dr-luis-perez-breva/ #physics #ai #stem #learning #innovating #GoogleX #Flagshipfounded#nikolatesla #henryford #microsoft #sunmicrosystems #apple#IOPLimitLess #thegalileointerviews


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    57 mins
  • Efthimios Kaxiras: Twistronics and fantastical materials | #10
    Jun 13 2023

    Recorded at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts this is a discussion with Professor Efthimios Kaxiras, Chair of the Department of Physics; John Hasbrouck Van Vleck Professor of Pure and Applied Physics and Professor of Applied Mathematics. He and his group study the structure and properties of different phases of matter and how they can be used in practical device applications. They employ theoretical models and computational tools that span multiple scales from the atomistic to the continuum. They also use machine learning methods to search for new or better materials, and for gaining a deeper understanding of complex solids and phenomena (find out more here - https://scholar.harvard.edu/efthimios_kaxiras/research ). A recent focus of Professor Kaxiras’ research has been the physics of twisted bilayers and multilayers of two-dimensional solids like graphene, a topic for which he and his team introduced the term ‘twistronics’. In this episode we delve into this exciting new realm of physics, discuss the ways in which it could change the world, and much more. The Galileo Interviews on: » Twitter | https://twitter.com/TheGalileoInt » Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thegalileointerviews » LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegalileointerviews Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:32 The most interesting state of matter 00:06:34 Superconductors: quantum weirdness on a large scale 00:12:42 What is twistronics? 00:19:06 The magic of 2D 00:30:46 Applications of these materials 00:36:17 First contact with a powerful quantum computer 00:38:11 AI as a tool/ally 00:43:50 Exciting problems you can make your mission to solve 00:51:45 Advice for the next generation of curious minds Resources: Kaxiras Research Group https://scholar.harvard.edu/efthimios_kaxiras Harvard University Physics Department https://www.physics.harvard.eduhttps://www.youtube.com/harvardphysics Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences https://seas.harvard.edu Institute of Physics: https://www.iop.org https://www.youtube.com/user/InstituteofPhysics

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    57 mins
  • Helen Rogers and Luthais McCash | Part 3: Physics Education | #9
    Jan 3 2023

    In this episode we have for the first time, not 1 but 2 guests, in a discussion split into 3 parts. This is the final part of the series, in which we discuss Physics education. In the first, we discussed interdisciplinary approaches to science, and in the second, environmental physics. Below is some information on each of the guests.   

    Helen Rogers:

    Helen is an atmospheric scientist with twenty years of experience in teaching, research and programme coordination. She has worked on developing atmospheric/climate models at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, was Programme Manager for the NERC Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Ozone Programme and a senior researcher for the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit. She has particular interest and expertise in determining the environmental impact of the transport sector (primarily aviation and shipping), atmospheric modelling, and computational fluid dynamics. Helen was a contributor to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (2002); ‘Climate Change 2001: The scientific basis’ – the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); and the IPCC Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere (1999). Helen is the chair of the Environmental Physics Group at the Institute of Physics, with a D.Phil. in Atmospheric Physics from the University of Oxford and a degree in Physics from Imperial College, London.  

    Luthais McCash:

    Luthais is the Chief Scientific Officer at Sigma Solutions and chair of the mathematical and theoretical physics group at The Institute of Physics. Sigma Solutions was built entirely from scratch by Luthais as a business consulting firm that offers distinct ideas in state-of-the-art data analysis to a variety of businesses across multiple industries. The company has a reputation of finding creative approaches to complicated problems and has recently won the accolade of most innovative business 2022, awarded by Corporate Vision magazine.  Luthais himself has been recognised as one of the top 20 most dynamic CEOs in the UK of 2022 and he's still only in his twenties. Luthais was initially recognised as a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in May 2020 for his creative work on advanced modelling and optimisation in the energy industry with a focus on oil and gas. He developed and implemented technology that revolutionised the trading and efficient distribution of liquified natural gas by cutting costs by a factor of 10. He's been re-elected as a fellow of the RSS in June 2021 and he has also been an honorary fellow at the University of Leicester in 2019-2021.  On top of his business exploits he is now also in a research position at Durham University.   

    I hope you enjoy the discussion!  

    The Galileo Interviews on: 

    » Twitter | https://twitter.com/TheGalileoInt

    » Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thegalileointerviews

    » LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegalileointerviews

    Chapters: 

    00:00:00 Introduction 

    00:01:06 How do we get more people excited about Physics? 

    00:08:49 How can a deeper understanding be facilitated in education 

    00:21:29 Maths as a language and what science is really about  

    32:59 Should exams be harder? Do they even test the right thing? 

    00:38:45 The importance of perseverance  

    00:44:20 Diversity in Physics   

    00:50:41 Coming full circle - intersections of disciplines   

    00:53:09 Wiki guide to reforming the education system!

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Helen Rogers and Luthais McCash | Part 2: Environmental Physics | #8
    Dec 23 2022

    In this episode we have for the first time, not 1 but 2 guests, in a discussion split into 3 parts. This is part two of the series, in which we discuss environmental physics. In the first, we discussed interdisciplinary approaches to science, and in the last part of this series we will discuss some of the big questions of physics education.  Below is some information on each of the guests.

    Helen Rogers

    An atmospheric scientist with 20 years experience in teaching, research & programme coordination. Has worked on developing atmospheric/climate models at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, was Programme Manager for the NERC Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Ozone Programme and a senior researcher for the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit. Has particular interest and expertise in determining the environmental impact of the transport sector (primarily aviation and shipping), atmospheric modelling and computational fluid dynamics. Helen was a contributor to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (2002); ‘Climate Change 2001: The scientific basis’ – the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); and the IPCC Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere (1999). Helen is the chair of the Environmental Physics Group at the Institute of Physics, with a D.Phil. in Atmospheric Physics from the University of Oxford and a degree in Physics from Imperial College, London.

    Luthais McCash

    Chief Scientific Officer at Sigma Solutions and chair of the mathematical and theoretical physics group at The Institute of Physics. Sigma Solutions was built entirely from scratch by Luthais as a business consulting firm that offers distinct ideas in state-of-the-art data analysis to a variety of businesses across multiple industries. The company has a reputation of finding creative approaches to complicated problems and has recently won the accolade of most innovative business 2022, awarded by Corporate Vision magazine.

    Luthais himself has been recognised as one of the top 20 most dynamic CEOs in the UK of 2022 and he's still only in his twenties. Luthais was initially recognised as a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in May 2020 for his creative work on advanced modelling and optimisation in the energy industry with a focus on oil and gas. He developed and implemented technology that revolutionised the trading and efficient distribution of liquified natural gas by cutting costs by a factor of 10. He's been re-elected as a fellow of the RSS in June 2021 and he has also been an honorary fellow at the University of Leicester in 2019-2021.

    On top of his business exploits he is now also in a research position at Durham University.

    I hope you enjoy the discussion!  

    00:00:00 Introduction

    00:01:06 What is environmental physics?

    00:04:25 'Differences of opinion' - variability in models

    00:17:47 Current research in atmospheric physics

    00:24:48 Limits on models

    00:30:56 How to learn more about environmental physics


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    34 mins
  • Helen Rogers and Luthais McCash | Part 1: Interdisciplinary Science | #7
    Dec 21 2022

    In this episode we have for the first time, not 1 but 2 guests, in a discussion split into 3 parts. This is part one of the series, in which we discuss interdisciplinary science. In the second, we will discuss environmental physics, and in the last part of this series we will discuss some of the big questions of physics education. Below is some information on each of the guests.

    Helen Rogers

    An atmospheric scientist with 20 years experience in teaching, research & programme coordination. She has worked on developing atmospheric/climate models at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, was Programme Manager for the NERC Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Ozone Programme and a senior researcher for the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit. She has particular interest and expertise in determining the environmental impact of the transport sector (primarily aviation and shipping), atmospheric modelling, and computational fluid dynamics. Helen was a contributor to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (2002); ‘Climate Change 2001: The scientific basis’ – the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); and the IPCC Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere (1999). Helen is the chair of the Environmental Physics Group at the Institute of Physics, with a D.Phil. in Atmospheric Physics from the University of Oxford and a degree in Physics from Imperial College, London.

    Luthais McCash

    Chief Scientific Officer at Sigma Solutions and chair of the mathematical and theoretical physics group at The Institute of Physics. Sigma Solutions was built entirely from scratch by Luthais as a business consulting firm that offers distinct ideas in state-of-the-art data analysis to a variety of businesses across multiple industries. The company has a reputation of finding creative approaches to complicated problems and has recently won the accolade of most innovative business 2022, awarded by Corporate Vision magazine.

    Luthais himself has been recognised as one of the top 20 most dynamic CEOs in the UK of 2022 and he's still only in his twenties. Luthais was initially recognised as a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in May 2020 for his creative work on advanced modelling and optimisation in the energy industry with a focus on oil and gas. He developed and implemented technology that revolutionised the trading and efficient distribution of liquified natural gas by cutting costs by a factor of 10. He's been re-elected as a fellow of the RSS in June 2021 and he has also been an honorary fellow at the University of Leicester in 2019-2021.

    On top of his business exploits he is now also in a research position at Durham University.

    I hope you enjoy the discussion!

    The Galileo Interviews on:

    » Twitter | https://twitter.com/TheGalileoInt 

    » Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thegalileointerviews

    » LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegalileointerviews

    Chapters:

    00:00:00 Introduction

    00:01:06 Notable exciting intersections between fields

    00:07:35 Knowledge and skills to embark on an interdisciplinary career

    00:14:23 Unexpected connections

    00:24:13 Overcoming the ‘language barrier’


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    29 mins
  • Luthais McCash: Business meets science and maths | outreach, research and exploration | #6
    Nov 9 2022

    This 6th episode is with Luthais McCash, Chief Scientific Officer at Sigma Solutions and chair of the mathematical and theoretical physics group at The Institute of Physics.

    Sigma Solutions was built entirely from scratch by Luthais as a business consulting firm that offers distinct ideas in state-of-the-art data analysis to a variety of businesses across multiple industries. The company has a reputation of finding creative approaches to complicated problems and has recently won the accolade of most innovative business 2022, awarded by Corporate Vision magazine.

    Luthais himself has been recognised as one of the top 20 most dynamic CEOs in the UK of 2022 and he's still only in his twenties. Luthais was initially recognised as a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in May 2020 for his creative work on advanced modelling and optimisation in the energy industry with a focus on oil and gas. He developed and implemented technology that revolutionised the trading and efficient distribution of liquified natural gas by cutting costs by a factor of 10.

    He's been re-elected as a fellow of the RSS in June 2021 and he has also been an honorary fellow at the University of Leicester in 2019-2021.

    On top of his business exploits he is now also in a research position at Durham University.

    Listen to hear more and enjoy!

    The Galileo Interviews on:

    » Twitter | https://twitter.com/TheGalileoInt

    » Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thegalileointerviews

    » LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegalileointerviews

    Chapters:

    00:00:00 Introduction

    00:01:51 Bringing business and science together

    00:11:12 Choosing the business to work with and the problems to solve

    00:25:58 How do you approach solving a problem?

    00:29:15 What is the research you are currently working on?

    00:33:40 The timespan from idea to publishing a paper

    00:36:37 A mathematician's approach to problem solving

    00:38:52  The importance of science in society

    00:48:35  Supporting public engagement with science at The Institute of Physics

    00:51:26  Thoughts on increasing diversity in science

    00:56:18  Reasons to study mathematics and physics

    Resources:

    Sigma Solutions:

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigma-solutionsglobal

    https://www.sigmasolutions.uk

    Institute of Physics:

    https://www.iop.org

    https://www.youtube.com/user/InstituteofPhysics

    BankAbility:

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-ability-ltd/

    https://www.bankability.app/#about

    Corporate Vision Magazine:

    https://www.corporatevision-news.com

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-vision-magazine/

    Royal Statistical Society:

    https://rss.org.uk

    https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyalStatSoc

    University of Leicester:

    https://le.ac.uk

    https://www.youtube.com/user/UniversityLeicester

    Durham University:

    https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/physics/

    Richard Feynman:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman

    Pareto Principle:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

    Bose-Einstein condensate:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose–Einstein_condensate

    #IOPLimitLess #physics #mathematics #quantumphysics #iamaphysicist #thegalileointerviews #sciencecommunication #quantum #quantumcomputing #quantumtechnology #UniversityOfLeicester #DUinspire #CitizensOfChange

    #sigmasolutions #optimisationproblems #problemssolving #leadership

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Dennis Whyte: SPARC, fusion energy, leadership and collaboration | #5
    Nov 2 2022

    Recorded at the Institute of Physics in London, this is a  discussion with Professor Dennis Whyte, the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering at MIT, a professor in the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Director of the MIT Plasma Science & Fusion Center.

    He’s the winner of numerous accolades, including in 2018 the Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award which is given annually to individuals who have shown outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion.

    This leadership extends to heading up the fusion project SPARC, a compact, high-field, fusion energy device, in collaboration with MIT-born private fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

    The day before this interview I was lucky enough to listen to him speak at FUSION22, which took place at the Science Museum in London. It was incredibly exciting to learn more about the extraordinary strides that are being made towards a reality of commercial fusion energy.

    It’s a really dynamic field and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

    The Galileo Interviews on:

    » YouTube | https://youtu.be/ozsRXzQ-S7w?sub_confirmation=1

    » Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thegalileoi...

    » LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/theg...

    Chapters:

    00:00:00 Introduction

    00:01:31 Reasons to be a future employee

    00:04:10 'The research bug' and finding your motivation

    00:07:18 What is nuclear fusion and how are we trying to harness it for energy?

    00:10:47 The SPARC project and extraordinary successes

    00:17:20 Remaining challenges for young people to get excited about

    00:22:10 Collaboration in fusion

    00:27:13 Politics and development hurdles

    00:29:35 Leadership

    00:31:58 Advice for an 18 year old self


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    35 mins
  • Episode Four - Dr. Fiona Beck
    May 3 2022

    A discussion with Dr. Fiona Beck, who leads a research group at The Australian National University focused on integrating nanophotonics and optoelectronic device design for applications in solar fuels and the next generation of photodetection technologies. She is also Convenor of the Hydrogen Fuels Project in the Energy Change Institute's Zero-carbon energy for the Asia-Pacific ANU Grand Challenge. Dr Beck currently holds a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the ARC, as well as the Future Engineering Research Leader (FERL) Fellowship from the ANU.    

    00:00:00 Introduction 

    00:01:10 What inspired Dr Fiona Beck’s career? 

    00:02:40 Other inspiration for Dr Beck 

    00:03:47 How Dr Fiona Beck is looking at converting light to other forms of energy 

    00:10:13 Differences in learning for a project verses in an academic setting 

    00:12:06 Coming back to solar fuels including:

    - Plasmodically driven photocatalysis                 

    - Zero carbon energy for the Asia Pacific 

    00:17:32 Importance of considering policy in ensuring we can can effectively transition to a sustainable future  

    00:22:13 How much time does Dr Beck spend in the lab versus looking at the theory? 

    00:24:11 What have been the biggest challenges in Dr Beck’s career so far?                 

    - building confidence                 

    - Gender inequalities and ensuring a more diverse future for physics 

    00:29:52 Reflection on the benefits (and drawbacks) of travel for a career in Physics 

    00:32:53 Advice Dr Beck would give her younger self 

    00:35:02 Ideas for the current school curriculum 

    00:37:07 How Dr Beck approaches problem solving  

    00:40:03 Knowing which problem to solve 

    00:42:37 Thoughts on other sources of renewable energy 

    00:45:25 Areas of interest for the future - Carbon dioxide drawdown 

    00:48:23 The idea in the history of science Dr Beck sees as the most revolutionary 

    00:51:32 Final advice for up and coming Physicists 

    00:53:38 Thank yous

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    54 mins