“Discoveries of Modern Physics” is the new podcast series from Instituto Superior Técnico. Scheduled to premiere on 24 November, National Day of Scientific Culture, the podcast will feature six lectures conducted by Portuguese researchers who explain their vision on different areas of physics and scientific research, the challenges they currently face, and those that the future may bring.

The podcast owes its name to the curricular unit led by Luís Oliveira e Silva, a professor at Técnico, who gave students the opportunity to learn about the points of view of the six guests. The podcast episodes were recorded during the first academic semester of 2022/2023.

In the first episode, Pedro Gil Ferreira, a Técnico alumnus and a professor at Oxford University, focuses on cosmology and astrophysics. In the second episode, Luís Bettencourt, a Técnico alumnus and a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Chicago, talks about the physics of complex systems and their use in the design of sustainable cities.

Nuno Loureiro, a former student and a researcher at Técnico and current director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, one of the largest laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discusses the future of nuclear fusion in the third episode. In the following episode, Filomena Nunes shares her work at Michigan State University, where she coordinates a nuclear theory group.

Henrique Leitão and Jorge Calado are the protagonists of the last two episodes. The first, pro-rector and press director at Universidade de Lisboa, analyses the history cartography to explore the process of scientific discovery. The second, professor emeritus at Instituto Superior Técnico, chemistry researcher and cultural critic, comments on the ethical limits of science, the motivations of scientists and the role of science communication in society.

The podcast will be available every Monday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts (which also include the previous podcasts “110 Histórias| 110 Objetos” and “Explain it like I’m 5”).

Interview with Luís Oliveira e Silva about the podcast ‘Discoveries of Modern Physics’

What was the background idea for this curricular unit?

Luís Oliveira e Silva (LOS): This curricular unit was included in the Undergraduate Programme in Engineering Physics with the aim of providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the cultural importance and social impact of Physics and Engineering Physics. When professor Ilídio Lopes, the undergraduate programme coordinator, invited me to be the senior lecturer, I tried to imagine how I would have liked the Discoveries of Modern Physics to be presented and discussed as a student. I was inspired by professor Resina Rodrigues, one of the most outstanding professors and intellectuals at Técnico, when I studied the History of Ideas in Physics. I also thought inviting some of the world’s leading physicists and scientists to speak to Técnico students would be amazing. The challenge I posed to all the guests was simple and very challenging: to share one of their discoveries and then to discuss the future discoveries they foresee current students could make in the next ten years.

How were the six guests chosen?

LOS: We invited people who are aligned with the scientific areas covered by the Department of Physics and other people who help us understand the history and challenges of contemporary science. When I started thinking about the guests, I imagined the people I most admire (and that I would like to hear) and who could also establish an emotional connection with the students, such as former Engineering Physics students, who are currently academics at world’s top institutions, and inspiring members of our community and ULisboa. Everyone accepted the challenge without hesitation, which gave me additional motivation, and I hope also for the team that worked with me and the students.

How do you assess this experience?

LOS: I think it was absolutely inspiring to see these people, who have reflected on and deeply understand their research topic, illustrating and perfectly confirming the (apocryphal) phrase by physicist Richard Feynman ‘If you can’t explain something to a first-year student, then you haven’t really understood’. Unfortunately, bringing all the guests to Técnico was impossible and we tried to improve that in the second edition of the curricular unit (which will be the podcast’s second season).

I would like to stress that implementing the curricular unit in this ambitious format (including projects developed by students and lectures with guests, which involved production, sound capture, class preparation) and closely supervising more than 100 students who attend this curricular unit every year was only possible thanks to the work and motivation of the teaching assistants that the Department of Physics made available.

What can the public expect from this podcast version of the lectures?

LOS: The audience will have the opportunity to hear renowned scientists talk about the frontier of knowledge and their discoveries in a candid and passionate manner, share how science and breakthroughs happen, offering insights that only the world’s leading experts can provide. Additionally, the audience will be able to reflect on the great challenges facing physics and modern science, exploring the major scientific questions in various fields of physics and identifying the most promising avenues for research, always framed by ethical questions and the limits that cross contemporary science.

In your opinion, what are the challenges facing modern physics and what are the most exciting things to look forward to in the near future?

LOS: Physics is one of humanity’s greatest intellectual adventures and collective achievements. Today’s students are standing on the shoulders of giants: they are the intellectual descendants of Galileo, Newton, Einstein and all the generations of physicists who, since the Enlightenment, have contributed to the construction of modern physics. The challenges are increasingly ambitious and the frontiers of physics continue to expand, as physics methods, techniques and ways of thinking respond to new problems in interdisciplinary areas. Will we be able to understand the laws that govern cities and their dynamics? Will we discover what 95% of the Universe is made of? Will we be able to produce energy from nuclear fusion? Will we be able to understand the patterns of nuclei in the periodic table and create new stable heavy elements? How are these developments grounded in the history of science? What are the limits to science? It is also the excitement of these questions and the search for their answers that this podcast reveals to all listeners.