This month, our guest is Dr Sam Gregson, better known as YouTube’s Bad Boy of Science. Formerly a Cavendish particle physicist working on the LHCb experiment at CERN, Sam found that he enjoyed finding ways to engage non-specialist audiences with fundamental physics more than submitting himself to peer-review and moved into science communication.

The founder of LHComedy, CERN’s first ever comedy show, he now runs science education shows that have played in venues as diverse as the Royal Institution and The Green Man Festival. His Hunting the Higgs talk was recently performed for hundreds of school students here at the Cavendish, and has been seen by tens of thousands around the world.

Alongside this, he blogs, podcasts, and regularly posts videos to YouTube covering current scientific stories and in-depth breakdowns of complex particle physics. Today, we’ll talk about what drove him to look for the most fundamental building blocks of the universe, why he now subjects himself to audiences of teenagers, and how he feels particle physics research can make a better case for itself… Stay with us!

Useful links

• Check Sam's website The Bad Boy of Science and his YouTube channel: Welcome to the Bad Boy of Science YT channel!
• To learn more about the LHCb experiment, check the CERN website: LHCb |CERN
• LHComedy, CERN's 1st ever comedy show founded by Sam in 2013 , is still available online: LHComedy

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• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

Episode credits

• Hosts: Vanessa Bismuth and Jacob Butler
• Recording and Editing: Chris Brock

This month, we are joined by Oliwia Zawadzka, a Research Laboratory Technician at the Cavendish Laboratory. Oliwia grew up in Poland before moving to the UK aged 9. Dropped in at the deep end, she spent the next few years learning English just in time to sit her exams. Despite doing well, she decided the typical path through university wasn’t for her and set about finding an apprenticeship that suited.

This brought her to the Cavendish, where she started as a laboratory technician apprentice, helping the technicians in their work supporting the research of the department.

Today, we’ll talk about where her time as an apprentice has taken her, what it’s like telling Cambridge academics what to do, her work around the university to bring awareness to the programmes available, and her advice to anyone thinking about following a similar path…

• Learn more about the apprenticeship scheme at the Cavendish and about the National Apprenticeships Scheme.
• Explore the Cavendish Outreach projects and events.
• Listen to the People Doing Physics episode with Lisa Jardine on outreach, Isaac Physics and the STEMSMART programme.

• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

• Hosts: Jacob Butler and Charlie Walker
• Recording and Editing: Chris Brock

Today we are joined by Professor Sam Stranks, Professor of Optoelectronics and Royal Society University Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and a Joint Member here at the Cavendish Laboratory. Growing up in Australia, Sam graduated from the University of Adelaide with a BA in German and Applied Mathematics, alongside a BSc in Physics and Physical Chemistry, before completing a PhD at Oxford University.

His research focuses on developing novel materials for low-cost electronics applications, such as solar cells and LEDs, and he is co-founder of Swift Solar, a company taking this technology to market by developing lightweight perovskite solar panels.

If working in business and academia wasn't enough, Sam teaches at the university, setting up several new PhD programmes, and is one the co-founders of Sustain/Education, a national charity developing content for Primary Schools looking at climate change solutions.

In this episode, we talk about his multidisciplinary route through science, how he manages to keep a foot in both research and industry, and just how many times he came close to dropping physics entirely...

• Learn more about Sam Stranks’ research by visiting his group website.
• Sam’s spin-out company: Swift Solar - Next generation lightweight and efficient solar technology
• The new PhD programme PhDin Sustainable Energy Materials Innovations is now open for applications!
• Visit the Sustain/Education website to learn more about their actions in primary school classes across the country.
• Listen back to Stuart Macpherson, co-founder of Sustain/Education, talking about his own journey into physics on this podcast.
• And finally, explore the Cavendish Laboratory, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024

• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

• Hosts: Jacob Butler and Vanessa Bismuth
• Recording and Editing: Chris Brock