Hi Darling! This week I sit down with Dr Aaron Breidenbach, a Stanford physicist, Nature-published scientist, and self-proclaimed Quantum Shaman. Aaron’s research into exotic magnetic crystals could hold the key to the next generation of quantum computers, but his curiosity doesn’t stop there.  These crystals aren’t just lab-grown, amazingly, they occur naturally in the Atacama Desert, one of the most remote and mysterious places on Earth. The indigenous Atacameño people, whose traditions are deeply animistic, believe everything is conscious... even the mountains themselves. Aaron is heading there to see if these two worlds can meet: could the physics of his crystals and the spirituality of the desert reveal a shared understanding of consciousness? We talk about quantum computers, consciousness, AI, and whether matter itself might be aware. Aaron shares why he thinks a computer made from his crystals could one day be conscious and how he plans to use psychedelics and indigenous wisdom to understand what physics alone can’t explain.If you’ve ever wondered where science ends and spirituality begins, this one’s for you.You can follow Aarons jouney here: thequantumshaman.wordpress.comThis is the final episode in series 1 of Alex the Physicist & friends, I'll be back with more in a few weeks time!@alexthephysicist 

Hi Darling! After two international moves, from the UK to Amsterdam and more recently to California, I've learnt a thing or two about the process. There are inevitable losses and incredibly tough moments but there is also exciting new places and brilliant new friends. In this episode, I share the raw side of moving countries: the loneliness, the heartbreak, and the growth that comes after everything falls apart.@alexthephysicist

Hi Darling! Have you ever wondered what a science conference is like? Come behind the scenes with me at a LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (gravitational wave detectors) collaboration meeting. I'll take you around the conference (and into the pub), describing what I'm up to and talking to other scientists about their conference experiences, which gravitational wave emitter they would be and the case of the stolen blueberry muffin. Big thanks to all of the scientists who got involved in this episode:Mike Landry, Jenne Driggers, Matthew Todd, Bram Slagmolen, Disha Kapasi, Tomislav Andric, Derek Davis, Lucy Thomas, Lauren McDermott (& of course Nako), Brian Lantz & others in the pub! @alexthephysicist

Hi Darling!This episode was recorded on a hike in the Rocky mountains with Mattia Emma, a gravitational wave astrophysicist who is finishing up his PhD at the Royal Holloway in London. Mattia shares how a summer volunteer trip led him to setting up the Storm Project, an NGO to support a girls boarding school in a remote part of Kenya. We discuss the many times he was told he was 'too young' by accountants and lawyers, the creation of a league-winning basketball program at the school, and the challenges of COVID which led to teaching being provided on WhatsApp. This conversation moves from the vastness of the universe to the realities of rural Kenya: the power of education, the challenges of culture and tradition, and what it means to balance cutting-edge science with grassroots change.If you’ve ever wondered how someone can chase gravitational waves and transform lives on the ground at the same time, this episode is for you.The Storm Project: @stormprojectonlus instagram https://www.linkedin.com/company/storm-project/ https://mattiamaralal.github.io/stormproject/en/ website - in the process of being updated! https://www.teaming.net/storm donation page

Hi Darling!Today I share a story from my PhD about a trip I went on to America. This trip changed my whole perspective and I went from considering quitting my PhD to having a dream job in the field. The paper I mention is now published! You can find it here: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/ae0087 @alexthephysicist