Gabriela Barreto Lemos et al, Nature
It's become a bit of a tradition for quantum physicist and FQXi member Ian Durham to join us on the podcast each December to choose his favourite physics stories of the year. As always, Ian's gone for an unconventional top pick. I'd be interested to see if you can guess it before you listen -- and if you agree with him after it's been revealed.
This year (as in 2013), I'm posting three mini-editions of the podcast for your amusement over the holiday season. The first part was posted on 23 December, and I have just uploaded the second. So far, Ian's revealed the items that came in at numbers 5 and 4 on his list and 7 others that made the headlines this year, but did not quite make his cut. (We're aware that this is Ian's sneaky way of more than doubling the size of his list. Next year, we may have to run a physics "advent calendar" revealing one item on his list each day!)
I've already spoiled you on one news story that gets a mention on the podcast, with the image accompanying this post (though you'll have to listen to find out if it's on Ian's list or not, and if so where). This cute cat picture was produced by FQXi member Anton Zeilinger and colleagues and appeared in Nature (512, 409-412 (28 August 2014)) using a cunning technique that allowed them to "see" the cat without ever detecting the photons that struck it.
On the subject of "Seeing Without Looking" -- and if you want another hint about a story that made it on to Ian's list -- watch Dagomir Kaszlikowksi's top-prize winning video from our recent contest, which Ian brings up while explaining some of the best in physics in 2014:
[youtube: I7oZAo8hJnU, 560, 340]
We're also using the podcast for some housekeeping, with segments on the recent video contest and the current RFP and essay contest:
Part 1: Physics stories that didn't make Ian's top 5 (and why), Brendan and I review the video contest, and Ian's pick for the 5th best physics story of the year.
Part 2: The 4th best physics story of the year, chosen by Ian, Brendan and I run through the 2015 Large Grant RFP on "The Physics of What Happens," and Ian reveals his 3rd-placed physics story of the year.
And Part 3: Ian's top two physics stories of the year and our tips for the new FQXi essay contest, "Trick or Truth? The Mysterious Connection Between Physics and Mathematics."
Enjoy!
(Edited on 30 December 2014 to add the link to the third and final podcast.)