Bridge the Gap

TU Graz
  • 5.0 (1)
  • PHYSICS

Curious about science or just here for a good story? This podcast brings research to life, breaking down complex topics into everyday language. Join us as we chat with real scientists about their cutting-edge work and the highs and lows of finding the balance between work and private life. Whether you are a science buff or a total beginner, tune in for insightful conversations, fascinating discoveries, and a glimpse into the world of research. contact email address: bridgethegap@tugraz.at

  1. AUG 11

    Solar physics

    How does a star like our Sun actually work? What fuels this giant ball of gas—and how does it change over time? And where do the elements of the periodic table really come from? In this episode, we explore these cosmic questions with our guest, Professor Alexander Shapiro from the University of Graz.

    39 min

  2. JUL 28

    Biophysics

    What is biophysics? What does it study, and why is it so difficult to apply physics to predict the behavior of living organisms? Professor Douwe Bonthuis from Graz University of Technology takes us on a journey through the fascinating, yet complex, world of biophysics.Multiscale modeling of aqueous electric double layers: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00307 Intrinsic lipid curvatures:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183709 Website with further information: https://www.staff.tugraz.at/bonthuis/

    35 min

  3. JUL 14

    Plasma physics

    What if we told you there is a fourth state of matter all around us—one that powers neon signs, lights up the aurora and fuels fusion reactors? Christopher Albert, from Graz University of Technology, will help us unravel the mysteries of plasma: why it is so hard to tame, where it hides in nature, and how mastering it could revolutionize the way we think of energy.

    24 min

  4. JUN 30

    Space and satellite communication

    Have you ever heard about Guglielmo Marconi? Ever wondered how we can communicate with satellites in orbit around Earth efficiently? And also, how many satellites are "up there"? These is just a short selection of the questions we ask in this episode. With us to discuss about "Space and satellite communication", Mirela Fetescu, researcher and engineer at Joanneum Research, in Graz.

    27 min

  5. APR 7

    Laser spectroscopy

    What is matter made of? If we could zoom in to unimaginably small scales, we’d see atoms and gases teeming with electrons in constant motion. Laser spectroscopy is one of the powerful tools scientists use to explore this microscopic world. Birgitta Schulze-Bernhardt will guide us through what we can uncover about the infinitesimally small and how this knowledge impacts the view of the world we live in. References: [1] RP Photonics Encyclopaedia: https://www.rp-photonics.com/encyclopedia.html [2] Optical frequency comb: https://www.nist.gov/topics/physics/optical-frequency-combs [3] Dual-comb spectroscopy: https://opg.optica.org/optica/fulltext.cfm?uri=optica-3-4-414&id=338991 [4] One of Birgitta's team recent paper: Fürst, L., Kirchner, A., Eber, A., Siegrist, F., Di Vora, R., and Bernhardt, B., Broadband near-ultraviolet dual comb spectroscopy, (2024), Optica, Vol. 11, Issue 4, 471, (2024), https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.516783

    28 min

  6. MAR 24

    Philosophy and Physics - Part 2

    What does one mean by philosophy of physics? How can philosophy help us understand the physical world? In particular, when it comes to quantum mechanics, human intuition seems to break down. Is the wave function real, or is it just a construct we use to make sense of experiments? Is reality truly based on probabilities? In this episode we continue our journey into the relationship between philosophy and physics with Axel Maas and Philip Berghofer from University of Graz. The first part of our conversation with them can be found at episode "Philosophy and Physics - Part 1"References: Axel Maas on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/axelmaas.bsky.social Axel Maas's webpage: https://particle.uni-graz.at/en/structures-and-observables/ Philip Berghofer's webpages: https://uni-graz.academia.edu/PhilippBerghofer, https://philippberghofer.com/  Some slides about philosophy of physics: https://static.uni-graz.at/fileadmin/_Persoenliche_Webseite/maas_axel/urania24.pdf Book "Gauge symmetries, symmetry breaking, and gauge-invariant approaches": https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.00616

    24 min

  7. MAR 17

    Philosophy and Physics - Part 1

    What does one mean by philosophy of physics? How can philosophy help us understand the physical world? In particular, when it comes to quantum mechanics, human intuition seems to break down. Is the wave function real, or is it just a construct we use to make sense of experiments? Is reality truly based on probabilities? In this episode, Axel Maas and Philip Berghofer from the University of Graz will guide us through the challenges of reconnecting the physical world with the models we use to describe it.References: Axel Maas on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/axelmaas.bsky.social Axel Maas's webpage: https://particle.uni-graz.at/en/structures-and-observables/ Philip Berghofer's webpages: https://uni-graz.academia.edu/PhilippBerghofer, https://philippberghofer.com/  Some slides about philosophy of physics: https://static.uni-graz.at/fileadmin/_Persoenliche_Webseite/maas_axel/urania24.pdf Book "Gauge symmetries, symmetry breaking, and gauge-invariant approaches": https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.00616

    31 min

  8. MAR 3

    Pigments colors and other shades of physics

    If sunlight is often described as "white," why do we see so many colors? How are colors connected to the wavelengths of light? And what exactly is a wavelength? Anna Galler, a researcher at TU Graz, takes us on a journey through the world of light, pigments, and the fascinating physics behind every shade.References:  [1] Kurt Nassau, "The Causes of Color" - published in the October 1980 issue of Scientific American, Volume 243, Number 4, on pages 124-154 [2] Kurt Nassau, "The Fifteen Causes of Color: The Physics and Chemistry of Color" - published in the journal Color Research & Application in February 1987 (Volume 12, Issue 1, pages 4-26).

    24 min
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About

Curious about science or just here for a good story? This podcast brings research to life, breaking down complex topics into everyday language. Join us as we chat with real scientists about their cutting-edge work and the highs and lows of finding the balance between work and private life. Whether you are a science buff or a total beginner, tune in for insightful conversations, fascinating discoveries, and a glimpse into the world of research. contact email address: bridgethegap@tugraz.at

Information

  • Creator
    TU Graz
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martin Ebner