Episode 5: Ted gets himself in a blur (the uncertainty principle)

Episodes 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 I was surprised and happy this week to get a twitter mention from proper science  journalist Alok Jha, saying he was enjoying following Ted’s adventures. But it’s just as important to me that non-sciencey types enjoy and hopefully understand what I’m getting at. Thanks especially to Joe [...]

Episode 4: Ted and the quantum healer

Click here to read from part 1 Ted hadn’t planned for the answerphone. He’d been so worried about rejection that he hadn’t considered the possibility that he might not even get the chance to be rejected. “So, er, maybe you know give me a call or something sometime if you want… see you… bye”. Ted [...]

Episode 3: Ted makes the call (superposition of states and Schrödinger´s cat)

So far, Ted´s attempts to find himself a date have led us through the ideas of probability and that light comes in individual lumps known as photons. We left him as he was about to make a call to a girl he had met the night before… Having finally worked up the courage following his lighting-related [...]

The Quantum Disco: Episode 2

Last time, physicist Ted head out to find himself a date, by chatting to girls in a bar, handily illustrating something about probability… Essentially any one event has an unpredictable outcome, but quantum events, ruled by probability, become predictable when enough are taken into account. Quantum physics, like trying to get a date, is non-deterministic! [...]

The Quantum Disco, Episode 1

Last week, in a comment on this blog, Marty Walpole challenged me to explain what quantum physics is in layman’s terms. Well I’m not one to let a challenge like that pass, so here goes… It’s going to take several posts… Ted is a young quantum physicist, but he’s also single and determined to do something [...]

10minus9 interview: Philip Moriarty (Part 2)

In the final part of this interview with Philip Moriarty from the University of Nottingham, we talk about pattern formation in nature, research funding, and find out the one physics problem Professor Moriarty would most like to see solved. Part one ended with a shortlist of scientific heroes… OK, but if you have to pick [...]

Thinking like a novice: the bottom up approach to explaining nano

I’ve gone back to square one. I’m a complete novice again. I’ve said before that the way to explain science is to try to make a connection with your audience. This means two things; to be passionate, and to be responsive enough to adjust your own view to that of the audience, rather than the [...]

What the Bleep?

This isn’t exactly topical as it’s a few years old now, but I only just heard about this at the weekend. What The Bleep Do We Know? is a documentary film “serving up a mind-jarring blend of quantum physics, spirituality, neurology and evolutionary thought.” It’s an interesting concept, with a dramatic narrative featuring a deaf, [...]

Explaining quantum mechanics to girls in bars

It’s a common problem, but one not often discussed by science blogs… A good-looking and talented scientist/blogger is in a bar, about to order a drink. It’s taking some time to get served so said blogger starts a conversation with a girl at the bar. They make eye-contact, she smiles, they make a subtle connection [...]