Podcasts about Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Today Justin talks with Dr. Frank Close. Frank is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College at the University of Oxford. He was formerly the head of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Vice President of the British Science Association, and Head of Communications and Public Understanding at CERN. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and won their Michael Faraday Medal for Excellence in Science Communication in 2013. He received the order of the British Empire for Services to Research and the public understanding of science in 2000. He's also the author of 22 books about science. This week here's here discuss the story of Dr. Bruno Pontecorvo, a pioneer in the field of nuclear physics who worked on atomic research before, during and after World War II, and who was also a devoted communist ideologue. Bruno and his family disappeared behind the Iron Curtain in 1950, setting up a decades long mystery as to whether or not he'd been a Soviet spy all along. Connect with Frank:Twitter/X: @CloseFrankCheck out the book, Half Life, here.https://a.co/d/3u0VPsPConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

Michael Phillips, joint owner with partner Wayne Robins of contract machining firm Atomic Precision, describes their recently purchased, Japanese-built Brother Speedio U500Xd1 as ‘a Swiss army knife of 5-axis machining centres.' His comment is due to the 30-taper machine's high quality, versatile functionality, compactness, and ability to complete an extensive range of jobs quickly and efficiently. Brother machines are sold and serviced in the UK and Ireland by Whitehouse Machine Tools, Kenilworth. Founded in East Hendred, Oxfordshire, in 2020 by the two time-served mechanical engineering apprentices, who both previously worked in the machine shop at nearby Rutherford Appleton Laboratory's space development facility, Atomic Precision specialises unsurprisingly in manufacturing components and assemblies for the space and scientific research sectors. Over the next four years, a succession of 40-taper VMCs from another supplier arrived on the shop floor: three 3-axis models and two 5-axis machines. During that time, the subcontractor enjoyed an impressive growth rate of 50% yearly. It was clear to the two partners, who work alone that the ongoing rate of growth was unsustainable without progression on the shop floor to more efficient machine tools and perhaps also automation to gain substantial periods of unattended production. They operate a single-day shift, and working longer hours is not part of their game plan. As a first step to raising productivity, Whitehouse Machine Tools installed and commissioned the high-speed Brother U500Xd1 in September 2024. The partners learned of the machine at the Southern Manufacturing exhibition in Farnborough in early 2023. The order was placed after early hesitation regarding the smaller spindle interface, which later proved to be a non-issue and benchmarking a couple of other 30-taper machines on the market. Mr Phillips commented: “The area taken up on our shop floor by the U500Xd1 is half of the space that one of our 40-taper 5-axis machines occupies, yet the 30-taper VMC produces larger parts. Not only that, but the Speedio finishes an identical component in two-thirds of the time, as the non-cutting elements of cycles are incredibly short, so tools are in-cut for typically 90% of the time during a cycle.” “The linear axes accelerate at 2.2 g up to 56m/min, and chip-to-chip time is 1.3 seconds. Rotary positioning by the trunnion and table is similarly fast, and parts come off complete, resulting in rapid floor-to-floor times.” The machine installed in East Hendred is a well-specified version of the Speedio model, with a 16,000rpm 15kW spindle, 28-position tool turret, high-pressure coolant, and Blum tool and part probing. Axis strokes are 500 by 400 by 300mm, but multi-face machining of components up to 500mm in diameter by 270mm high and weighing up to 100kg is possible owing to the layout of the machining area. As well as producing parts up to the maximum working envelope, the Speedio also machines tiny components requiring complex features cut with a 0.2 mm diameter end mill, hence the decision to opt for the highest speed spindle Brother offers. Towers are extensively used for fixturing multiple smaller parts to extend the walk-away time from the machine if individual cycle times are short. Batch size is usually up to 10-off, although often single prototypes are machined. However, in November 2024, Atomic Precision received a huge order from a new customer for 400-off aluminium brackets requiring a 3+2 machining strategy, using the rotary axes to position the part. The subcontractor could not have accepted the contract if it had been unable to use the elevated speed of the Brother machine. A 5-axis, 40-taper VMC would have been too slow to meet the three-week lead time, so the subcontractor would have had to turn down the work. If more jobs involving quantities of several hundred starts coming in, automating the Brother and other VMCs on-site will go ahead imminently. The factory processes various materials, including aluminium, stainless steel, brass, copper, tungsten, and tantalum. Mr Phillips advises that it is possible to hold ± 10 micron dimensional tolerance ‘comfortably' on the Speedio, even without climate control in the factory.

Dr Hugh Mortimer is a planetary scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the largest space science department in Europe. However, he's also moonlighted as an adviser on major arts projects and movies involving space, including Ridley Scott's Prometheus. In this special episode recorded in the UK, Dr Mortimer talks about the importance of using arts to encourage the next generation to consider a career in the industry. He also talks about his role in helping to develop a closer partnership between Australia and the UK's space sectors. 

U.S. scientists say they've made a breakthrough in harnessing fusion energy, the process that powers the sun. We discuss what that could mean in the push for clean power with Robbie Scott, a senior plasma physicist in the Central Laser Facility's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; and Greg Twinney, the CEO of General Fusion, a Vancouver-based fusion company.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been making headlines around the world since the release of its first images in July. That first deep-field image was taken by combining images from two of the telescopes' instruments, one of which is the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Today's guest played a key role in building it.In this episode of the Create the Future podcast, we speak to Paul Eccleston—chief engineer at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory—about the engineering behind MIRI. We hear what it was like to see first images nearly 20 years after starting work on MIRI, discover its biggest design challenge, and discuss all things instrument assembly, thermal design, integration, testing, and verification. We talk about the launch of JWST, hear what Paul is working on now, and find out why he likens engineering teamwork to an orchestra.New episodes of Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast every other Tuesday www.qeprize.org/podcastsFollow @qeprize on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elusive: How Peter Higgs Solved the Mystery of Mass marks the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the Higgs Boson. On July 4, 2012, the announcement came that one of the longest-running mysteries in physics had been solved: the Higgs boson, the missing piece in understanding why particles have mass, had finally been discovered. On the rostrum, surrounded by jostling physicists and media, was the particle's retiring namesake—the only person in history to have an existing single-particle named for them. Why Peter Higgs? Drawing on years of conversations with Higgs and others, Close illuminates how an unprolific man became one of the world's most famous scientists. Close finds that scientific competition between people, institutions, and states played as much of a role in making Higgs famous as Higgs's work did. Author of 20 books about science, Frank Close is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College. He was formerly Head of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, vice President of the British Science Association, and Head of Communications and Public Understanding at CERN. He was awarded the Kelvin Medal of the Institute of Physics for his 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics' in 1996, an OBE for 'services to research and the public understanding of science' in 2000, and the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for communicating science in 2013. He is the only professional physicist to have won a British Science Writers Prize on three occasions.

Frank Close is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics, and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College. He was formerly Head of Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, vice President of the British Science Association and Head of Communications and Public Understanding at CERN. He was awarded the Kelvin Medal of the Institute of Physics for his 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics' in 1996, an OBE for 'services to research and the public understanding of science in 2000, and the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for communicating science in 2013. He is the only professional physicist to have won a British Science Writers Prize on three occasions. Author of 20 books about science, the latest "Elusive: How Peter Higgs Solved the Mystery of Mass", marks the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the Higgs Boson. On July 4, 2012, the announcement came that one of the longest-running mysteries in physics had been solved: the Higgs boson, the missing piece in understanding why particles have mass, had finally been discovered. On the rostrum, surrounded by jostling physicists and media, was the particle's retiring namesake—the only person in history to have an existing single particle named for them. Why Peter Higgs? Drawing on years of conversations with Higgs and others, Close illuminates how an unprolific man became one of the world's most famous scientists. Close finds that scientific competition between people, institutions, and states played as much of a role in making Higgs famous as Higgs's work did. Topics Discussed Include: The mystique and character of Peter Higgs A brief history of CERN and the LHC The influence of Freeman Dyson. What part did the Nobel Prize play in motivating Peter Higgs? A brief history of particle physics and super-colliders. The Large Electron Positron (LEP) Collider, precursor to the LHC. The Nobel Prize for the Higgs Boson: Was it given fairly? Who deserves credit? Frank's advice to his younger self for going into the impossible.

Space is the “initial” frontier for AM. One of the industrial segments where AM production made the most sense from the very start and where AM has helped enable the development and growth of a new, vibrant commercial space industry. Today we get to speak with one of the companies driving this new age of space across many segments. The Satellite Applications Catapult is one of a network of UK technology and innovation companies that aim to drive economic growth through the commercialization of research. The company's aim is to support the UK industry by accelerating the growth of satellite applications and contribute to capturing a 10% share of the global space market predicted by 2030. Exploiting the innovation potential in the UK industrial and academic communities, SAC is a focal point where small and medium enterprises, large industries and end-users can work together with researchers, to challenge barriers, explore and develop new ideas, and bring these to commercial reality. Our guest for this episode, Mike Curtis-Rouse is Head of Access for Space for the Satellite Application Catapult. In this role, Mike leads a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, technologists, and analysts with mission heritage in spacecraft, launch and operations combined with expertise from the automotive, manufacturing and the maritime sectors. The ambition is to ensure that the UK sits in the vanguard of this new era, being competitive in technologies including propulsion development and testing, In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM), devolved operation centers, space situational awareness, and solar energy from space. He works with many launch vehicle companies across the world and is heavily involved in the UK's launch and spaceport program. Prior to Catapult, Mike worked for Reaction Engines Ltd, the European Space Agency, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and CERN.

The latest space mission to the Sun is due to launch on Sunday. SolO, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter, will loop around our star in an elliptical orbit, sling-shotting around Venus. Professor Richard Harrison at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has been on the mission from its conception, he details the instruments and what they're hoping to discover about the Sun and its impact on space weather back here on Earth. If chemicals in cigarette smoke or exposure to UV light played a role in causing a cancerous tumour, we can now see this evidence in the DNA. These and other causes of cancer are being catalogued by a huge international study revealing the genetic fingerprints of DNA-damaging processes that drive cancer development. Professor Mike Stratton, is director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and author of one of many papers released in Nature and associated journals this week that detail the results of the Pan-Cancer of Whole Genomes Consortium. Cancer is not a modern disease. Evidence in bones and remains reveal our ancient ancestors also suffered. Dr. Kate Hunt is a paleo-pathologist studying paleo-oncology, a very specific, very recent branch of archaeology, looking through ancient burial sites, artefacts and literature for signs of cancer. Presenter - Marnie Chesterton Producer - Fiona Roberts

We are all made of particles – but what are particles made of? It’s a question that’s been perplexing scientists for centuries - for so long, in fact, that listener Doug in Canada wants to know if there’s a limit to how much they can ever discover. CrowdScience heads out to CERN, in Switzerland, to find out. Birthplace of the internet, home to the Large Hadron Collider, and the site of the Higgs Boson’s discovery – the fundamental particle that is thought to give all other particles their mass, and one of the most important scientific finds of the 21st Century. But that revelation wasn’t an end to the quest – in fact, it has raised many more questions for the physicists and engineers involved. Dr David Barney, CMS, and Dr Tara Nanut, LHCb, tell us why. And now they have announced that they are considering building a new, larger particle collider to find answers. The Future Circular Collider would be a hundred kilometres long and sited partly under Lake Geneva, smashing together sub-atomic particles at unprecedented energies in the hope of revealing the fundamental building blocks of all matter in the Universe. But any outcomes are by no means certain, and it could cost up to €29 billion. Perhaps physicists need to think completely differently about how to unpick what makes our universe – we see how one research team at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford is doing just that, as they’re developing a collider that is not kilometres but centimetres long. Dr Charlotte Palmer, University of Oxford, tells us how. However these fundamental questions are tackled, critics say that the money could be better spent on other research areas such as combating climate change. But supporters argue that its discoveries could uncover new technologies that will benefit future generations in ways we can’t predict. Anand Jagatia meets the scientists responsible to making this next giant leap into the quantum unknown. (Photo: CMS experiment at CERN, Switzerland. Photo credit: CERN)

A few weeks ago, Inside Science featured an item on neonicotinoids and the negative impact these pesticides have on insects like honey bees. The discussion turned to alternatives, including organic farming. Many listeners wrote in about some issues that went unchallenged. So this week, Adam returns to the subject to get into the nuts and bolts of both organic and conventional farming. Next week sees the launch of a NASA mission called TESS. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is surveying the brightest stars near Earth and looking for habitable planets. Roland Pease reports. Traditionally, the move from Bronze Age to the Iron Age is estimated to be around 1200 BCE. But recent excavations of smelting sites in Uttar Pradesh in India suggest that this date might be a few centuries late and that it might even originate in Asia. Adam visits The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire to see how a particle accelerator is revealing the details of the Indian Iron Age. Our ancestors bore a very prominent brow ridge, which scientists think was a symbol of dominance. Modern humans, however, have lost this ridge in favour of a flatter forehead. Why? Dr Penny Spikins and her colleagues think the answer lies in social interaction and in particular, the ability to raise your eyebrows.

"The other day I was watching the James Bond film Goldfinger. He boasts a laser powerful enough to project a spot on the Moon. Is this possible? If so, just how powerful would such a laser need to be?" This curious question was sent to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk by Eddie Griffith from Hinckley in Leicestershire. Adam visits one of the most powerful lasers in the world, the Gemini Super Intense Laser at the aptly named Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, Oxfordshire. Plasma physicist Ceri Brenner gives him a quick zap, whilst explaining what would happen if they attempted to shoot their quadrillion watt laser at the Moon. Hannah talks to Tom Murphy from the University of California San Diego, who fires lasers at the Moon for a living. However, unlike Goldfinger, he's not using his Moon Laser for crime, he's using it for science. Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.

Dr Adam Rutherford and guests explore the scientific mysteries of the menopause after scientists in the US and Japan successfully induced pregnancy in post-menopausal women.Also in the programme, we hear from decision scientist Baruch Fischhoff on the difficulties of trying to communicate uncertainty in science in the wake of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Following on from last week's Fracking report, one listener, Professor Kevin Anderson of the University of Manchester, raises his concerns about the consequences of exploiting shale gas for UK carbon emissions.This week's show us your instrument comes from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, where Dan Faircloth tends to the ISIS particle accelerator.

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Sue Nelson visits RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire to find out how scientists check if the scientific equipment they put on satellites will work properly once in space. Later she goes to Buckinghamshire to hear how simple changes to hedgerow management could significantly improve winter habitats and food supplies for wildlife. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Sue Nelson visits RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire to find out how scientists check if the scientific equipment they put on satellites will work properly once in space. Later she goes to Buckinghamshire to hear how simple changes to hedgerow management could significantly improve winter habitats and food supplies for wildlife.

This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Sue Nelson visits RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire to find out how scientists check if the scientific equipment they put on satellites will work properly once in space. Later she goes to Buckinghamshire to hear how simple changes to hedgerow management could significantly improve winter habitats and food supplies for wildlife. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Záznam Science Café o nejintenzivnějších laserech a projektu ELI Beamlines. Nedaleko Prahy bude zanedlouho postaven nejintenzivnější laser na světě – ELI Beamlines. Přijďte si poslechnout přednášku Pavla Bakuleho a Daniela Kramera - dvou vědců, kteří kvůli tomuto výzkumnému projektu odešli z Rutherford Appleton Laboratory a CERNu a vrátili se do České republiky. Dozvíte se, jak lasery fungují, k čemu slouží a co nám přinese fakt, že jedno z nejmodernějších laserových center na světě bude kousek od Prahy. Co se tam vlastně bude zkoumat? A nebude to nebezpečné? O hostech: Pavel Bakule dříve pracoval ve špičkovém britském vědeckém pracovišti Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, v Meson Science Laboratory v Japonsku nebo v Clarendon Laboratory v Oxfordu. Stavěl a obsluhoval zde unikátní experimentální laserová zařízení využitelná i pro vědce z jiných oborů než je laserová fyzika (chemie, medicína atd.). Daniel Kramer patří k největším domácím nadějím v oblasti laserové fyziky. Do České republiky se vrací z možná vůbec nejznámějšího vědeckého pracoviště na světě – CERN.

Záznam Science Café z 10. ledna 2012 v kavárně Potrvá (Srbská 2, Praha 6). Nedaleko Prahy bude zanedlouho postaven nejintenzivnější laser na světě – ELI Beamlines. Pozvání na první pražské Science Café roku 2012 přijali Pavel Bakule a Daniel Kramer - dva vědci, kteří kvůli tomuto výzkumnému projektu odešli z Rutherford Appleton Laboratory a CERNu a vrátili se do České republiky. Dozvíte se, jak lasery fungují, k čemu slouží a co nám přinese fakt, že jedno z nejmodernějších laserových center na světě bude kousek od Prahy. Co se tam vlastně bude zkoumat? A nebude to nebezpečné?

Dr Glenn Patrick of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford looks at how particle physics has developed following Rutherford's discovery and what developments we might expect.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the neutrino.In 1930 the physicist Wolfgang Pauli proposed the existence of an as-yet undiscovered subatomic particle. He also bet his colleagues a case of champagne that it would never be detected. He lost his bet when in 1956 the particle, now known as the neutrino, was first observed in an American nuclear reactor. Neutrinos are some of the most mysterious particles in the Universe. The Sun produces trillions of them every second, and they constantly bombard the Earth and everything on it. Neutrinos can pass through solid rock, and even stars, at almost the speed of light without being impeded, and are almost impossible to detect. Today, experiments involving neutrinos are providing insights into the nature of matter, the contents of the Universe and the processes deep inside stars.With:Frank CloseProfessor of Physics at Exeter College at the University of OxfordSusan CartwrightSenior Lecturer in Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the University of SheffieldDavid WarkProfessor of Particle Physics at Imperial College, London, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Producer: Thomas Morris.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the neutrino.In 1930 the physicist Wolfgang Pauli proposed the existence of an as-yet undiscovered subatomic particle. He also bet his colleagues a case of champagne that it would never be detected. He lost his bet when in 1956 the particle, now known as the neutrino, was first observed in an American nuclear reactor. Neutrinos are some of the most mysterious particles in the Universe. The Sun produces trillions of them every second, and they constantly bombard the Earth and everything on it. Neutrinos can pass through solid rock, and even stars, at almost the speed of light without being impeded, and are almost impossible to detect. Today, experiments involving neutrinos are providing insights into the nature of matter, the contents of the Universe and the processes deep inside stars.With:Frank CloseProfessor of Physics at Exeter College at the University of OxfordSusan CartwrightSenior Lecturer in Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the University of SheffieldDavid WarkProfessor of Particle Physics at Imperial College, London, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Producer: Thomas Morris.

Dr Glen Patrick. of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxford, talks about how it's possible to probe the hidden universe and what particle physics can tell us about its secrets.

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory astrophysicist Chris Davis joins us to shed light on the structure and workings of the sun and the newly-launched STEREO mission, Cambridge University engineer Jeffery Lewins talks nuclear, and Anna Nicolaou asks why do some people burn whilst others turn brown? On a practical level, in kitchen science, Derek and Dave lift the lid on how suncream works.

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory astrophysicist Chris Davis joins us to shed light on the structure and workings of the sun and the newly-launched STEREO mission, Cambridge University engineer Jeffery Lewins talks nuclear, and Anna Nicolaou asks why do some people burn whilst others turn brown? On a practical level, in kitchen science, Derek and Dave lift the lid on how suncream works. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory astrophysicist Chris Davis joins us to shed light on the structure and workings of the sun and the newly-launched STEREO mission, Cambridge University engineer Jeffery Lewins talks nuclear, and Anna Nicolaou asks why do some people burn whilst others turn brown? On a practical level, in kitchen science, Derek and Dave lift the lid on how suncream works. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Higgs Boson particle. One weekend in 1964 the Scottish scientist Peter Higgs was walking in the Cairngorm Mountains. On his return to his laboratory in Edinburgh the following Monday, he declared to his colleagues that he had just experienced his 'one big idea' and now had an answer to the mystery of how matter in the universe got its mass. That big idea took many years of refining, but it has now generated so much international interest and has such an important place in physics that well over one billion pounds is being spent in the hope that he was right. It's the biggest science project on Earth; the quest to find the 'Higgs Boson', a fundamental constituent of nature that - if it does exist - has such a central role in defining the universe that it's also known as the God Particle.What is the Higgs Boson? Why is it so important to scientists and how are they planning to find it?With Jim Al-Khalili, Senior Lecturer in Physics at the University of Surrey; David Wark, Professor of Experimental Physics at Imperial College London and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; Professor Roger Cashmore, former Research Director at CERN and now Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Higgs Boson particle. One weekend in 1964 the Scottish scientist Peter Higgs was walking in the Cairngorm Mountains. On his return to his laboratory in Edinburgh the following Monday, he declared to his colleagues that he had just experienced his 'one big idea' and now had an answer to the mystery of how matter in the universe got its mass. That big idea took many years of refining, but it has now generated so much international interest and has such an important place in physics that well over one billion pounds is being spent in the hope that he was right. It's the biggest science project on Earth; the quest to find the 'Higgs Boson', a fundamental constituent of nature that - if it does exist - has such a central role in defining the universe that it's also known as the God Particle.What is the Higgs Boson? Why is it so important to scientists and how are they planning to find it?With Jim Al-Khalili, Senior Lecturer in Physics at the University of Surrey; David Wark, Professor of Experimental Physics at Imperial College London and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; Professor Roger Cashmore, former Research Director at CERN and now Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford.