EPISODE 2 | SPECIALS
Mental Well-being in Academia
07 May 2019
To support students coping with stress and poor mental well-being around the upcoming exam season, this episode of insight features two open discussions about mental health in academia. We have the privilege of talking to some staff members and students here in St Andrews. We hope this episode will educate you on the realities of mental well-being faced by many in academia, but also on how to surmount issues to succeed.
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EPISODE 29 | ACADEMICS
Dr Pete Barnsley
18 Mar 2019
This interview is with Dr Pete Barnsley, our first industry specialist who has held high-up roles at BT Openreach and is currently a director at AITE Consulting Ltd. We talk about physicists in industry, why physics is so useful, and why Lou Reed and pottery makes him tick.
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EPISODE 28 | ACADEMICS
Dr Oluwasesan Adegoke
01 Mar 2019
In our second interview at the University of Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, we interview Dr Oluwasesan Adegoke. Dr Adegoke and I discuss his motivations for working in scientific research and the many different cultures and countries that he has worked in.
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EPISODE 27 | ACADEMICS
Prof Niamh Nic Daéid
15 Feb 2019
Today we’re honoured to interview the director of the University of Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, Professor Niamh Nic Daéid. Professor Nic Daéid talks about what it takes to be a forensic scientist, how she copes with being an eminent researcher in her field, and what she thinks of crime TV shows.
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EPISODE 26 | ACADEMICS
Alison McLure
15 Jan 2019
We talk with Alison McLure, National Manager for Scotland for the IOP, about the fantastic variety of jobs she has had involving physics, the hobbies she gets up to, and about her scientific expeditions to some of the coldest places on Earth.
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EPISODE 25 | ACADEMICS
Dr Anindya Raychaudhuri
23 Nov 2018
Today we sit down with our first humanities interviewee, Dr Anindya Raychaudhuri. We discuss his work here in the School of English at St Andrews, subjectivity in the sciences, and we get a bit meta and talk about his podcast.
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EPISODE 24 | ACADEMICS
Dr Duncan Forgan
15 Oct 2018
St Andrews astrophysicist, Dr Duncan Forgan, talks to us about his extensive work with SETI, the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence; how he would host his perfect dinner party; and how he takes his morning coffee.
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EPISODE 23 | ACADEMICS
Prof Lyndsay Fletcher
21 Sep 2018
Today we’re delighted to talk to the University of Glasgow’s Professor Lyndsay Fletcher, an astrophysicist. We discuss studying the Sun, equality and representation in academia, and what she thinks about the pubs and drinks in Glasgow.
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EPISODE 22 | ACADEMICS
Dr Sebastian Schulz
11 Aug 2018
This interview is with one of our newest St Andrews physicists, Dr Sebastian Schulz. We discuss the cultural shock of moving to Canada, how to keep spirits up when work isn’t going well and the reality TV show he’s not a fan of.
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EPISODE 21 | ACADEMICS
Dr Annelies Mortier
19 Jul 2018
Today you're listening to our interview with Dr Annelies Mortier, an astrophysicist here at St Andrews. We talk about using large telescopes, her favourite types of jigsaw puzzles, and surprising chance encounters with royalty.
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EPISODE 20 | ACADEMICS
Dr Hamid Ohadi
20 Jun 2018
A newly appointed lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy, Dr Hamid Ohadi, talks to us about the difficulties experienced by new academics, what he misses about Iran, and the hobby he has mastered.
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EPISODE 19 | ACADEMICS
Dr Paul Cruickshank
22 May 2018
We interview the St Andrews physicist, Dr Paul Cruickshank. Our discussion includes the perfect music gig, what he expected more of in academia, and his experiences with hair dye in the past and possibly the future.
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EPISODE 18 | ACADEMICS
Prof Andrew Cameron
05 Apr 2018
We interview Prof Andrew Cameron, an astrophysicist at St Andrews. We discuss his research and its impact, what academia has taught him about travelling, his favourite science communicator and dreams coming true.
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EPISODE 17 | ACADEMICS
Prof Ian Bonnell
08 Mar 2018
Professor Ian Bonnell, an astrophysicist within the School of Physics and Astronomy at St Andrews, talks to us about what qualities he needed to become a successful academic, his favourite sport at the Winter Olympics and the one snack food he couldn’t live without.
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EPISODE 16 | ACADEMICS
Dr Isobel Falconer
19 Jan 2018
This interview is with Dr Isobel Falconer, from St Andrews' School of Maths and Stats. We discuss the history of maths and science generally, what sports she can’t abide watching and her hobbies, ranging from the intense to the more relaxed. Enjoy listening!
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EPISODE 15 | ACADEMICS
Dr Antonia Wilmot-Smith
13 Dec 2017
In this interview we talk with Dr Antonia Wilmot-Smith, from the School of Mathematics and Statistics at St Andrews. We discuss the festive season, some of her favourite things about being a lecturer and why she left academia before later returning. Enjoy listening!
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EPISODE 1 | SPECIALS
Winter Special 2017
04 Dec 2017
To bring to the end of a year of fantastic interviews we thought we’d present a special gift to you for the holiday season. We’re welcoming staff from the School of Physics and Astronomy to bring us some of their favourite seasonal stories and songs. Happy holidays from the St Andrews Physics Society, and enjoy listening.
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EPISODE 14 | ACADEMICS
Dr Verena Dietrich-Bischoff
15 Nov 2017
This time on insight Sam interviews Dr Verena Dietrich-Bischoff, a lecturer in the School of Biology. We discuss the challenges of fieldwork with animals, how she remembers her students and her surprising taste in music.
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EPISODE 13 | ACADEMICS
Dr Janet Lovett
15 Oct 2017
This interview features Dr Janet Lovett, an Advanced Research Fellow in physics here at St Andrews who works with spectroscopy techniques across a variety of fields. Our conversation delves into her experiences of interdisciplinary science, how she ended up researching with her own blood and the shortlist of her favourite museums.
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EPISODE 12 | ACADEMICS
Dr Pawel Romanczuk
27 Sep 2017
This episode of insight has a twist, our editor, Conor MacBride, and I have switched roles as he interviews Dr Pawel Romanczuk. Dr Romanczuk straddles the line between biology and physics as head of the Collective Information Processing group at the Humboldt University of Berlin’s Institute for Theoretical Biology. We discuss his multicultural life in education and academia, the Berlin Wall and the plethora of hobbies he keeps up with.
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EPISODE 11 | ACADEMICS
Dr Dav Macfarlane
15 Aug 2017
Dr Macfarlane, a St Andrews physicist in our millimetre wave research group, talks to us about the perks of academia, what people appreciate in science communication and outreach, and what’s the best way to spend a free morning.
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EPISODE 10 | ACADEMICS
Dr Vivienne Wild
15 Jul 2017
Dr Wild, chair of the Equality and Diversity Committee within the school, talks to us about our new Juno Champion status and why it is important to strive for equality within science and beyond. Dr Wild also discusses what she likes about her research and the extreme sports she has participated in during her free time while researching galaxy evolution around the world.
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EPISODE 9 | ACADEMICS
Dr Jack Ireland - Part 2
27 Jun 2017
In part 2 Dr Ireland contemplates travelling to Mars, talks about what it is that NASA researchers find cool, how students can get jobs at places like NASA and settles some important questions concerning the differences between Scotland and America. Dr Ireland is a heliophysics researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a former postdoctoral researcher within the School of Mathematics and Statistics.
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EPISODE 8 | ACADEMICS
Dr Jack Ireland - Part 1
26 Jun 2017
Dr Ireland is a heliophysics researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a former postdoctoral researcher in the Solar and Magnetospheric Theory group within the School of Mathematics and Statistics. Dr Ireland talks about the exciting projects he has been working on at NASA and also looks back at fond memories of his time here in St Andrews and how his time here has influenced his future career.
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EPISODE 7 | ACADEMICS
Prof Eric Priest
23 Apr 2017
This episode features Prof Eric Priest, our first non-physicist! Prof Priest is an acclaimed mathematician and also a prominent speaker on the interactions between science and religion. Our discussion covers the overlaps between physics and maths, the interaction of all science and religion and the differences that Prof Priest has found from his time as a student and today.
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EPISODE 6 | ACADEMICS
Science After Brexit - Part 2
19 Mar 2017
Following on from last week’s discussion we feature questions from the audience on how a British exit from the EU will change science within the UK. Our panel, moderated by the principal, consists of the rector, the directors of both Scientists for EU and Scientists for Britain as well as the president of EuCheMS.
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EPISODE 5 | ACADEMICS
Science After Brexit - Part 1
11 Mar 2017
Last month PhySoc, along with other science societies from the University of St Andrews, organised Science After Brexit, a panel discussion and Q&A on how a British exit from the EU will change science within the UK. Our panel, moderated by the principal, consists of the rector, the directors of both Scientists for EU and Scientists for Britain as well as the president of EuCheMS.
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EPISODE 4 | ACADEMICS
Dr Michael Mazilu
19 Feb 2017
This episode features Dr Mazilu, a biophotonics researcher, who gives us an insight into the pleasures of conferences, how research has changed through time and the singular shortfall of making your research comprehensible to others. Although he doesn't profess to know much about the wildlife around the physics building, he suggests a novel idea for a new mascot.
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EPISODE 3 | ACADEMICS
Prof Moira Jardine
14 Jan 2017
Welcoming our first astrophysicist to insight, we have an enjoyable and informing conversation with Professor Moira Jardine. Our chat spans finding a perfect sky when you least expect it, tackling a nightmarish six month PhD problem and the most profound insight to be found from the universe.
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EPISODE 2 | ACADEMICS
Dr Bruce Sinclair
29 Nov 2016
We talk to Dr Bruce Sinclair, one of the faces that welcomes new students to the university in his role as Director of Teaching. We take a look at Dr Sinclair's achievements, he gives a shot at explaining special relativity and Dr Sinclair describes what it is that makes St Andrews so special.
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EPISODE 1 | ACADEMICS
Dr Chris Hooley
26 Oct 2016
For our inaugural interview we sit down for a delightful conversation with Dr Chris Hooley, a man recognised for his style and presence around the physics building. We talk about some of his lecturers, what he'd be reading on a desert island and how to ruin an almost perfect moment in St Andrews.
