We are so happy to be joined by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, legendary astrophysicist who made the first observations of pulsars during her PhD at the Cavendish, and went on to become a fierce advocate of diversity in science. Dame Jocelyn is visiting Cambridge to give a special talk organised by the Cambridge University Women in Physics Society for International Women’s Day and we’re really excited to be able to spend time with her and ask her about her journey.

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A brief note for our listeners: this episode includes personal reflections on life in academia and physics in past decades, and it may refer to attitudes, behaviours, and workplace cultures that many will find outdated, uncomfortable, or shocking. These accounts are shared to document lived experience and help us understand how the culture has changed; they do not represent current values and operations.

• Learn more about the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund | Institute of Physics
• Journeys of discovery: Jocelyn Bell Burnell and pulsars - This article published on the University of Camrbidge website includes the photo of Jocelyn mentioned in our conversation.
• To explore Charlotte's student society's activities, visit Cambridge University Women in Physics Society | CUWPS

• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

Hosts: Charlotte Lane and Vanessa Bismuth

Recording and editing: Chris Brock

Today we’re joined by Verity Allan, who works as a project manager, developer, and programmer of architecture and software for the Square Kilometre Array, which will be the world's largest radio telescope. A graduate of Cambridge, Oxford, and The Open University, Verity came to Cambridge from a town in the Midlands to study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic.

How did she go from studying ancient languages, to coding, designing security for telescope software systems, and pursuing a PhD in high performance computing for astrophysics? These are just some of the twists and turns we hope to explore in our chat with Verity.

Stay with us.

• Explore | SKAO - Learn more about the two largest telescope arrays in the world
• Ross Anderson's book on Security Engineering, mentioned by Verity, is available at https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/archive/rja14/book.html (all three editions plus some videos)
• Verity wrote two papers on the history of scientific computing: The Cavendish Computors: The women working in scientific computing for Radio Astronomy and Scientific Computing in the Cavendish Laboratory and the pioneering women Computors
• Learn more about Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics - The University of Manchester and about our Astrophysics work in Cambridge.

• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

Hosts: Vanessa Bismuth and Charlie Walker

Recording and editing: Chris Brock

I’m delighted to welcome Akeelah Bertram and Kevin Lim to this episode of People Doing Physics.

Akeelah, a British multi-disciplinary artist and the current Cavendish Arts Science Fellow, creates immersive installations that blend digital and interactive art, performance, creative technology, and sculpture—all with a focus on collective storytelling. Her work often experiments with new modes of communication, crafting experiences that connect people across different locations and contexts.

Over the past year, Akeelah has been deeply engaged with scientists at the Cavendish Laboratory as part of her fellowship—a journey that led her to meet Kevin Lim.

Kevin, a Postdoctoral Researcher in Physics at the Cavendish, describes himself as a curious creative in Cambridge: a singer-songwriter, storyteller, and scientist. By day, he investigates how water reacts to sound and light waves. After hours, he’s a musician and videographer, teaching guitar, releasing new music, and making short films.

Naturally, their paths converged, sparking a vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives. Out of this encounter emerged a rich and reflective conversation, weaving together the threads of physics, art, and culture through personal stories and philosophical exploration.

Together we delve into the way scientific practice and artistic creativity intertwine, and consider how personal histories, institutional contexts, and different ways of knowing shape our pursuit of knowledge and creativity.

Stay with us.

• LEAP Lab - Learn more about the LEAP Lab: Living Experiments in Arts-Science Practice to Re-imagine Sustainability
• Kevin's Youtube Channel - For more videos from Kevin, visit his YouTube channel
• Kevin Lim - curious creative in Cambridge - Explore Kevin's artistic work on his website.
• Cavendish Arts Science - Learn more about the Cavendish Arts Science programme and fellowship.
• Akeelah Bertram website

• Help us get better by taking our quick survey. Your feedback will help us understand how we can improve in the future. Thank you!
• If you like this episode don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find us.
• Any comment about the podcast or question you would like to ask our physicists, email us at podcast@phy.cam.ac.uk or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PeopleDoingPhysics.

Hosts: Vanessa Bismuth

Recording and editing: Chris Brock