Freya Blekman is a lead scientist at DESY and a professor of elementary particle physics at the University of Hamburg. She is also a particle physicist on the CMS experiment at CERN. Her research looks for "new physics" using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN and future colliders.
Ben and Freya discuss going from being cast as a "crazy scientist" in a school play to sitting in the control room of the largest particle collider.
What you will hear in this episode
Freya's passion for physics
The CMS experiment at CERN
Where CERN is located
What particles CERN smashes together
The discovery of the Higgs particle
Why the LHC closed for 3 years
The aim of the LHC
Quarks
Inside the control room
Space and particle physics
Safety at the LHC
Future discoveries
Future colliders
Advice to the next generation of scientists
DESY and being a professor at Hamburg
Follow Freya Blekman
Listen to the Astro Ben Podcast
More episodes: Luke Fischer, SkyFi, Melissa Thorpe, Spaceport Cornwall, or browse all episodes.
New space interviews every week. Look up. Listen in.