1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,879 Hello, and welcome to the Physics World Stories 2 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,940 podcast. I'm Andre Glesser. And in this episode, 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:08,820 we're exploring 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,039 QWIP plus, the conference for undergraduate women in 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:13,539 physics. 6 00:00:15,464 --> 00:00:18,905 Picture a university lecture hall. It's 9AM. It's 7 00:00:18,905 --> 00:00:21,304 packed, and you're looking at a sea of 8 00:00:21,304 --> 00:00:22,204 future physicists. 9 00:00:22,744 --> 00:00:25,304 If you look closely at the demographics of 10 00:00:25,304 --> 00:00:27,484 that room, the statistics tell 11 00:00:27,789 --> 00:00:28,609 a disappointing 12 00:00:29,070 --> 00:00:31,629 story. While girls perform just as well as 13 00:00:31,629 --> 00:00:34,590 boys at GCSE physics, the numbers drop at 14 00:00:34,590 --> 00:00:36,429 a level. And by the time we reach 15 00:00:36,429 --> 00:00:38,989 the graduate level in The UK, women make 16 00:00:38,989 --> 00:00:42,030 up only around 20 to 25 17 00:00:42,030 --> 00:00:42,850 of the cohort. 18 00:00:43,575 --> 00:00:46,375 This is a persistent gap but once a 19 00:00:46,375 --> 00:00:49,495 year there's an event that completely flips that 20 00:00:49,495 --> 00:00:49,995 dynamic 21 00:00:50,935 --> 00:00:53,195 and it is QWIP plus. 22 00:00:53,734 --> 00:00:56,549 It's an initiative designed to stop that leaky 23 00:00:56,789 --> 00:00:58,489 pipeline, combat isolation, 24 00:00:58,869 --> 00:01:01,429 and show students that they belong in this 25 00:01:01,429 --> 00:01:01,929 field. 26 00:01:02,390 --> 00:01:04,549 Following the success of the twenty twenty five 27 00:01:04,549 --> 00:01:06,869 conference, I wanted to find out exactly what 28 00:01:06,869 --> 00:01:09,109 happens at these events and why they're so 29 00:01:09,109 --> 00:01:11,055 vital for the retention instead. 30 00:01:11,534 --> 00:01:13,454 Step. So I caught up with doctor June 31 00:01:13,454 --> 00:01:16,015 Macombie from the University of Nottingham, a key 32 00:01:16,015 --> 00:01:18,355 figure in The UK organization of the events, 33 00:01:18,894 --> 00:01:21,555 and we're also joined by two brilliant undergraduate 34 00:01:21,694 --> 00:01:23,854 physicists who are right in the middle of 35 00:01:23,854 --> 00:01:24,515 the action. 36 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,400 We'll look ahead to the conference in Birmingham, 37 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,500 UK in 2026, 38 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,900 but we'll also look back at the successes 39 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:33,900 of this year's Qwik plus. 40 00:01:36,599 --> 00:01:37,659 I'm June Macombie. 41 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,040 I'm an honorary fellow at the University of 42 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:40,540 Nottingham. 43 00:01:41,454 --> 00:01:43,454 And the reason I'm talking to you is 44 00:01:43,454 --> 00:01:44,354 that I chair 45 00:01:44,814 --> 00:01:45,954 the national organizing 46 00:01:46,494 --> 00:01:48,674 committee and the national steering group 47 00:01:49,054 --> 00:01:49,954 of QWIP 48 00:01:50,254 --> 00:01:52,974 plus, which is the conference for undergraduate women 49 00:01:52,974 --> 00:01:53,634 in physics 50 00:01:54,150 --> 00:01:55,450 plus non binary. 51 00:01:55,909 --> 00:01:58,549 And the plus bit, indicates non binary. We 52 00:01:58,549 --> 00:02:00,329 didn't want to change the whole name, 53 00:02:01,189 --> 00:02:03,290 when we when we thought about it deeply. 54 00:02:03,509 --> 00:02:06,229 And my background in physics, I I actually 55 00:02:06,229 --> 00:02:08,534 worked a long time in chemistry department, but 56 00:02:08,775 --> 00:02:10,474 I've worked as a laser spectroscopist 57 00:02:10,775 --> 00:02:12,715 and then as an astrophysical chemist. 58 00:02:13,895 --> 00:02:16,375 Hi, everyone. My name is Tantra Pree Kaur. 59 00:02:16,375 --> 00:02:19,574 I'm a final year natural sciences student at 60 00:02:19,574 --> 00:02:22,215 the University of Birmingham. I study physics and 61 00:02:22,215 --> 00:02:22,715 biology. 62 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:24,900 I'm interested in interdisciplinary 63 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:26,500 science, 64 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:27,780 and collaboration. 65 00:02:28,959 --> 00:02:31,939 And I was very lucky to attend 66 00:02:32,319 --> 00:02:35,215 QIP plus at Warwick just this year, and 67 00:02:35,215 --> 00:02:36,914 I'm very happy to be in the committee, 68 00:02:37,294 --> 00:02:40,014 here at Birmingham for keyword plus twenty twenty 69 00:02:40,014 --> 00:02:40,514 six. 70 00:02:41,134 --> 00:02:42,754 And the way that I've contributed 71 00:02:43,534 --> 00:02:46,194 to the upcoming conference is that I 72 00:02:46,734 --> 00:02:47,875 contributed ideas 73 00:02:48,250 --> 00:02:49,610 to the kind of speakers that we can 74 00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:50,110 have, 75 00:02:50,650 --> 00:02:53,150 topics that can be included in the conference, 76 00:02:54,250 --> 00:02:56,030 suggesting ideas for sponsors. 77 00:02:56,409 --> 00:02:57,550 It's been really fun, 78 00:02:58,169 --> 00:02:58,830 to organize, 79 00:03:00,090 --> 00:03:02,590 a conference with academics and other students. 80 00:03:03,235 --> 00:03:04,914 And I'm really looking forward to meeting a 81 00:03:04,914 --> 00:03:05,574 lot more 82 00:03:06,114 --> 00:03:08,275 people during cuba plus. So I'll see you 83 00:03:08,275 --> 00:03:08,775 there. 84 00:03:09,235 --> 00:03:10,694 My name is Harrick McCormick. 85 00:03:11,314 --> 00:03:13,794 I am a second year physics student at 86 00:03:13,794 --> 00:03:15,094 the University of Birmingham. 87 00:03:16,740 --> 00:03:19,539 I primarily am interested in nuclear physics and 88 00:03:19,539 --> 00:03:20,439 nuclear decommissioning. 89 00:03:21,939 --> 00:03:22,680 My role 90 00:03:22,979 --> 00:03:25,860 in QWIP is basically the same as Tun's 91 00:03:25,860 --> 00:03:27,379 Pre, so I'm not gonna go, like, pop 92 00:03:27,379 --> 00:03:28,900 out over it. But, yeah, I went to 93 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:31,344 the Warwick Conference earlier this year, and I'm 94 00:03:31,344 --> 00:03:34,004 on the committee for the next Birmingham Conference. 95 00:03:34,064 --> 00:03:36,305 So I'm just working towards that right now. 96 00:03:36,305 --> 00:03:37,665 So I think this is probably the first 97 00:03:37,665 --> 00:03:39,425 question is probably going to be for June, 98 00:03:39,425 --> 00:03:41,745 which is, you know, how did Cuwit Plus 99 00:03:41,745 --> 00:03:43,985 start, and why did it start? Well, it 100 00:03:43,985 --> 00:03:44,485 started 101 00:03:45,110 --> 00:03:46,389 in 2006 102 00:03:46,389 --> 00:03:47,129 in California. 103 00:03:48,310 --> 00:03:49,689 That was the first grassroots 104 00:03:50,709 --> 00:03:52,250 conference with that name. 105 00:03:52,709 --> 00:03:54,949 It continued in The States as a sort 106 00:03:54,949 --> 00:03:56,650 of more or less a grassroots organization 107 00:03:56,949 --> 00:03:58,250 until 2012 108 00:03:58,865 --> 00:03:59,525 when the, 109 00:04:00,064 --> 00:04:01,604 American Physical Society 110 00:04:02,544 --> 00:04:05,025 took over an institutional role. Now I should 111 00:04:05,025 --> 00:04:06,645 say that Cuba within The States, 112 00:04:07,104 --> 00:04:09,664 slightly different model from Cuba within The UK 113 00:04:09,664 --> 00:04:10,164 because 114 00:04:10,544 --> 00:04:11,685 it's a big country, 115 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,759 and there were a lot of students. And 116 00:04:13,759 --> 00:04:15,599 so it was run more or less on 117 00:04:15,599 --> 00:04:16,259 a state, 118 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,620 basis. So California had an event. 119 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:21,860 I'm gonna say Massachusetts 120 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,540 had an event, etcetera. 121 00:04:24,285 --> 00:04:26,365 So and it is still running in states. 122 00:04:26,365 --> 00:04:28,225 But in, 2013, 123 00:04:28,685 --> 00:04:31,564 Daniela Bortolotti, who was involved in, 124 00:04:32,045 --> 00:04:33,584 QWIP in The US, 125 00:04:33,964 --> 00:04:36,785 moved to Oxford where she's head of the 126 00:04:36,925 --> 00:04:38,464 particle physics group, 127 00:04:38,860 --> 00:04:40,540 And she decided that it was such a 128 00:04:40,540 --> 00:04:43,340 good thing. She'd she'd seen its effect on 129 00:04:43,340 --> 00:04:44,960 students and on departments 130 00:04:45,819 --> 00:04:46,300 in, 131 00:04:46,779 --> 00:04:49,199 in America. So when she moved from America 132 00:04:49,420 --> 00:04:51,120 to The UK, she decided 133 00:04:53,425 --> 00:04:54,805 to start running QWIP 134 00:04:55,345 --> 00:04:56,404 in The UK. 135 00:04:57,105 --> 00:04:57,824 And for, 136 00:04:58,384 --> 00:05:00,564 five years, she ran it at Oxford, 137 00:05:02,625 --> 00:05:04,944 and had an amazing group of women at 138 00:05:04,944 --> 00:05:08,420 Oxford who sort of promoted it and did 139 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:09,860 organize it 140 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,420 and evaluated it, always important, evaluated its impact. 141 00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:17,519 And for five years, she that group she 142 00:05:17,519 --> 00:05:19,279 and that group of women really got a 143 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,524 good momentum going for it. But, but one 144 00:05:22,524 --> 00:05:24,305 of the things about QIP, 145 00:05:24,764 --> 00:05:27,004 QIP plus is it now is is that 146 00:05:27,004 --> 00:05:29,165 it not only affects the students who attend, 147 00:05:29,165 --> 00:05:30,305 it affects the, 148 00:05:31,485 --> 00:05:34,160 the department that hosts it. So the decision 149 00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:35,039 was made 150 00:05:35,339 --> 00:05:37,360 in conjunction with funders 151 00:05:37,979 --> 00:05:40,240 that it should start traveling around the country. 152 00:05:40,620 --> 00:05:43,419 And so for the last six years, it 153 00:05:43,419 --> 00:05:46,220 has traveled around the country. Marina Petri at 154 00:05:46,220 --> 00:05:48,379 York was the first brave person to take 155 00:05:48,379 --> 00:05:49,625 this on outside of 156 00:05:51,045 --> 00:05:53,464 Oxford. And it's been at York, Southampton, Glasgow, 157 00:05:53,605 --> 00:05:56,805 Liverpool, Limerick, and Warwick. And now it's in 158 00:05:56,805 --> 00:05:59,125 Birmingham next year, and the year after that 159 00:05:59,125 --> 00:06:00,485 in 2027, 160 00:06:00,485 --> 00:06:02,745 it will be in Edinburgh. And it's evolved 161 00:06:02,805 --> 00:06:03,899 because it, 162 00:06:05,620 --> 00:06:07,439 as you can tell from it being QWIP 163 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:09,680 plus now, it's not only, 164 00:06:10,220 --> 00:06:13,360 well, it's women and non binary participants. 165 00:06:15,660 --> 00:06:17,375 So that's why because 166 00:06:18,235 --> 00:06:20,814 we still have this stubborn 20% 167 00:06:20,875 --> 00:06:21,375 number 168 00:06:21,914 --> 00:06:22,735 in physics 169 00:06:23,115 --> 00:06:23,615 departments, 170 00:06:24,555 --> 00:06:26,334 among the undergraduate population. 171 00:06:27,274 --> 00:06:28,254 And, literally, 172 00:06:28,555 --> 00:06:29,294 in my 173 00:06:29,834 --> 00:06:31,949 in my sort of professional life, 174 00:06:32,509 --> 00:06:35,150 millions millions of pounds have been put into 175 00:06:35,150 --> 00:06:37,490 shifting that 20% participation 176 00:06:38,509 --> 00:06:41,310 of women. And forgive me, I'll I'll refer 177 00:06:41,310 --> 00:06:41,970 to women, 178 00:06:43,069 --> 00:06:43,569 women 179 00:06:43,949 --> 00:06:44,449 participating 180 00:06:44,990 --> 00:06:47,009 in undergraduate physics degrees. 181 00:06:47,654 --> 00:06:48,154 And, 182 00:06:48,615 --> 00:06:49,754 it's not moved. 183 00:06:51,414 --> 00:06:53,574 So there are other reasons for that not 184 00:06:53,574 --> 00:06:55,274 to do with the delivery 185 00:06:56,134 --> 00:06:58,375 at the university level, but, 186 00:06:58,854 --> 00:07:00,534 but that number is still there. And it 187 00:07:00,534 --> 00:07:01,290 means that 188 00:07:02,410 --> 00:07:04,029 it's it's it's so important 189 00:07:04,490 --> 00:07:04,970 for, 190 00:07:05,370 --> 00:07:07,290 undergraduate women in physics to be able to 191 00:07:07,290 --> 00:07:10,009 network and to be mentored and to see 192 00:07:10,009 --> 00:07:11,550 possible career paths 193 00:07:12,170 --> 00:07:14,330 and to be able to network with each 194 00:07:14,330 --> 00:07:17,235 other. You know? But small departments, that will 195 00:07:17,235 --> 00:07:19,014 be a small number of women 196 00:07:19,634 --> 00:07:22,115 that you will meet doing your subject, passionate 197 00:07:22,115 --> 00:07:24,274 about your subject. But what's wrong with the 198 00:07:24,274 --> 00:07:25,474 way that we are, 199 00:07:25,875 --> 00:07:28,560 talking about physics that's not attracting women to 200 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,899 it? I feel that physics is 201 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,199 the way it the way it's presented in 202 00:07:33,199 --> 00:07:33,699 schools, 203 00:07:34,959 --> 00:07:37,680 like, it presents as a masculine subject, especially 204 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,100 opposed to, say, biology and chemistry. 205 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,095 I mean, that's the really big thing is 206 00:07:42,095 --> 00:07:43,615 that if you are a girl who is 207 00:07:43,615 --> 00:07:44,975 interested in science, you know, I think we've 208 00:07:44,975 --> 00:07:46,735 come a lot of way since, you know, 209 00:07:46,735 --> 00:07:49,615 the sixties where, you know, my nan wasn't 210 00:07:49,615 --> 00:07:50,995 taught science at school. 211 00:07:51,455 --> 00:07:53,235 So the fact that now women are allowed 212 00:07:53,455 --> 00:07:56,279 to, like, do science subjects and, obviously, requires 213 00:07:56,279 --> 00:07:58,120 to do science subjects. But now if a 214 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,920 girl sort of expresses interest in science, they're 215 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:02,060 sort of pushed into 216 00:08:02,759 --> 00:08:03,259 the 217 00:08:03,959 --> 00:08:07,080 biology chemistry side of it. I think with 218 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:07,580 physics 219 00:08:08,335 --> 00:08:09,935 because I I don't wanna say it as, 220 00:08:09,935 --> 00:08:12,495 like, an annoying physicist, but physics is obviously 221 00:08:12,495 --> 00:08:14,415 the that's the hardest one. You know what 222 00:08:14,415 --> 00:08:16,335 I mean? I don't wanna be like, my 223 00:08:16,335 --> 00:08:18,835 girlfriend's literally a chemistry student, but, like, 224 00:08:19,865 --> 00:08:21,949 but, you know, it's traditionally seen as, like, 225 00:08:21,949 --> 00:08:25,069 the the most the most intelligent one. You 226 00:08:25,069 --> 00:08:25,569 know? 227 00:08:26,509 --> 00:08:28,350 So when a, like, when a, like, a 228 00:08:28,350 --> 00:08:30,269 young girl sort of expresses interest in more 229 00:08:30,269 --> 00:08:32,129 analytical scientific stuff, 230 00:08:32,585 --> 00:08:35,065 they're sort of pushed into these sort of 231 00:08:35,144 --> 00:08:37,245 again, there's nothing wrong with biology and chemistry, 232 00:08:37,865 --> 00:08:40,745 but they're sort of shoehorned into those sort 233 00:08:40,745 --> 00:08:41,325 of places. 234 00:08:42,184 --> 00:08:43,785 And if you look at sort of like 235 00:08:43,785 --> 00:08:45,360 the first of accounts of people, 236 00:08:45,839 --> 00:08:47,360 say, I think if you're interested and talk 237 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,919 to students who came from all girls' schools, 238 00:08:49,919 --> 00:08:52,179 like, specifically all school girls' grammars, 239 00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:53,600 is that they 240 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,720 those like, they have loads of people going 241 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,799 into physics in those pea in those sort 242 00:08:58,799 --> 00:08:59,200 of, like, 243 00:08:59,774 --> 00:09:01,615 in those schools. Like, most of the girls 244 00:09:01,615 --> 00:09:04,195 you'll speak to in the undergraduate physics courses 245 00:09:04,495 --> 00:09:06,355 will have gone to all girls schools 246 00:09:07,134 --> 00:09:09,634 because I you feel very 247 00:09:10,735 --> 00:09:11,235 ostracized 248 00:09:12,110 --> 00:09:13,709 in sort of I think the the three 249 00:09:13,709 --> 00:09:16,029 biggest ones that girls feel ostracizing at school 250 00:09:16,029 --> 00:09:19,089 are maths, physics, and computer science. 251 00:09:19,789 --> 00:09:22,529 Yeah. I mean, it's seen as an unfeminine 252 00:09:22,750 --> 00:09:23,649 thing to do, 253 00:09:24,424 --> 00:09:26,504 and it basically puts a target on your 254 00:09:26,504 --> 00:09:29,225 back in a very, like, already horrible place, 255 00:09:29,225 --> 00:09:30,745 you know, being in secondary school where you 256 00:09:30,745 --> 00:09:33,144 just wanna keep your head down. Having doing 257 00:09:33,144 --> 00:09:35,164 these things put targets on your back 258 00:09:35,544 --> 00:09:37,164 and whatnot, like, I 259 00:09:38,264 --> 00:09:41,539 in my, like, in my physics GCSE because 260 00:09:41,539 --> 00:09:43,139 I didn't actually do physics at a level. 261 00:09:43,139 --> 00:09:44,980 I have a I have a weird way 262 00:09:44,980 --> 00:09:46,200 that I got into physics, 263 00:09:46,580 --> 00:09:48,100 but I didn't do physics a level. But 264 00:09:48,100 --> 00:09:49,159 in my physics GCSE, 265 00:09:49,779 --> 00:09:51,620 my physics teacher I was one of the, 266 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:53,959 say, the privileged people to have a specialist 267 00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:54,600 physics, 268 00:09:54,965 --> 00:09:56,884 like, somebody who did a physics degree be 269 00:09:56,884 --> 00:09:57,465 a teacher. 270 00:09:57,924 --> 00:09:59,845 But he used to talk about again, I 271 00:09:59,845 --> 00:10:01,125 won't go into the details of it because 272 00:10:01,125 --> 00:10:03,524 it wasn't appropriate for children, but he used 273 00:10:03,524 --> 00:10:05,845 to go into very details about his sex 274 00:10:05,845 --> 00:10:06,825 issues on women, 275 00:10:07,220 --> 00:10:10,120 how much he hated women. He sort of 276 00:10:10,420 --> 00:10:13,300 exploits with women to a bunch of 15 277 00:10:13,300 --> 00:10:14,360 year old students, 278 00:10:14,980 --> 00:10:16,899 and it just sort of puts this far, 279 00:10:17,220 --> 00:10:18,980 this far of this physics being a very 280 00:10:18,980 --> 00:10:21,160 much a boys' club. That's extraordinary. 281 00:10:22,264 --> 00:10:24,345 I'm very, very sorry to hear that. That's 282 00:10:24,585 --> 00:10:26,585 I just I just can't quite believe that. 283 00:10:26,585 --> 00:10:28,745 I I don't wanna go too much into 284 00:10:28,745 --> 00:10:30,184 it. So but there was something you said 285 00:10:30,184 --> 00:10:31,465 there, which I do want to go into, 286 00:10:31,465 --> 00:10:32,904 which is you had a weird way into 287 00:10:32,904 --> 00:10:34,504 physics. Go on. Tell us what's your weird 288 00:10:34,504 --> 00:10:35,884 way into physics. Yeah. 289 00:10:37,169 --> 00:10:39,169 I I don't know. When I was 16, 290 00:10:39,169 --> 00:10:40,690 I was trying to be rebellious because my 291 00:10:40,690 --> 00:10:41,830 mom's a math teacher. 292 00:10:42,370 --> 00:10:43,490 So I guess I was trying I I 293 00:10:43,490 --> 00:10:45,330 was into science. So I was like, what 294 00:10:45,330 --> 00:10:47,090 if we just do all humanities for a 295 00:10:47,090 --> 00:10:49,669 levels and be, like, different or whatever? 296 00:10:50,045 --> 00:10:52,045 Then I started doing all my humanities subjects, 297 00:10:52,045 --> 00:10:53,805 then I was like, get me out of 298 00:10:53,805 --> 00:10:55,325 here. You know what I mean? I was 299 00:10:55,325 --> 00:10:57,485 like, k. Get me out of here. When 300 00:10:57,485 --> 00:10:58,365 I was a kid, I wanted to be 301 00:10:58,365 --> 00:11:00,465 a marine biologist. I was really into 302 00:11:01,004 --> 00:11:01,504 biology. 303 00:11:01,884 --> 00:11:02,764 You know, I was coming to the end 304 00:11:02,764 --> 00:11:04,045 of my a levels, and I was like, 305 00:11:04,045 --> 00:11:06,000 I do not wanna do a humanities degree. 306 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,259 Get me like, don't make me do this. 307 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,720 And then I found out about foundation years. 308 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,279 So the University of Birmingham offers a foundation 309 00:11:13,279 --> 00:11:15,679 year for people who haven't studied maths or 310 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,700 physics at a level to go into, 311 00:11:18,504 --> 00:11:20,825 computer science, engineering, or physics. And a lot 312 00:11:20,825 --> 00:11:23,644 of other universities like Nottingham also offers it, 313 00:11:24,345 --> 00:11:25,964 like a similar sort of course. 314 00:11:26,264 --> 00:11:27,884 I just wanted to go into physics 315 00:11:28,745 --> 00:11:31,464 for for some very odd reasons. One, just 316 00:11:31,464 --> 00:11:32,789 because I was good at maths, you know, 317 00:11:32,789 --> 00:11:34,169 having a mom with a maths teacher. 318 00:11:34,549 --> 00:11:35,289 But, also, 319 00:11:35,669 --> 00:11:37,529 I'm really into science fiction, 320 00:11:37,909 --> 00:11:39,450 so I was just 321 00:11:40,389 --> 00:11:42,309 I I was just like, oh, it's a 322 00:11:42,309 --> 00:11:45,524 doctor who degree. Let's do this. Very serious, 323 00:11:45,524 --> 00:11:46,664 very, like you know? 324 00:11:47,044 --> 00:11:48,565 But, you know, I I came into it, 325 00:11:48,565 --> 00:11:50,164 and I just, like, I came into it 326 00:11:50,164 --> 00:11:51,605 for a problem that, like, you know, science 327 00:11:51,605 --> 00:11:53,125 fiction, I'm good at math sort of side 328 00:11:53,125 --> 00:11:54,504 of it, and then really found 329 00:11:54,965 --> 00:11:57,865 my sort of love in nuclear energy. 330 00:11:58,649 --> 00:12:00,329 And I've to effect, coming into sort of 331 00:12:00,329 --> 00:12:02,009 thoughts about women in physics, I feel that 332 00:12:02,009 --> 00:12:04,329 women, when they go into degrees, they're sort 333 00:12:04,329 --> 00:12:06,809 of expected to have their sort of life 334 00:12:06,809 --> 00:12:08,570 plan a lot more fixed in their mind. 335 00:12:08,570 --> 00:12:10,169 They're not allowed to sort of have, say, 336 00:12:10,169 --> 00:12:11,529 what I went through just be like, I 337 00:12:11,529 --> 00:12:13,209 like science fiction. I like math. Let's do 338 00:12:13,209 --> 00:12:15,475 physics. They're sort of expected to be like, 339 00:12:15,475 --> 00:12:17,075 let's go to medicine, and I'm gonna be 340 00:12:17,075 --> 00:12:18,355 a doctor. I'm gonna be a GP. I'm 341 00:12:18,355 --> 00:12:20,514 gonna get money, and I'm gonna support my 342 00:12:20,514 --> 00:12:22,195 family. But they're not really allowed to have 343 00:12:22,195 --> 00:12:23,634 a freedom. I think a lot of, like, 344 00:12:23,634 --> 00:12:25,875 young boys going into degrees are of just 345 00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:27,235 being able to be like, I like this 346 00:12:27,235 --> 00:12:29,850 subject. Yeah. Let's do it. Yeah. I mean, 347 00:12:30,089 --> 00:12:31,850 I think that also puts away people going 348 00:12:31,850 --> 00:12:33,529 to physics because we don't really have much 349 00:12:33,850 --> 00:12:35,449 as a general thing from boys and girls, 350 00:12:35,449 --> 00:12:36,809 we don't really have much of a knowledge 351 00:12:36,809 --> 00:12:38,169 of what do you actually do with a 352 00:12:38,169 --> 00:12:40,809 physics degree in most people. And I acknowledge 353 00:12:40,809 --> 00:12:42,490 what you do with an engineering degree, but 354 00:12:42,490 --> 00:12:43,769 people don't, like, know what you do with 355 00:12:43,769 --> 00:12:44,990 a physics degree, really. 356 00:12:45,414 --> 00:12:45,914 Transparent? 357 00:12:47,014 --> 00:12:49,894 Yeah. I really agree with everything that Harriet 358 00:12:49,894 --> 00:12:50,875 has talked about. 359 00:12:51,894 --> 00:12:55,035 Like Harriet said, physics isn't really seen as 360 00:12:55,654 --> 00:12:57,674 a naturally feminine or girly 361 00:12:58,139 --> 00:13:00,139 subject for people to follow. And I think 362 00:13:00,139 --> 00:13:01,759 it's quite tricky as well because 363 00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:04,879 physics and math are probably 364 00:13:05,180 --> 00:13:06,940 two of the subjects that are not taught 365 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:08,639 very well at school. 366 00:13:09,019 --> 00:13:10,779 So I think it's a bit difficult if 367 00:13:10,779 --> 00:13:11,279 someone 368 00:13:12,044 --> 00:13:14,125 does have the potential to do well in 369 00:13:14,125 --> 00:13:16,605 physics or math or whatever, but they don't 370 00:13:16,605 --> 00:13:19,105 really have the support that goes with, 371 00:13:19,485 --> 00:13:20,225 doing well, 372 00:13:20,764 --> 00:13:22,065 in those subjects and 373 00:13:22,445 --> 00:13:23,264 getting ahead. 374 00:13:24,205 --> 00:13:26,044 And I think I just wanna say that 375 00:13:26,389 --> 00:13:28,309 I think what I've found is having a 376 00:13:28,309 --> 00:13:30,490 supportive network can be really helpful 377 00:13:31,029 --> 00:13:32,490 in helping you to 378 00:13:33,029 --> 00:13:35,110 follow your interest because I went to a 379 00:13:35,110 --> 00:13:36,409 co ed school myself, 380 00:13:36,789 --> 00:13:37,289 and 381 00:13:38,070 --> 00:13:40,490 very few people were interested in the sciences. 382 00:13:41,285 --> 00:13:44,004 My friends certainly weren't, but they were quite 383 00:13:44,004 --> 00:13:45,304 supportive in, like, 384 00:13:46,165 --> 00:13:48,004 what I wanna do at a level, what 385 00:13:48,004 --> 00:13:49,924 I wanna do a degree, and that sort 386 00:13:49,924 --> 00:13:50,985 of thing. So 387 00:13:52,085 --> 00:13:53,924 I I think that I like physics. I 388 00:13:53,924 --> 00:13:56,325 like biology, so that's obviously what I'm gonna 389 00:13:56,325 --> 00:13:56,825 do. 390 00:13:57,169 --> 00:14:00,389 And I think it's important to have supportive 391 00:14:00,850 --> 00:14:03,829 teachers as well, which is unfortunately not something 392 00:14:04,049 --> 00:14:05,029 everyone gets. 393 00:14:05,809 --> 00:14:08,389 But I guess that's the sort of supportive 394 00:14:08,449 --> 00:14:09,990 network that Kiwi plus 395 00:14:10,304 --> 00:14:12,945 is trying to give to people who have 396 00:14:12,945 --> 00:14:15,524 managed to at least study physics, 397 00:14:16,304 --> 00:14:18,544 at degree level because it just shows you 398 00:14:18,544 --> 00:14:19,044 that 399 00:14:19,825 --> 00:14:21,605 the experiences that we have 400 00:14:22,065 --> 00:14:23,205 are quite similar 401 00:14:24,139 --> 00:14:26,559 often. And it's really important to support 402 00:14:26,860 --> 00:14:29,120 people in, like, following what they're 403 00:14:29,500 --> 00:14:31,200 interested in. Jean? 404 00:14:31,740 --> 00:14:32,559 The research 405 00:14:32,860 --> 00:14:35,200 that's been done into this shows that underrepresented 406 00:14:35,740 --> 00:14:39,120 groups are are put off by outdated stereotypes 407 00:14:39,654 --> 00:14:40,794 that occur within 408 00:14:41,335 --> 00:14:42,714 in the physics community. 409 00:14:43,575 --> 00:14:44,235 And, also, 410 00:14:44,774 --> 00:14:47,254 there's a gap of three and a half 411 00:14:47,254 --> 00:14:47,754 thousand 412 00:14:48,375 --> 00:14:51,495 specialist physics teachers. Right? That's the gap in 413 00:14:51,495 --> 00:14:54,210 not physics teachers. And it's very hard for 414 00:14:54,210 --> 00:14:56,610 somebody who's not a specialist in that's in 415 00:14:56,610 --> 00:14:57,190 a subject 416 00:14:57,889 --> 00:14:58,389 to 417 00:14:58,769 --> 00:14:59,830 go into a classroom 418 00:15:00,450 --> 00:15:02,629 and really enthuse the class. 419 00:15:03,410 --> 00:15:06,070 Lots of them make huge efforts and undertake 420 00:15:06,774 --> 00:15:07,274 CPD, 421 00:15:07,815 --> 00:15:09,274 continuing professional development 422 00:15:09,654 --> 00:15:10,955 even though their original 423 00:15:11,654 --> 00:15:13,355 degrees might have been in biology 424 00:15:13,815 --> 00:15:16,154 or psychology, but they 425 00:15:16,615 --> 00:15:19,414 they will not start with that immediate passion, 426 00:15:19,414 --> 00:15:21,514 which is really important to get across. 427 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:22,980 And, 428 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,019 you know, women and other and other underrepresented 429 00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:27,539 groups are really, 430 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,339 put off by the outdated stereotype that 431 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,120 appears. So yeah. Just to say but you 432 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:35,860 two illustrated 433 00:15:36,715 --> 00:15:38,335 that beautifully, actually. 434 00:15:39,115 --> 00:15:40,794 Absolutely. I mean, you've you've touched on the 435 00:15:40,794 --> 00:15:42,575 fact that, you know, this isn't the only 436 00:15:43,034 --> 00:15:43,534 underrepresented 437 00:15:44,075 --> 00:15:46,075 group, and there are other groups. So people 438 00:15:46,075 --> 00:15:48,014 of color, working class people, 439 00:15:48,715 --> 00:15:49,774 mature students, 440 00:15:50,634 --> 00:15:51,134 migrants, 441 00:15:52,089 --> 00:15:53,549 for example. Is 442 00:15:54,409 --> 00:15:56,009 is that something that's covered in the conference, 443 00:15:56,009 --> 00:15:58,009 or is it specifically looking at women and 444 00:15:58,009 --> 00:15:58,909 and non binary 445 00:15:59,210 --> 00:16:00,589 people? In terms of 446 00:16:00,970 --> 00:16:01,470 recruiting 447 00:16:02,089 --> 00:16:05,289 undergraduates to the conference, we usually have far 448 00:16:05,289 --> 00:16:06,975 more applicants than can 449 00:16:07,375 --> 00:16:09,235 actually be accommodated 450 00:16:09,615 --> 00:16:12,514 and literally accommodated if we're talking about accommodation, 451 00:16:13,534 --> 00:16:15,875 but also in terms of the finances, 452 00:16:16,254 --> 00:16:16,754 etcetera. 453 00:16:17,294 --> 00:16:19,315 And so some years ago, 454 00:16:20,095 --> 00:16:22,950 efforts has been made to make sure that 455 00:16:22,950 --> 00:16:23,450 the, 456 00:16:24,230 --> 00:16:27,129 invite list, if you like, covers a diversity 457 00:16:27,590 --> 00:16:28,250 of backgrounds. 458 00:16:29,190 --> 00:16:29,690 And, 459 00:16:30,870 --> 00:16:32,169 what what what, 460 00:16:32,470 --> 00:16:33,910 there was a high point for me in 461 00:16:33,910 --> 00:16:35,769 Warwick when I realized that, 462 00:16:36,394 --> 00:16:38,235 four of the women came from the Open 463 00:16:38,235 --> 00:16:38,735 University 464 00:16:39,835 --> 00:16:41,695 and literally had never met 465 00:16:42,075 --> 00:16:45,115 before because there's no longer any kind of 466 00:16:45,115 --> 00:16:47,934 practical component to the OU physics degree. 467 00:16:48,389 --> 00:16:50,470 And they were at the other end, they 468 00:16:50,470 --> 00:16:52,470 were not very young. I hope they won't 469 00:16:52,470 --> 00:16:54,649 mind me saying that, but they, you know, 470 00:16:54,710 --> 00:16:57,190 I I could identify with them, and they 471 00:16:57,190 --> 00:16:59,910 had a fantastic time. And they've gone back 472 00:16:59,910 --> 00:17:02,970 and set up a group within the OU 473 00:17:03,430 --> 00:17:03,930 to 474 00:17:04,444 --> 00:17:06,144 network and support each other. 475 00:17:06,684 --> 00:17:09,744 But there are other obviously, you know, it's 476 00:17:09,805 --> 00:17:11,724 the it's a it's a lot of work 477 00:17:11,724 --> 00:17:14,305 for the organizers each year to do this, 478 00:17:14,845 --> 00:17:16,384 but they do try to 479 00:17:16,845 --> 00:17:17,664 arrange it. 480 00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:20,320 Look at the background statements of all the 481 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:20,820 applicants. 482 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,559 So without wanting them to write novels or 483 00:17:24,559 --> 00:17:26,980 in asking them to write an awful lot, 484 00:17:27,039 --> 00:17:28,320 we do try and get some, 485 00:17:28,799 --> 00:17:30,099 information beforehand. 486 00:17:30,445 --> 00:17:33,244 And Harriet and Tansbury will probably be involved 487 00:17:33,244 --> 00:17:34,865 in this in January 488 00:17:35,164 --> 00:17:37,805 in that selection process if you don't have 489 00:17:37,805 --> 00:17:41,404 exams. Okay? Yeah. You do. Harriet. Yeah. I 490 00:17:41,404 --> 00:17:43,585 think what June said about the open university 491 00:17:43,644 --> 00:17:45,664 students is something that I found really impactful. 492 00:17:46,330 --> 00:17:47,690 You know, because again these were a lot 493 00:17:47,690 --> 00:17:49,869 of people coming back to education 494 00:17:50,170 --> 00:17:52,809 or who who were working, who had families 495 00:17:52,809 --> 00:17:54,269 who couldn't go to uni 496 00:17:54,570 --> 00:17:56,970 and are currently working across their degree. And 497 00:17:56,970 --> 00:17:58,970 I found it, like, really interesting to speak 498 00:17:58,970 --> 00:17:59,869 to these people 499 00:18:00,554 --> 00:18:02,794 because, again, like, they like, I feel that 500 00:18:02,794 --> 00:18:04,875 I have, like, a before the fall of 501 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,154 conference, I felt like I didn't really have 502 00:18:06,154 --> 00:18:08,394 much connections to the physics community, but, obviously, 503 00:18:08,394 --> 00:18:10,634 this is so much more it's so much 504 00:18:10,634 --> 00:18:12,089 more for them. You know what I mean? 505 00:18:12,329 --> 00:18:14,169 And I'm not gonna be, like, having a 506 00:18:14,169 --> 00:18:16,409 go at other sort of, like, conferences for 507 00:18:16,409 --> 00:18:17,450 this sort of stuff, but I feel like 508 00:18:17,450 --> 00:18:19,630 a lot of other sort of, like, female 509 00:18:19,690 --> 00:18:21,549 empowerment stuff is very, like, 510 00:18:25,464 --> 00:18:25,964 just 511 00:18:26,984 --> 00:18:27,484 hollow, 512 00:18:27,785 --> 00:18:28,365 you know, 513 00:18:28,904 --> 00:18:31,224 that you sort of take take that I've 514 00:18:31,224 --> 00:18:33,865 taken part like, that I've participated in before, 515 00:18:33,865 --> 00:18:35,244 like, say, secondary school 516 00:18:35,625 --> 00:18:36,285 or whatnot 517 00:18:36,740 --> 00:18:38,580 all these things you say. And it's really 518 00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:40,759 doesn't like it's very on the service level, 519 00:18:41,539 --> 00:18:43,140 just to be, like, to tick a box. 520 00:18:43,140 --> 00:18:44,279 Go. We've done this. 521 00:18:44,660 --> 00:18:46,039 All the problems are solved. 522 00:18:46,420 --> 00:18:46,920 Yeah. 523 00:18:47,539 --> 00:18:49,299 But it felt really like there's been a 524 00:18:49,299 --> 00:18:50,119 lot of consideration 525 00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:51,734 put in. You know what I mean? Speaking 526 00:18:51,734 --> 00:18:52,934 to a lot of people from a lot 527 00:18:52,934 --> 00:18:54,795 of different backgrounds. You know what I mean? 528 00:18:55,015 --> 00:18:56,535 I feel one of the ones that I 529 00:18:56,535 --> 00:18:59,734 found really nice was the obvious, like now 530 00:18:59,734 --> 00:19:01,335 the name is, like, the conference for women 531 00:19:01,335 --> 00:19:03,595 and non binary students, undergraduates, 532 00:19:03,894 --> 00:19:06,149 business or whatnot. I was scared when I 533 00:19:06,149 --> 00:19:07,269 applied that I was just gonna sort of 534 00:19:07,269 --> 00:19:09,509 be in name only, and it wasn't gonna 535 00:19:09,509 --> 00:19:11,210 actually be something that was deeply, like, 536 00:19:11,589 --> 00:19:13,269 put into the conference, but it was. You 537 00:19:13,269 --> 00:19:14,630 know what I mean? The first speaker we 538 00:19:14,630 --> 00:19:15,589 had was a, 539 00:19:16,230 --> 00:19:17,210 a trans woman, 540 00:19:17,669 --> 00:19:18,169 and 541 00:19:18,914 --> 00:19:20,674 I found it really nice as well that 542 00:19:20,674 --> 00:19:22,515 it wasn't there just to go, look. We've 543 00:19:22,515 --> 00:19:24,934 got this. No. The woman spoke about her 544 00:19:25,154 --> 00:19:27,015 research in, like, in astrophysics. 545 00:19:27,634 --> 00:19:29,495 You know, it was a sort of normalization 546 00:19:29,875 --> 00:19:30,375 of 547 00:19:30,690 --> 00:19:33,649 different communities, you know, with mature students, with 548 00:19:33,649 --> 00:19:36,529 people of color, with, like, trans women and 549 00:19:36,529 --> 00:19:38,769 non binary people, of allowing them just to 550 00:19:38,769 --> 00:19:40,609 have a sort of space in physics, which 551 00:19:40,609 --> 00:19:41,429 is sort of 552 00:19:41,889 --> 00:19:42,389 regardless 553 00:19:43,154 --> 00:19:45,235 of their backgrounds. Because I feel like being 554 00:19:45,235 --> 00:19:46,934 a a woman in a lot of physics 555 00:19:47,315 --> 00:19:50,195 community that's really put us, like, you're the 556 00:19:50,195 --> 00:19:50,695 woman 557 00:19:51,075 --> 00:19:52,755 purse well, you don't be whatever they're the 558 00:19:52,755 --> 00:19:54,755 group projects. It's like, this now we've got 559 00:19:54,755 --> 00:19:55,815 the woman speaking. 560 00:19:56,630 --> 00:19:57,830 You know what I mean? Like, it it 561 00:19:57,830 --> 00:19:59,269 really didn't feel like that. We had the 562 00:19:59,269 --> 00:20:01,370 inclusion, but without sort of the, 563 00:20:03,190 --> 00:20:05,509 the patting ourselves on the back. Like, look, 564 00:20:05,509 --> 00:20:06,009 guys. 565 00:20:06,710 --> 00:20:09,610 We've got we've got we've got somebody who 566 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:10,650 isn't like 567 00:20:10,994 --> 00:20:13,315 an old white man on screen. Guys, well 568 00:20:13,315 --> 00:20:15,974 done. Like, it just it felt naturally inclusive. 569 00:20:16,595 --> 00:20:18,755 Again, I agree with what Harriet has just 570 00:20:18,755 --> 00:20:20,694 said. It just felt natural that 571 00:20:21,154 --> 00:20:22,454 this is what physicists 572 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:24,180 can look like. 573 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:27,460 It's not just people from a certain demographic. 574 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,559 And I remember when I was writing the 575 00:20:30,559 --> 00:20:32,799 application, I think, one of the things I 576 00:20:32,799 --> 00:20:35,440 wrote was that we kind of only just 577 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:36,259 learned physics 578 00:20:36,625 --> 00:20:38,404 that people from a certain demographic 579 00:20:38,865 --> 00:20:40,565 have come up with. 580 00:20:41,184 --> 00:20:43,904 And it's quite easy to forget that someone 581 00:20:43,904 --> 00:20:46,644 who looks like you and has your background 582 00:20:46,865 --> 00:20:48,325 can also make an impact 583 00:20:48,784 --> 00:20:50,859 in this field. So it was really, really 584 00:20:50,859 --> 00:20:51,759 nice to 585 00:20:52,619 --> 00:20:53,679 see how genuine 586 00:20:54,140 --> 00:20:54,640 and 587 00:20:55,660 --> 00:20:56,160 confident, 588 00:20:57,179 --> 00:20:59,200 and amazing all of the speakers were. 589 00:20:59,980 --> 00:21:02,619 And, again, the people at Warwick did a 590 00:21:02,619 --> 00:21:04,079 great job of organizing, 591 00:21:05,179 --> 00:21:05,684 the conference. 592 00:21:06,884 --> 00:21:07,845 Conference, and it was really nice to meet 593 00:21:07,845 --> 00:21:09,924 all the other students as well. I think 594 00:21:09,924 --> 00:21:10,904 we have a really 595 00:21:11,205 --> 00:21:12,745 strong network now. 596 00:21:13,125 --> 00:21:14,884 I think when you do, like, a is 597 00:21:14,884 --> 00:21:16,725 this not is this not just about physics 598 00:21:16,725 --> 00:21:18,404 or about you? I think that whenever you 599 00:21:18,404 --> 00:21:21,330 sort of having a conversation about, say, specifically, 600 00:21:21,390 --> 00:21:23,070 I guess, feminism on this term, you know, 601 00:21:23,070 --> 00:21:25,309 in the inclusion of women, you have to 602 00:21:25,309 --> 00:21:28,430 realize that a woman's existence isn't purely the 603 00:21:28,430 --> 00:21:29,869 fact that she's a woman. You know what 604 00:21:29,869 --> 00:21:31,950 I mean? So many other things are put 605 00:21:31,950 --> 00:21:33,250 into it, you know, the, 606 00:21:34,375 --> 00:21:37,174 their race, their sexuality, their class. You know 607 00:21:37,174 --> 00:21:38,615 what I mean? And when you wanna have 608 00:21:38,615 --> 00:21:41,894 a conference or anything that includes women, you 609 00:21:41,894 --> 00:21:44,295 have to realize the barriers that are putting 610 00:21:44,295 --> 00:21:46,775 down other women and not having sort of 611 00:21:46,775 --> 00:21:49,730 idea of a woman like, a woman physicist 612 00:21:49,730 --> 00:21:51,490 in your head that we want to include 613 00:21:51,490 --> 00:21:53,349 these ones and not include the others. 614 00:21:54,529 --> 00:21:55,809 You know what I mean? I have to 615 00:21:55,809 --> 00:21:57,730 sort of you have to be aware of 616 00:21:57,730 --> 00:22:00,230 the barriers that you may put down barriers 617 00:22:00,929 --> 00:22:01,809 in terms of, 618 00:22:02,130 --> 00:22:03,349 in terms of gender. 619 00:22:03,984 --> 00:22:05,585 But if you don't put the barriers and 620 00:22:05,825 --> 00:22:07,284 down in terms of other 621 00:22:07,904 --> 00:22:10,544 aspects, then you're only including a subset of 622 00:22:10,544 --> 00:22:12,005 women. You're not including 623 00:22:12,464 --> 00:22:14,464 the whole lot. Humans are a lot more 624 00:22:14,464 --> 00:22:16,085 complicated than their one 625 00:22:16,384 --> 00:22:19,190 sort of one trait. And I think QWIP 626 00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:22,289 is it's really, really understand. There's obviously, there's, 627 00:22:22,289 --> 00:22:23,890 like, things that you can do better because, 628 00:22:23,890 --> 00:22:25,669 obviously, some people will always 629 00:22:26,210 --> 00:22:28,049 slip through the cracks. But I feel like 630 00:22:28,049 --> 00:22:29,589 through the history of QWIP 631 00:22:30,210 --> 00:22:32,130 consistently, you know, like, by adding, like, the 632 00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:34,744 thing with non binary people, It's consistently 633 00:22:35,525 --> 00:22:38,005 been trying to work to improve getting more 634 00:22:38,005 --> 00:22:39,224 and more, like, represent 635 00:22:39,605 --> 00:22:40,105 representative 636 00:22:41,204 --> 00:22:42,565 of women in general, you know what I 637 00:22:42,565 --> 00:22:44,424 mean? Not just a subsection of women. 638 00:22:45,125 --> 00:22:46,265 And we were talking 639 00:22:46,619 --> 00:22:49,339 specifically here about The UK context. But, you 640 00:22:49,339 --> 00:22:50,799 know, for example, in America, 641 00:22:51,180 --> 00:22:51,900 the the, 642 00:22:52,539 --> 00:22:55,180 the trans community, the the non binary community, 643 00:22:55,339 --> 00:22:57,259 and to a certain extent, definitely, in The 644 00:22:57,259 --> 00:22:58,160 UK are 645 00:22:59,505 --> 00:23:01,445 the brunt of a quite a lot of, 646 00:23:01,984 --> 00:23:04,785 political conversations, we're saying. And it's not it's 647 00:23:04,785 --> 00:23:06,805 not often that it's a positive, 648 00:23:07,744 --> 00:23:09,205 slant that's given to them. 649 00:23:09,585 --> 00:23:11,585 Is that something that's talked about in in 650 00:23:11,585 --> 00:23:14,480 the among the community at the conference? I 651 00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:18,000 can comment a little bit on, 652 00:23:18,619 --> 00:23:21,599 not particularly the past year, but on previous 653 00:23:21,660 --> 00:23:22,160 years, 654 00:23:22,619 --> 00:23:24,160 is that we have 655 00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:27,759 had some sessions where it's been 656 00:23:28,224 --> 00:23:30,404 specifically talked about how you can bring 657 00:23:30,704 --> 00:23:32,865 how what you would hope to bring more 658 00:23:32,865 --> 00:23:34,484 facets of your identity 659 00:23:35,184 --> 00:23:37,664 to the identity you have within your work 660 00:23:37,664 --> 00:23:38,804 or study place. 661 00:23:39,744 --> 00:23:42,224 So that has been, since the meeting in 662 00:23:42,224 --> 00:23:45,500 York. The yearly conferences have had sessions that 663 00:23:45,660 --> 00:23:46,960 where that is discussed. 664 00:23:47,580 --> 00:23:48,720 I mean, I wouldn't 665 00:23:49,420 --> 00:23:49,920 automatically 666 00:23:50,460 --> 00:23:53,359 know about the students discussing it amongst themselves, 667 00:23:54,380 --> 00:23:56,299 because I don't try any of it to 668 00:23:56,299 --> 00:23:59,335 that extent. To a certain extent, yes, neatly. 669 00:23:59,634 --> 00:24:01,875 But there is a an element of each, 670 00:24:02,275 --> 00:24:02,775 conference 671 00:24:03,555 --> 00:24:06,134 develops its own identity because the organizers 672 00:24:06,434 --> 00:24:08,674 are different and have different ideas about how 673 00:24:08,674 --> 00:24:09,894 it should go. And, 674 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:12,059 but it is, 675 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,099 it is something that some of the organizers 676 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,799 have formally included in the program in the 677 00:24:17,799 --> 00:24:18,299 past. 678 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,099 So Harriet. I really appreciate 679 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:22,940 in terms of of 680 00:24:23,414 --> 00:24:25,815 of this conference, you know, not parties to 681 00:24:25,815 --> 00:24:28,475 participate in sort of the current culture war 682 00:24:28,775 --> 00:24:31,095 of just bashing trans people with a stick 683 00:24:31,095 --> 00:24:32,695 because it's a current new thing to have 684 00:24:32,695 --> 00:24:33,515 a go at. 685 00:24:34,615 --> 00:24:36,235 Yeah. I mean, it was really 686 00:24:36,849 --> 00:24:38,529 it it felt refreshing. It's all it was 687 00:24:38,529 --> 00:24:39,970 said earlier that it was just sort of 688 00:24:39,970 --> 00:24:40,710 a nonissue. 689 00:24:41,329 --> 00:24:42,309 Like, it was like 690 00:24:42,769 --> 00:24:45,009 it this space was I would talk talk 691 00:24:45,009 --> 00:24:46,389 about the the difficulties 692 00:24:46,690 --> 00:24:48,769 women face in physics, but it was also 693 00:24:48,769 --> 00:24:49,509 just a celebration 694 00:24:49,889 --> 00:24:51,970 of physics and allowing women just have a 695 00:24:51,970 --> 00:24:55,065 space just to like physics without having to 696 00:24:55,065 --> 00:24:57,144 face, you know, the the natural sort of 697 00:24:57,144 --> 00:24:58,505 barriers that people put in front of us, 698 00:24:58,505 --> 00:25:00,424 you know, at me. And it allowed people 699 00:25:00,424 --> 00:25:02,664 like trans of men like trans women and 700 00:25:02,664 --> 00:25:05,870 non binary people and other women to just 701 00:25:05,870 --> 00:25:06,370 speak 702 00:25:06,750 --> 00:25:08,450 naturally about our love of physics. 703 00:25:09,150 --> 00:25:10,670 This isn't again, this is not just a 704 00:25:10,670 --> 00:25:13,150 purely physics problem, but I feel because physics 705 00:25:13,150 --> 00:25:14,830 is seen as, like, the proper archetypal as 706 00:25:14,830 --> 00:25:16,690 your masculine subject or whatever. 707 00:25:17,230 --> 00:25:19,410 There's been a big problem with sort of, 708 00:25:20,634 --> 00:25:22,974 being like it's a bad thing to 709 00:25:23,275 --> 00:25:23,775 include 710 00:25:24,394 --> 00:25:26,734 your own personal experiences within 711 00:25:27,194 --> 00:25:27,694 your, 712 00:25:29,035 --> 00:25:31,755 within your physics research, within, like, your physics 713 00:25:31,755 --> 00:25:32,255 career, 714 00:25:32,795 --> 00:25:33,660 which I think 715 00:25:34,140 --> 00:25:37,420 is stupid because, say, for me, what I'm 716 00:25:37,420 --> 00:25:41,039 mainly interested in is is, like, radiological protection, 717 00:25:41,420 --> 00:25:42,880 is nuclear waste management. 718 00:25:43,180 --> 00:25:44,700 And, you know, the reason why I got 719 00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:46,700 into this is because I grew up in 720 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:48,220 an area like, my house was built on 721 00:25:48,220 --> 00:25:50,355 a toxic waste site. I grew up in 722 00:25:50,355 --> 00:25:52,755 an area which I was surrounded by waste 723 00:25:52,755 --> 00:25:54,515 all the time, you know I mean because 724 00:25:54,515 --> 00:25:56,695 I lived in a lower class area 725 00:25:57,075 --> 00:25:58,674 where we were just seen as a dumping 726 00:25:58,674 --> 00:25:59,575 site for anybody, 727 00:26:00,755 --> 00:26:03,220 you know I mean and this passion that 728 00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:05,380 I have towards radiological safety is both because 729 00:26:05,380 --> 00:26:07,059 of my passion for nuclear physics because I 730 00:26:07,059 --> 00:26:08,579 just let you know it's cool, you know, 731 00:26:08,579 --> 00:26:10,099 I love all that. So but I also 732 00:26:10,099 --> 00:26:11,960 have my passion for protecting 733 00:26:12,660 --> 00:26:14,039 communities like mine. 734 00:26:14,474 --> 00:26:16,335 So, you know, all these things 735 00:26:16,875 --> 00:26:18,554 interlocked with one another. And I think people 736 00:26:18,554 --> 00:26:20,634 think of, like, say, physics and personality biology 737 00:26:20,634 --> 00:26:21,615 as a more, like, 738 00:26:22,075 --> 00:26:24,154 less human science. Like, it's less to do 739 00:26:24,154 --> 00:26:26,075 with humans, but I would argue it's it's 740 00:26:26,075 --> 00:26:28,170 a lot more to do with humans. Like, 741 00:26:28,410 --> 00:26:29,309 all your electricity 742 00:26:30,170 --> 00:26:33,130 or, like, nuclear waves or every everything that 743 00:26:33,130 --> 00:26:35,850 is that is we control that for better 744 00:26:35,850 --> 00:26:36,590 or for worse. 745 00:26:37,049 --> 00:26:39,070 You know what I mean? And people's identities, 746 00:26:39,450 --> 00:26:40,590 even, like, you know, 747 00:26:42,044 --> 00:26:44,544 as like a straight white man, their identity 748 00:26:44,605 --> 00:26:46,684 is still affecting their physics world just but 749 00:26:46,684 --> 00:26:49,085 but just their physics work. But just because 750 00:26:49,085 --> 00:26:51,184 they're seen as the normal basic 751 00:26:51,565 --> 00:26:54,765 expected one, nobody considers that that affects their 752 00:26:54,765 --> 00:26:56,710 work as well. You know what I mean? 753 00:26:56,710 --> 00:26:58,890 And it's effective for better or for worse. 754 00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:01,369 Yes. And I think just when we bring 755 00:27:01,909 --> 00:27:04,230 our personality or the kind of things that 756 00:27:04,230 --> 00:27:04,730 we're 757 00:27:05,349 --> 00:27:07,589 interested in outside of physics, but you still 758 00:27:07,589 --> 00:27:09,349 link to it and the kind of research 759 00:27:09,349 --> 00:27:10,250 that we're doing, 760 00:27:10,555 --> 00:27:12,815 People just think that it's, like, 761 00:27:13,434 --> 00:27:15,615 too soft or, like, too easy 762 00:27:16,075 --> 00:27:17,615 to mention. Like, they just 763 00:27:18,075 --> 00:27:20,095 think that proper, hardcore 764 00:27:20,394 --> 00:27:24,174 physics research is lots of numbers, coding, experiments, 765 00:27:24,315 --> 00:27:26,099 that sort of thing. So people I think 766 00:27:26,099 --> 00:27:27,460 a lot of people just don't like it 767 00:27:27,460 --> 00:27:31,000 if you try to combine some different techniques 768 00:27:31,140 --> 00:27:32,839 or concepts or even just 769 00:27:33,619 --> 00:27:36,339 talk about why you're interested in whatever it 770 00:27:36,339 --> 00:27:37,940 is that you're doing or, you know, bring 771 00:27:37,940 --> 00:27:38,440 the 772 00:27:38,819 --> 00:27:39,799 human side, 773 00:27:40,444 --> 00:27:42,204 physics. But like Carrie, it was saying that 774 00:27:42,204 --> 00:27:44,464 actually makes things more relevant, and 775 00:27:44,765 --> 00:27:46,384 it helps people to connect 776 00:27:46,924 --> 00:27:47,904 with their work. 777 00:27:48,365 --> 00:27:50,944 Brilliant. Yeah. Let's go to the conference specifically 778 00:27:51,005 --> 00:27:52,285 in in 2025. 779 00:27:52,285 --> 00:27:53,505 What what were your favorite 780 00:27:53,849 --> 00:27:55,609 moments from it? What's come out of it 781 00:27:55,609 --> 00:27:57,069 for you? It was, 782 00:27:58,009 --> 00:27:59,929 the conference dinner, and it was not because 783 00:27:59,929 --> 00:28:01,789 of the food. It was watching 784 00:28:02,650 --> 00:28:06,170 student after student after student queuing up, not 785 00:28:06,170 --> 00:28:08,809 just to get Jocelyn Bell Burnell to sign 786 00:28:08,809 --> 00:28:09,309 their 787 00:28:10,025 --> 00:28:12,044 menu or their card, 788 00:28:12,345 --> 00:28:14,345 but to tell her what they were doing 789 00:28:14,345 --> 00:28:16,025 and what they were interested in and what 790 00:28:16,025 --> 00:28:19,325 they're passionate about. And Jocelyn's an absolute star, 791 00:28:19,625 --> 00:28:21,565 and I think she responded. 792 00:28:21,865 --> 00:28:24,740 She listened, and she responded to everybody that 793 00:28:24,740 --> 00:28:26,980 she could. And that, for me, was a 794 00:28:26,980 --> 00:28:27,480 fantastic 795 00:28:27,779 --> 00:28:30,259 highlight. Amazing. Can I come next time? I 796 00:28:30,259 --> 00:28:31,000 didn't realize. 797 00:28:32,099 --> 00:28:34,740 Harriet. I I have a I my my 798 00:28:34,740 --> 00:28:36,625 favorite memory is I saw a Jocelyn Belbin 799 00:28:36,625 --> 00:28:38,224 Al story. Not to be I'll see only 800 00:28:38,224 --> 00:28:39,525 things going on at this conference. 801 00:28:40,865 --> 00:28:41,365 But, 802 00:28:43,265 --> 00:28:44,805 like, I'm not an astrophysicist, 803 00:28:45,345 --> 00:28:48,144 but, you know, everybody knows Bel everybody knows 804 00:28:48,144 --> 00:28:50,724 Belbin Al. Like, everybody's like she's basically gone, 805 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,900 like, regardless of gender. You know? She's she's 806 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,619 discovered the neutron star, you know, call us. 807 00:28:58,559 --> 00:29:00,400 But we were walking back from a lab 808 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:00,900 tour, 809 00:29:01,279 --> 00:29:02,720 and we were behind the other group because 810 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:04,000 somebody had to stay back to go to 811 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:04,500 toilet. 812 00:29:04,815 --> 00:29:06,514 And we see this little old woman, 813 00:29:07,054 --> 00:29:08,974 and she's like, do you know the way 814 00:29:08,974 --> 00:29:11,134 to queue whip? In this, like, nice nice 815 00:29:11,134 --> 00:29:13,534 little north Northern Irish voice. And I was 816 00:29:13,534 --> 00:29:14,355 like, wait. 817 00:29:14,894 --> 00:29:16,734 Is that Belle Burnell? But you don't wanna 818 00:29:16,734 --> 00:29:19,375 say any sort of Northern Irish old woman 819 00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:21,480 who's going to a physics conference is Belbinel. 820 00:29:21,779 --> 00:29:23,460 You know what I mean? This whole thing 821 00:29:23,460 --> 00:29:24,740 is supposed to be about being like, oh 822 00:29:24,740 --> 00:29:26,259 my god. There's so many different women in 823 00:29:26,259 --> 00:29:26,759 physics. 824 00:29:27,380 --> 00:29:28,900 So we're like, yeah. Yeah. We can we 825 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:30,039 can direct you there. 826 00:29:30,980 --> 00:29:33,059 Walk her along and try to slightly sort 827 00:29:33,059 --> 00:29:34,894 of ask her being like, oh, what do 828 00:29:34,894 --> 00:29:36,654 you do? Like, what university are you at? 829 00:29:36,654 --> 00:29:38,654 What what are you doing? And she's like, 830 00:29:38,654 --> 00:29:40,115 oh, I'm I'm at Oxford. 831 00:29:40,414 --> 00:29:40,994 You know? 832 00:29:42,095 --> 00:29:44,414 I'm interested in astrophysics. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. 833 00:29:44,414 --> 00:29:44,914 Yeah. 834 00:29:46,090 --> 00:29:48,970 And then I could the the Warwick is 835 00:29:48,970 --> 00:29:51,210 lovely. Warwick, a lovely uni, but it's very 836 00:29:51,210 --> 00:29:51,710 confusing, 837 00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:53,070 to get around. 838 00:29:53,529 --> 00:29:55,869 So we directed out the dodgy corridors. 839 00:29:56,170 --> 00:29:58,410 And then I say to to z, Jocelyn 840 00:29:58,410 --> 00:29:59,234 Belber now, 841 00:29:59,954 --> 00:30:01,575 I'm not going to mug you. 842 00:30:02,434 --> 00:30:04,355 She seemed to appreciate it. But then when 843 00:30:04,355 --> 00:30:06,035 we got towards the actual conference, I thought 844 00:30:06,035 --> 00:30:07,795 I've just gotta bite the bullet and ask 845 00:30:07,795 --> 00:30:10,054 her, are you Jocelyn in Belbinow? 846 00:30:10,355 --> 00:30:11,309 And she's like, yeah. 847 00:30:11,950 --> 00:30:12,750 And I was like, 848 00:30:13,070 --> 00:30:13,570 okay. 849 00:30:14,509 --> 00:30:16,190 Why don't we do that? And then she 850 00:30:16,190 --> 00:30:17,470 phantoms us for help and go back to 851 00:30:17,470 --> 00:30:19,230 go to the thing. And I think that's 852 00:30:19,230 --> 00:30:20,750 real and then, like, later in one of 853 00:30:20,750 --> 00:30:22,190 the other talks, she just sat next to 854 00:30:22,190 --> 00:30:23,870 me, and I was like, oh, so Jesus 855 00:30:23,870 --> 00:30:25,410 has sat next to me. Okay. 856 00:30:25,894 --> 00:30:26,394 Sound. 857 00:30:26,774 --> 00:30:28,454 And I think, like, obviously, that is just 858 00:30:28,454 --> 00:30:29,894 like a funny story, but I think it 859 00:30:29,894 --> 00:30:30,394 really 860 00:30:30,855 --> 00:30:32,154 shows the fact that 861 00:30:32,615 --> 00:30:34,454 it's it's was a really weird thinker. I 862 00:30:34,454 --> 00:30:36,615 feel like especially when you're younger, you really 863 00:30:36,615 --> 00:30:38,534 tell this sort of, like, hierarchy of being 864 00:30:38,534 --> 00:30:40,339 like, this is a person who's really, really 865 00:30:40,339 --> 00:30:41,799 smart that we all have to, like, 866 00:30:42,099 --> 00:30:44,359 like, praise and go nowhere near. 867 00:30:44,740 --> 00:30:46,599 But it was it felt really like 868 00:30:47,139 --> 00:30:48,899 the conference really made me feel like a 869 00:30:48,899 --> 00:30:50,579 physicist for the first time. You know what 870 00:30:50,579 --> 00:30:52,535 I mean? Just talking with these people you're 871 00:30:52,535 --> 00:30:54,934 reading, like literally reading books being like this 872 00:30:54,934 --> 00:30:57,174 is like the smartest person ever and just 873 00:30:57,174 --> 00:30:58,714 like having a chat with her. 874 00:30:59,815 --> 00:31:01,015 And that's the case with a lot of 875 00:31:01,015 --> 00:31:02,315 other like these really like 876 00:31:02,855 --> 00:31:05,414 these like amazing like, people like doing the 877 00:31:05,414 --> 00:31:07,359 talks and whatnot. And even ones they weren't 878 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:08,640 doing the talks, they were just there because 879 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,400 they just enjoyed the conference, but were, like, 880 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,059 oh, so these really, like, high level physicists. 881 00:31:13,839 --> 00:31:15,599 You were talking to you, like like, equal. 882 00:31:15,599 --> 00:31:17,279 Obviously, no. But I'm I'm a second year 883 00:31:17,279 --> 00:31:19,359 physics student. I'm not like I'm not I'm 884 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:21,194 not proper clued up. But talking to you, 885 00:31:21,194 --> 00:31:23,035 like, you have the potential to be very 886 00:31:23,035 --> 00:31:24,734 equal, like, in terms of, like, the physics 887 00:31:24,794 --> 00:31:26,954 sort of standpoint without this sort of this 888 00:31:26,954 --> 00:31:29,515 sort of force hierarchy she's seeing sort of 889 00:31:29,515 --> 00:31:32,015 of a space. It it felt really welcoming. 890 00:31:32,569 --> 00:31:34,269 So, yeah, that's the story about how 891 00:31:34,730 --> 00:31:36,509 I sort of threatened Belbin out. 892 00:31:38,089 --> 00:31:38,589 Amazing. 893 00:31:38,890 --> 00:31:41,710 Touch free. Yeah. I also met, 894 00:31:42,410 --> 00:31:42,910 Jocelyn. 895 00:31:43,609 --> 00:31:46,990 She's absolutely amazing. I I'm quite impressed by 896 00:31:47,210 --> 00:31:48,349 Harriet's story. 897 00:31:49,664 --> 00:31:51,284 Mine was a bit more simpler. 898 00:31:52,304 --> 00:31:52,964 So I've 899 00:31:53,664 --> 00:31:54,964 I I was really awestruck 900 00:31:55,345 --> 00:31:56,244 sorry, starstruck 901 00:31:57,025 --> 00:31:59,765 when I met Jocelyn, and I was just 902 00:32:00,304 --> 00:32:01,825 I just didn't know what to say. I 903 00:32:01,825 --> 00:32:03,044 was like, hi, professor. 904 00:32:04,159 --> 00:32:07,119 And I think I I wish I'd spoken 905 00:32:07,119 --> 00:32:09,599 to her more because I was quite nervous 906 00:32:09,599 --> 00:32:10,099 about 907 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,500 just speaking to her and, like, 908 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:14,500 seeing her in person. 909 00:32:15,519 --> 00:32:17,759 Just like Harriet was saying, she's a really 910 00:32:17,759 --> 00:32:19,299 amazing and humble person, 911 00:32:20,375 --> 00:32:22,214 and it's amazing that she comes to Kiwi 912 00:32:22,214 --> 00:32:22,714 plus, 913 00:32:23,254 --> 00:32:23,754 every 914 00:32:24,214 --> 00:32:25,654 year. She was saying that she just really 915 00:32:25,654 --> 00:32:26,474 enjoys it, 916 00:32:26,855 --> 00:32:29,494 and she loves talking to everyone there. So 917 00:32:29,494 --> 00:32:31,274 if you do get to speak to her, 918 00:32:31,974 --> 00:32:34,454 at the conference in Birmingham, then please don't 919 00:32:34,454 --> 00:32:35,194 be shy. 920 00:32:37,259 --> 00:32:38,240 Just talk to her. 921 00:32:38,940 --> 00:32:41,200 Ask her about her interests and 922 00:32:41,659 --> 00:32:43,899 what she's doing, and tell her about yourself 923 00:32:43,899 --> 00:32:45,740 as well. Yeah. But not everybody. Right? Because 924 00:32:45,740 --> 00:32:47,579 you need to speak to her, in in 925 00:32:47,579 --> 00:32:49,179 more depth this time because you were a 926 00:32:49,179 --> 00:32:51,815 bit stuck. Yes. Yes. I do. 927 00:32:52,634 --> 00:32:55,215 Well, yeah. I won't remind her to embarrass 928 00:32:55,215 --> 00:32:57,055 myself next time when I met. She won't 929 00:32:57,055 --> 00:32:58,994 know. It's fine. She won't know. It's fine. 930 00:32:59,855 --> 00:33:02,414 I'll I'll say I'll I'll think I'll I'll 931 00:33:02,414 --> 00:33:04,410 try to give a non Jocelyn Bell Burnell 932 00:33:04,490 --> 00:33:05,930 story because that's not it's not just a 933 00:33:05,930 --> 00:33:06,830 Jostling Balbanelle 934 00:33:07,289 --> 00:33:08,190 meet up convention. 935 00:33:08,570 --> 00:33:10,009 Yeah. That would be a good thing, though. 936 00:33:10,009 --> 00:33:12,670 We should do that. But yeah. Yeah. Like, 937 00:33:12,970 --> 00:33:14,330 I'll be up for that. That's what we're 938 00:33:14,330 --> 00:33:15,630 all going for next year. 939 00:33:17,234 --> 00:33:19,154 She doesn't know it yet, but she'll do 940 00:33:19,154 --> 00:33:19,234 it. 941 00:33:22,275 --> 00:33:24,775 But in terms of, like, there's, like, general 942 00:33:25,075 --> 00:33:27,315 memories, like, when we go to the conference 943 00:33:27,315 --> 00:33:28,615 dinner, you know, 944 00:33:28,914 --> 00:33:29,654 we were, 945 00:33:30,115 --> 00:33:31,974 it was right next to Coventry Cathedral. 946 00:33:32,619 --> 00:33:33,119 And 947 00:33:34,299 --> 00:33:36,460 we if anybody knows you know, it's currently 948 00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:38,779 December when we're recording this. If anybody knows 949 00:33:38,779 --> 00:33:40,480 the amazing Christmas film nativity, 950 00:33:41,579 --> 00:33:43,359 which was filmed at Coventry Cathedral, 951 00:33:44,539 --> 00:33:46,299 me and a couple of the other students 952 00:33:46,299 --> 00:33:48,994 tried to recreate scenes from the, the Christmas 953 00:33:48,994 --> 00:33:50,775 film Nativity at Coventry Cathedral. 954 00:33:52,595 --> 00:33:54,934 And I felt this is this is I 955 00:33:55,554 --> 00:33:58,134 I I traditionally have I I'm autistic. 956 00:33:58,674 --> 00:34:00,755 I have a hard time communicating with others 957 00:34:00,755 --> 00:34:02,214 and hard time making friends, 958 00:34:02,789 --> 00:34:05,110 But it just came so naturally at this 959 00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:07,190 conference, you know, I made I just naturally 960 00:34:07,190 --> 00:34:07,690 made 961 00:34:07,990 --> 00:34:10,030 a load of mates. I didn't feel ostracized. 962 00:34:10,030 --> 00:34:11,769 I was sort of sitting in a corner, 963 00:34:11,829 --> 00:34:12,329 like, 964 00:34:13,030 --> 00:34:13,610 you know, 965 00:34:14,150 --> 00:34:16,150 you know, everybody was lovely. I got on 966 00:34:16,150 --> 00:34:17,714 with everybody. You know? It was, like, it 967 00:34:17,714 --> 00:34:19,154 was great to see tons of, like, you 968 00:34:19,154 --> 00:34:21,394 know, to talk about the problems with space 969 00:34:21,394 --> 00:34:23,315 and physics and also just physics itself, but 970 00:34:23,315 --> 00:34:24,934 also just really great just to, like, 971 00:34:25,394 --> 00:34:27,634 speak to other people in your situation and 972 00:34:27,634 --> 00:34:29,414 have have a laugh. You know? 973 00:34:30,339 --> 00:34:31,859 Yeah. So it's not like a really, like, 974 00:34:31,859 --> 00:34:33,000 serious, like, 975 00:34:33,539 --> 00:34:37,059 serious high level, like, physics conference. Like, it's 976 00:34:37,059 --> 00:34:39,139 it's just like a great community sort of 977 00:34:39,139 --> 00:34:42,605 event with, you know, feminism and physics as 978 00:34:42,605 --> 00:34:44,784 a sort of, like, call side bit. 979 00:34:45,324 --> 00:34:47,005 At least I found it like that. Okay. 980 00:34:47,005 --> 00:34:49,744 So aside from checking which films have been 981 00:34:50,125 --> 00:34:51,984 on location in those cities, 982 00:34:52,605 --> 00:34:55,005 what what would your recommendation be for people 983 00:34:55,005 --> 00:34:57,210 who are thinking about going to Cuot plus 984 00:34:57,210 --> 00:34:59,050 in those places next year and beyond? I 985 00:34:59,050 --> 00:35:02,250 think I would say just look forward to 986 00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:04,429 it, because it's a really great, 987 00:35:05,050 --> 00:35:05,550 event. 988 00:35:06,170 --> 00:35:08,269 So, Harry Oates saying how 989 00:35:08,925 --> 00:35:11,025 nice and easy it is to talk to 990 00:35:11,324 --> 00:35:12,385 all the other attendees, 991 00:35:12,925 --> 00:35:14,945 and I I agree with that. 992 00:35:15,885 --> 00:35:17,585 So, like, don't feel that you're, 993 00:35:19,244 --> 00:35:21,085 not gonna enjoy it or it's gonna be 994 00:35:21,085 --> 00:35:22,619 this, like, really stressful event. 995 00:35:23,340 --> 00:35:25,500 Just make sure you pack everything you need, 996 00:35:25,500 --> 00:35:26,160 I think, 997 00:35:26,539 --> 00:35:27,280 and just, 998 00:35:28,860 --> 00:35:31,099 enjoy it. I I basically just agree with, 999 00:35:31,099 --> 00:35:32,860 like, Hashpreet. So I think the biggest thing 1000 00:35:32,860 --> 00:35:34,780 is just, like, speak to people. You know? 1001 00:35:34,780 --> 00:35:36,835 It's an event to speak to people, other 1002 00:35:36,835 --> 00:35:38,215 students, and also academics. 1003 00:35:38,515 --> 00:35:39,335 Yeah. You know? 1004 00:35:40,035 --> 00:35:42,035 Just talk people's head off until they tell 1005 00:35:42,035 --> 00:35:42,914 you to stop. Yep. 1006 00:35:43,555 --> 00:35:44,855 That's sort of my advice. 1007 00:35:45,155 --> 00:35:47,574 And also as as a brewing myself, 1008 00:35:48,114 --> 00:35:50,139 if you're coming to next year's conference, you 1009 00:35:50,139 --> 00:35:52,719 know, explore Birmingham, best city in the world. 1010 00:35:55,019 --> 00:35:56,639 Don't give me those dodgy looks. 1011 00:36:00,380 --> 00:36:02,480 I am. Yeah. I'll do it. I will. 1012 00:36:03,900 --> 00:36:06,605 But yeah. It's Bristol, obviously. But yeah. 1013 00:36:07,065 --> 00:36:09,224 But Birmingham, yeah, best thing in the world. 1014 00:36:09,224 --> 00:36:10,605 So have a look around. 1015 00:36:11,864 --> 00:36:12,765 Enjoy yourself. 1016 00:36:14,344 --> 00:36:15,324 Yeah. Amazing. 1017 00:36:15,704 --> 00:36:17,785 I'd just to say Birmingham is a wonderful 1018 00:36:17,785 --> 00:36:19,769 place. It's a great place to Yes. Tanchprit. 1019 00:36:20,789 --> 00:36:22,230 Yes, sir. I I just wanted to say 1020 00:36:22,230 --> 00:36:24,570 we keep telling everyone that they should just 1021 00:36:24,789 --> 00:36:25,530 keep talking, 1022 00:36:26,390 --> 00:36:28,230 when they come to the event, which is 1023 00:36:28,230 --> 00:36:29,849 a really good to give. 1024 00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:31,930 But people do have different personalities. 1025 00:36:32,775 --> 00:36:34,234 They don't feel that you're, 1026 00:36:35,255 --> 00:36:36,954 going to have to be really extroverted, 1027 00:36:38,054 --> 00:36:39,574 in the three or four days that you're 1028 00:36:39,574 --> 00:36:40,554 gonna be here. 1029 00:36:41,574 --> 00:36:43,974 Like, just take your time and just make 1030 00:36:43,974 --> 00:36:45,355 sure that you talk to people 1031 00:36:45,819 --> 00:36:48,059 when you feel like it. And there are 1032 00:36:48,059 --> 00:36:49,359 quiet rooms as well, 1033 00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:52,859 during the conference where you can just go 1034 00:36:52,859 --> 00:36:54,299 there for a little bit if you just 1035 00:36:54,299 --> 00:36:55,679 need some peace and quiet. 1036 00:36:56,699 --> 00:36:58,724 And it's not, you know, a race to 1037 00:36:58,724 --> 00:37:01,949 speak to the most, amount of people, to 1038 00:37:01,949 --> 00:37:05,285 ask the best and most interesting questions during 1039 00:37:05,285 --> 00:37:07,545 the q and a's. It's nothing like that. 1040 00:37:07,845 --> 00:37:09,224 Please just feel 1041 00:37:09,925 --> 00:37:10,425 comfortable 1042 00:37:11,619 --> 00:37:14,340 talking to people and Amazing. Amazing. That's brilliant. 1043 00:37:14,340 --> 00:37:15,699 Thank you for saying that. I do I 1044 00:37:16,099 --> 00:37:17,800 speaking as an introvert myself, 1045 00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:20,900 it it's not often that people bring that 1046 00:37:20,900 --> 00:37:23,300 up and yeah. Amazing. Thank you very much. 1047 00:37:23,619 --> 00:37:24,119 Harriet. 1048 00:37:24,815 --> 00:37:26,094 I I'd like to speak to people because 1049 00:37:26,094 --> 00:37:26,914 I'm a nurse. 1050 00:37:28,094 --> 00:37:28,594 But, 1051 00:37:29,694 --> 00:37:31,375 that's been annoying for people that aren't from 1052 00:37:31,375 --> 00:37:32,974 East Coast. Apparently, that sort of thing in 1053 00:37:32,974 --> 00:37:33,474 Birmingham. 1054 00:37:34,734 --> 00:37:35,234 But, 1055 00:37:36,094 --> 00:37:37,315 yeah, I feel like, 1056 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:39,800 obviously, like, a social I feel like the 1057 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:41,880 social aspect of it is that even if 1058 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,199 you're, like, not very talkative, like, I find 1059 00:37:44,199 --> 00:37:45,719 a lot of people who are there who 1060 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:47,559 were weren't very talkative, but they were still 1061 00:37:47,559 --> 00:37:48,780 very involved in 1062 00:37:49,079 --> 00:37:51,239 in groups or whatnot. Like, even if you're, 1063 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,074 like, don't wanna talk a lot, don't feel 1064 00:37:53,074 --> 00:37:55,554 like that's, like, won't allow you to make 1065 00:37:55,554 --> 00:37:58,375 makes or, like, be in groups or discussions. 1066 00:37:58,594 --> 00:37:59,094 Like, 1067 00:37:59,635 --> 00:38:01,875 you can you can just chill there and, 1068 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:03,635 like, listen to other people if that's what 1069 00:38:03,635 --> 00:38:06,140 you want and whatnot. Well, I just wanted 1070 00:38:06,140 --> 00:38:08,860 to say quickly that, what Town Street said, 1071 00:38:08,860 --> 00:38:11,500 there are quiet rooms. There were at Warwick. 1072 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:12,720 There will be at Birmingham. 1073 00:38:13,180 --> 00:38:15,500 And we found that as an important thing 1074 00:38:15,500 --> 00:38:17,739 to add into the mix so that if 1075 00:38:17,739 --> 00:38:19,739 you do just want to, you know, have 1076 00:38:19,739 --> 00:38:22,285 the half hour dipping out or hour dipping 1077 00:38:22,285 --> 00:38:24,045 out, there is a quiet there there are 1078 00:38:24,045 --> 00:38:25,344 quiet rooms. So, 1079 00:38:26,125 --> 00:38:27,905 whilst we hope everybody will 1080 00:38:28,204 --> 00:38:28,704 network 1081 00:38:30,204 --> 00:38:32,765 fantastically well, we all know that there's times 1082 00:38:32,765 --> 00:38:34,605 when we just need to kind of withdraw 1083 00:38:34,605 --> 00:38:35,690 and and 1084 00:38:36,389 --> 00:38:36,710 and, 1085 00:38:37,190 --> 00:38:39,269 enjoy our own space for a bit. Yeah. 1086 00:38:39,269 --> 00:38:41,109 Amazing. I just if there are any introverts 1087 00:38:41,109 --> 00:38:43,429 listening, I can also recommend making podcasts because 1088 00:38:43,429 --> 00:38:45,829 you have a very structured conversation. It has 1089 00:38:45,829 --> 00:38:47,670 a very limited amount of time while you're 1090 00:38:47,670 --> 00:38:49,429 having the conversation. Mhmm. And then you get 1091 00:38:49,429 --> 00:38:50,789 to spend time on your own in the 1092 00:38:50,789 --> 00:38:53,164 room editing it. It's a perfect job for 1093 00:38:53,164 --> 00:38:53,824 an introvert. 1094 00:38:54,285 --> 00:38:56,445 There's how's it funded? Is it is it 1095 00:38:56,445 --> 00:38:58,684 something that will go on forever? Is there 1096 00:38:58,684 --> 00:39:00,684 no there are no barriers to this stopping? 1097 00:39:00,684 --> 00:39:02,704 Or how's it going? Funding's tough. 1098 00:39:03,005 --> 00:39:03,840 I'll say that. 1099 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:06,640 So Harriet and Tanjibit will know a little 1100 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,140 bit about this from the local organizing committee 1101 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:10,099 meetings. So 1102 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:11,940 we have a number of funders, 1103 00:39:13,039 --> 00:39:14,500 but the host university 1104 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:17,414 normally has to find about 50% of the 1105 00:39:17,414 --> 00:39:17,914 cost. 1106 00:39:19,414 --> 00:39:20,074 The exterior, 1107 00:39:20,934 --> 00:39:21,434 supporters 1108 00:39:21,735 --> 00:39:24,715 are Institute of Physics, Ogden Trust, 1109 00:39:26,215 --> 00:39:27,355 EPPSR, STFC, 1110 00:39:28,135 --> 00:39:30,795 and now most recently, the Royal Society. 1111 00:39:31,559 --> 00:39:34,300 And the important thing for the organizers, 1112 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:35,660 because 1113 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:37,099 it genuinely 1114 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:37,980 takes, 1115 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,160 like, a two year run up to running 1116 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,025 this conference, is for me slash 1117 00:39:44,824 --> 00:39:47,944 the, the National Steering Group to know that 1118 00:39:47,944 --> 00:39:50,844 we have a funding stream for the next 1119 00:39:51,464 --> 00:39:54,125 two, three, four. I mean, my my dream 1120 00:39:54,744 --> 00:39:56,204 is to have five years 1121 00:39:56,585 --> 00:39:57,644 funding stream. 1122 00:39:58,079 --> 00:40:00,579 My dream is actually for QIP to become 1123 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:01,140 completely 1124 00:40:01,519 --> 00:40:02,019 unnecessary 1125 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:02,980 to run 1126 00:40:03,599 --> 00:40:04,500 because the 1127 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:05,300 situation 1128 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:06,340 within 1129 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:07,219 departments, 1130 00:40:08,079 --> 00:40:09,460 there'll be no more, 1131 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,320 you know, the percentage of students taking a 1132 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:15,414 level, women taking a level will increase, and 1133 00:40:15,414 --> 00:40:18,614 therefore, the numbers going into university will increase 1134 00:40:18,614 --> 00:40:20,695 because there isn't really much of a leaky 1135 00:40:20,695 --> 00:40:22,795 pipeline between a level and university. 1136 00:40:23,574 --> 00:40:26,375 The leaky pipeline is between GCSE and a 1137 00:40:26,375 --> 00:40:27,034 a level. 1138 00:40:28,349 --> 00:40:30,670 But, yeah, my ultimate dream is that I 1139 00:40:30,670 --> 00:40:33,309 won't have to fundraise for it anymore because 1140 00:40:33,309 --> 00:40:34,929 it will be completely unnecessary 1141 00:40:35,309 --> 00:40:37,409 because we'll be living in this 1142 00:40:37,869 --> 00:40:38,690 new environment 1143 00:40:39,069 --> 00:40:39,569 with, 1144 00:40:40,385 --> 00:40:42,784 where there's no such thing as implicit bias 1145 00:40:42,784 --> 00:40:43,284 or 1146 00:40:43,664 --> 00:40:45,125 structured gender discrimination. 1147 00:40:45,505 --> 00:40:46,804 You know, that's my idea. 1148 00:40:47,105 --> 00:40:49,125 But that's not where we're at. 1149 00:40:49,425 --> 00:40:50,724 So at the moment, 1150 00:40:51,824 --> 00:40:56,139 we will actively encourage anybody out there who's 1151 00:40:56,139 --> 00:40:58,460 listened to this. Please do contact me if 1152 00:40:58,460 --> 00:40:59,119 you have 1153 00:40:59,500 --> 00:41:00,800 any desire whatsoever 1154 00:41:01,500 --> 00:41:01,900 to, 1155 00:41:02,460 --> 00:41:03,519 to provide funding. 1156 00:41:04,380 --> 00:41:07,119 So the barriers to this continuing indefinitely 1157 00:41:08,184 --> 00:41:10,984 are that the landscape for higher education or 1158 00:41:10,984 --> 00:41:13,005 the funding landscape for higher education 1159 00:41:13,304 --> 00:41:14,764 and the staffing levels 1160 00:41:15,304 --> 00:41:15,804 are 1161 00:41:16,264 --> 00:41:19,085 precarious at the moment. And so we're asking, 1162 00:41:19,864 --> 00:41:20,364 universities 1163 00:41:21,050 --> 00:41:22,670 They have to put forward a proposal 1164 00:41:23,449 --> 00:41:25,609 saying what their roughly what their budget will 1165 00:41:25,609 --> 00:41:28,409 be, what their school will give them in 1166 00:41:28,409 --> 00:41:29,389 terms of resources 1167 00:41:29,690 --> 00:41:31,150 and actual finances. 1168 00:41:32,570 --> 00:41:34,465 So that's, you know, that is a hard 1169 00:41:34,465 --> 00:41:36,565 ask at the moment, a really hard ask, 1170 00:41:36,625 --> 00:41:39,045 but also time time of staff. 1171 00:41:40,065 --> 00:41:41,844 It's a lot of 1172 00:41:42,545 --> 00:41:45,184 effort by the staff who are involved at 1173 00:41:45,184 --> 00:41:46,005 host universities. 1174 00:41:47,039 --> 00:41:49,360 So that those are the barriers to it 1175 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:50,579 continuing indefinitely. 1176 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,280 One would be positive if there was no 1177 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:54,739 need for it to happen anymore. 1178 00:41:55,039 --> 00:41:57,519 The others are more around the funding issues, 1179 00:41:57,519 --> 00:41:58,019 which 1180 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:00,079 for anything that is not, 1181 00:42:01,864 --> 00:42:03,565 it's getting to the point where it's 1182 00:42:04,105 --> 00:42:07,144 so embedded that it's almost seen as a 1183 00:42:07,144 --> 00:42:07,964 core activity. 1184 00:42:08,505 --> 00:42:10,344 Whereas at the moment, it's, you know, how 1185 00:42:10,344 --> 00:42:11,964 much discretionary funding 1186 00:42:12,505 --> 00:42:15,690 does a department have in order to devote 1187 00:42:15,690 --> 00:42:17,130 towards it. And I won't 1188 00:42:17,849 --> 00:42:20,329 there's no point in me giving actual numbers 1189 00:42:20,329 --> 00:42:22,829 on funding it here because, obviously, 1190 00:42:23,449 --> 00:42:25,609 what we did see was a huge increase 1191 00:42:25,609 --> 00:42:27,289 in the cost over the last two years 1192 00:42:27,289 --> 00:42:30,375 of running it because of accommodation and catering 1193 00:42:30,375 --> 00:42:33,195 costs and even just railway costs. Right? 1194 00:42:33,894 --> 00:42:34,875 Buying tickets. 1195 00:42:36,215 --> 00:42:38,715 So that those are the barriers. 1196 00:42:40,135 --> 00:42:40,855 But I think it's 1197 00:42:41,900 --> 00:42:44,460 so a call will go out fairly soon 1198 00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:45,599 asking for people 1199 00:42:45,900 --> 00:42:46,380 to, 1200 00:42:46,940 --> 00:42:51,340 or departments to put forward proposals for 2028 1201 00:42:51,340 --> 00:42:52,800 and 2029. 1202 00:42:53,019 --> 00:42:54,539 It's a long way ahead. You know? It's 1203 00:42:54,539 --> 00:42:55,980 a long way ahead for them to think 1204 00:42:55,980 --> 00:42:57,844 about it, but I had to be certain 1205 00:42:57,844 --> 00:43:00,724 that I had or we that we had 1206 00:43:00,724 --> 00:43:01,224 funding 1207 00:43:01,844 --> 00:43:03,844 for those years because it's not fair to 1208 00:43:03,844 --> 00:43:06,484 us departments to put together proposals for something 1209 00:43:06,484 --> 00:43:08,105 where you're going, sorry. 1210 00:43:08,484 --> 00:43:11,045 No cash. You know? It's a bit tough 1211 00:43:11,045 --> 00:43:12,059 for you, that one. 1212 00:43:13,340 --> 00:43:13,840 But 1213 00:43:14,140 --> 00:43:16,219 what I would say to departments, if you're 1214 00:43:16,219 --> 00:43:18,860 thinking about putting in proposals, it's not just 1215 00:43:18,860 --> 00:43:21,340 the effect that QWIP has on the students 1216 00:43:21,340 --> 00:43:24,140 who attend. It's the ripple effect in your 1217 00:43:24,140 --> 00:43:26,000 physics department or school 1218 00:43:26,324 --> 00:43:27,945 because you've raised the profile 1219 00:43:28,484 --> 00:43:30,585 of how important this topic is. 1220 00:43:30,964 --> 00:43:32,964 And it's important in not only in terms 1221 00:43:32,964 --> 00:43:35,204 of your undergraduate community, but in terms of 1222 00:43:35,204 --> 00:43:35,945 your research, 1223 00:43:36,484 --> 00:43:39,545 realizing that our diversity of experience and opinions 1224 00:43:39,909 --> 00:43:42,469 coming into your research groups is important as 1225 00:43:42,469 --> 00:43:42,969 well. 1226 00:43:43,429 --> 00:43:43,929 So, 1227 00:43:45,590 --> 00:43:48,409 think think carefully think carefully about the benefits, 1228 00:43:48,469 --> 00:43:51,030 the long term benefits to you as schools 1229 00:43:51,030 --> 00:43:51,690 or departments. 1230 00:43:52,644 --> 00:43:54,324 And as soon as I get one more 1231 00:43:54,324 --> 00:43:56,565 bit of funding nailed down, that call will 1232 00:43:56,565 --> 00:43:57,224 go out. 1233 00:43:58,644 --> 00:44:00,244 I just wanna make a little comment for, 1234 00:44:00,244 --> 00:44:02,085 say, people who are listening like, students who 1235 00:44:02,085 --> 00:44:03,844 are listening to this if they wanted to 1236 00:44:03,844 --> 00:44:05,304 go, to there. 1237 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:06,380 QWIT 1238 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,900 is, I think, to this year, it's costing 1239 00:44:10,039 --> 00:44:12,440 like, you have to give a, sort of 1240 00:44:12,519 --> 00:44:14,679 not donation, but a sort of contribution of 1241 00:44:14,679 --> 00:44:15,900 £45 1242 00:44:16,359 --> 00:44:18,380 to attend. But this should be 1243 00:44:18,945 --> 00:44:20,164 covered by your, 1244 00:44:20,945 --> 00:44:21,684 your department, 1245 00:44:21,985 --> 00:44:24,065 like, if you email them and ask them 1246 00:44:24,065 --> 00:44:25,844 about if they can cover it or not. 1247 00:44:27,105 --> 00:44:28,625 But I just wanna, like, sort of put 1248 00:44:28,625 --> 00:44:30,465 that out as sort of, I don't think 1249 00:44:30,465 --> 00:44:33,019 of really, like, your financial background as being 1250 00:44:33,019 --> 00:44:34,780 a sort of barrier towards this because as 1251 00:44:34,780 --> 00:44:35,599 well, like, 1252 00:44:36,140 --> 00:44:38,380 your department may be also able to fund 1253 00:44:38,380 --> 00:44:39,840 your travel to Birmingham 1254 00:44:40,300 --> 00:44:42,059 and whatnot. So don't think, oh, I'm gonna 1255 00:44:42,059 --> 00:44:43,994 have to pay, like, £200 1256 00:44:43,994 --> 00:44:46,074 to go or something like that. That's not 1257 00:44:46,074 --> 00:44:48,155 the reality of it. You know, we maybe 1258 00:44:48,155 --> 00:44:50,515 get funding from outside of students to try 1259 00:44:50,515 --> 00:44:52,234 and make it as accessible to students as 1260 00:44:52,234 --> 00:44:53,275 we can. Yeah. 1261 00:44:53,755 --> 00:44:55,914 I just wanna say that when I got 1262 00:44:55,914 --> 00:44:57,929 into, QIP plus at Warwick, 1263 00:44:58,650 --> 00:45:00,409 I think it was really good of Warwick 1264 00:45:00,409 --> 00:45:02,650 that email us and say that we should 1265 00:45:02,650 --> 00:45:04,109 be asking our departments 1266 00:45:04,809 --> 00:45:06,030 to, reimburse 1267 00:45:06,569 --> 00:45:10,349 the registration fee and travel as well. Because, 1268 00:45:10,535 --> 00:45:13,015 you know, we're undergraduate students. We don't know 1269 00:45:13,015 --> 00:45:16,295 how conferences work. We've probably never been to 1270 00:45:16,295 --> 00:45:17,755 one before this. 1271 00:45:18,215 --> 00:45:19,434 So it's really good. 1272 00:45:20,454 --> 00:45:22,375 Let students know that they shouldn't be paying 1273 00:45:22,375 --> 00:45:23,515 for everything themselves. 1274 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:25,920 Okay. Brilliant. Yeah. Brilliant. Thank you very much. 1275 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:28,159 I I I I really love the idea 1276 00:45:28,159 --> 00:45:31,119 of, like, physics conferences just in the future 1277 00:45:31,119 --> 00:45:33,280 having, you know, a trans woman opening it 1278 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:35,440 and it being a nonissue. I think that's 1279 00:45:35,679 --> 00:45:37,304 that that's what I've heard from this conversation. 1280 00:45:37,304 --> 00:45:38,905 That'd be a really lovely future to have. 1281 00:45:38,905 --> 00:45:40,664 We're not in that future. We do have 1282 00:45:40,664 --> 00:45:41,484 Cuot plus. 1283 00:45:42,344 --> 00:45:44,105 I'd I'd thank you so much for talking 1284 00:45:44,105 --> 00:45:45,465 to me about it. Do you have any 1285 00:45:45,465 --> 00:45:46,984 last thoughts before we, 1286 00:45:47,545 --> 00:45:50,230 say goodbye to everyone? Attend Cuot plus. Give 1287 00:45:50,230 --> 00:45:51,690 us money for QIP plus. 1288 00:45:54,230 --> 00:45:56,230 No. I think how it and Tanjushree have 1289 00:45:56,230 --> 00:45:58,789 put all of the the arguments really, really 1290 00:45:58,789 --> 00:45:59,289 well. 1291 00:46:00,230 --> 00:46:03,364 I just wanna reiterate what June was saying 1292 00:46:03,505 --> 00:46:06,545 earlier about two plus being important for students 1293 00:46:06,545 --> 00:46:07,364 and for departments 1294 00:46:08,144 --> 00:46:10,885 because I think we as students feel 1295 00:46:12,065 --> 00:46:13,684 happier and more confident 1296 00:46:13,985 --> 00:46:16,644 after this conference. We feel like physicists 1297 00:46:17,300 --> 00:46:17,800 finally. 1298 00:46:18,500 --> 00:46:21,400 And I kind of think of this conference 1299 00:46:21,619 --> 00:46:22,359 when I'm 1300 00:46:23,139 --> 00:46:23,960 maybe struggling 1301 00:46:24,579 --> 00:46:25,960 with my physics 1302 00:46:27,139 --> 00:46:29,380 studies or something. And it kinda just helps 1303 00:46:29,380 --> 00:46:30,199 me to think 1304 00:46:31,034 --> 00:46:33,034 of the really positive experience that I had 1305 00:46:33,034 --> 00:46:35,914 there and that it's not like, I'm not 1306 00:46:35,914 --> 00:46:39,375 struggling because I'm not good enough or because 1307 00:46:39,835 --> 00:46:41,775 I don't understand what's going on. 1308 00:46:42,074 --> 00:46:44,175 But there's other things that I need to 1309 00:46:44,589 --> 00:46:46,030 look at, if that makes sense. And it 1310 00:46:46,030 --> 00:46:47,089 just helps me 1311 00:46:47,710 --> 00:46:49,730 to make sure that I keep 1312 00:46:50,510 --> 00:46:51,329 my interest 1313 00:46:51,630 --> 00:46:53,650 in physics and just STEM in general 1314 00:46:54,109 --> 00:46:54,609 up, 1315 00:46:54,989 --> 00:46:55,969 and that's not 1316 00:46:56,285 --> 00:46:57,724 anything to do with me as a person, 1317 00:46:57,724 --> 00:46:58,704 if that makes sense. 1318 00:46:59,085 --> 00:47:00,224 I'd like to thank Tanushpreet, 1319 00:47:00,525 --> 00:47:02,844 Harriet, and June for talking to me and 1320 00:47:02,844 --> 00:47:05,085 sharing their stories and bringing their insights to 1321 00:47:05,085 --> 00:47:07,664 this episode of the Physics World Stories podcast. 1322 00:47:07,885 --> 00:47:09,724 If listening to them has sparked an interest, 1323 00:47:09,724 --> 00:47:11,799 whether you're a student feeling perhaps a bit 1324 00:47:11,799 --> 00:47:13,960 isolated or just like you want to get 1325 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:15,960 involved in this conference and go along to 1326 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:17,719 it, you'll need to know about the next 1327 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:20,199 one, of course. And as we've been discussing, 1328 00:47:20,199 --> 00:47:22,679 the baton's been passed for the twenty twenty 1329 00:47:22,679 --> 00:47:25,324 six cuitt plus conference to the University 1330 00:47:25,704 --> 00:47:27,565 of Birmingham, and it is scheduled 1331 00:47:27,945 --> 00:47:32,025 for the nineteenth to the 03/22/2026. 1332 00:47:32,025 --> 00:47:33,465 And 2026 1333 00:47:33,465 --> 00:47:35,304 is, of course, just around the corner as 1334 00:47:35,304 --> 00:47:37,625 this is the final episode of the Physics 1335 00:47:37,625 --> 00:47:39,989 World Stories podcast for this year. I hope 1336 00:47:39,989 --> 00:47:41,910 you've enjoyed all the quantum content we've been 1337 00:47:41,910 --> 00:47:44,309 bringing you this year. And although we have 1338 00:47:44,309 --> 00:47:46,070 moved slightly away from it at times, it 1339 00:47:46,070 --> 00:47:47,050 has been a wonderful 1340 00:47:47,349 --> 00:47:49,429 year to explore everything to do with quantum 1341 00:47:49,429 --> 00:47:51,769 mechanics. You can find out all about that 1342 00:47:51,829 --> 00:47:53,829 and the International Year of Quantum Science and 1343 00:47:53,829 --> 00:47:57,085 Technology on the Physics World website physicsworld.com 1344 00:47:57,085 --> 00:47:59,484 where you'll also find links to the QWIT 1345 00:47:59,484 --> 00:48:02,525 plus conference and how you can book your 1346 00:48:02,525 --> 00:48:05,724 tickets and maybe get your university involved and 1347 00:48:05,724 --> 00:48:06,224 ideally 1348 00:48:06,684 --> 00:48:09,644 provide some funding for future years of the 1349 00:48:09,644 --> 00:48:12,239 conference. We'll be back next year with something 1350 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:14,079 else from this wonderful world of physics and 1351 00:48:14,079 --> 00:48:16,480 I don't know about you I'm thinking maybe 1352 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:18,480 we should look into that comet. Thank you 1353 00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:19,920 very much for listening and I hope you 1354 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:22,320 have a wonderful December wherever you are in 1355 00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:22,980 the world.