Summary
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the science of matter and the states in which it can exist. Most people are familiar with the idea that a substance like water can exist in solid, liquid and gaseous forms. But as much as 99% of the matter in the universe is now believed to exist in a fourth state, plasma. Today scientists recognise a number of other exotic states or phases, such as glasses, gels and liquid crystals - many of them with useful properties that can be exploited.
With:
Andrea Sella Professor of Chemistry at University College London
Athene Donald Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge
Justin Wark Professor of Physics and Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Oxford
Producer: Thomas Morris.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.7 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
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| 0:36.0 | Thank you for downloading this episode of In Our Time. |
| 0:38.7 | For more details about in our time and for our terms of use please go to BBC.co. |
| 0:43.2 | UK slash radio 4. I hope you enjoy the program. |
| 0:47.0 | Hello most of the matter we encounter in everyday life appears in one of three states |
| 0:51.3 | solid liquid or gas. Water is one of three states solid liquid or gas. |
| 0:53.0 | Water is one of the few substances that we regularly see in all three forms, |
| 0:57.0 | as ice or water or as vapor. |
| 1:00.0 | But it turns out there's much more to matter than solid liquid and gas. |
| 1:03.2 | 99% of the visible universe is believed to consist of matter in a fourth state, plasma. |
| 1:08.6 | And there are plenty of common materials such as glass that don't fit easily into these categories. |
| 1:14.9 | Today scientists are discovering a variety of new and exotic states of matter, and many of them, such |
| 1:20.2 | as liquid crystals, have properties that make them enormously useful to us. |
| 1:24.3 | But what are the differences between these states or phases of matter and what is current research |
| 1:28.8 | telling us about them? |
| 1:30.6 | To discuss the states of matter are Andrea Seller, Professor of Chemistry at University College London, |
| 1:37.0 | Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge, and Justin Walk, |
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