Detailed technical knowledge about complex subjects presented coherently. If I were packing up to join a human colony on another planet I would definitely bring as many episodes of this podcast as I could.
You will learn something meaningful from each episode no matter how much or how little you know about the topic.
What I like most about Omega Tau is that it has exposed me to interesting problems in fields that never seemed that interesting to me (how do you build a seal around a piston that weighs 10 million tonnes? Episode 299). There is just the right level of technical depth to make things interesting without being overwhelming. Educational and entertaining!
Podcasts are very thorough, often covering several hours of subject matter. They take you beyond the usual "popular science" podcasts and present material in a more intensive manner. I particularly enjoy the physics podcasts on the Alice Detector at Cern.
Omega Tau goes deep, really deep, into aviation, big science, big engineering and technical occupations. After listening to an Omega Tau episode, you are now a casual expert on the topic. And there is no holding back on the technical content, things that are abstract Markus has his guests explain, so the listener really understands why things are designed the way they are. Even episodes that I think I will not be interested in I find entertaining and educational because of the great interviewing style and technical depth.
I haven’t found a more interesting technical podcast. I love the interviews related to fusion power, plasma physics, and superconductors. Thanks for doing episodes in english and keep up the good work!
Very interesting podcast. It is a bit technical - but as just an enthusiast and not an engineer or scientist I have found everything to be quite understandable. Definitely will take your nerd grade to the next level!
If you have any interest in aviation, space, science, or other hard technical topics, Markus's podcast is an amazing resource. I especially enjoy the aviation episodes but all of them have something to learn. I highly recommend this podcast if Markus covers any topic that you might be interested in.
If you've ever been frustrated science "journalism" where the interviewer asks only the most facile, pop-culture type questions (eg asking an LHC scientist about whether it's going to make a black hole, or a NASA scientist about whether they like SpaceX), then this is the podcast for you. Markus asks deep technical questions of extremely smart people, prompting incredibly informative discussions which never fail to delight (and edify).
Do yourself a favor and start listening today.
This has become my favorite podcast. The interviews are on a wide range of interesting subjects, the interviewer is great (he asks intelligent questions, and unlike many others, he lets the interviewee talk and doesn't keep interrupting), and the long format allows for much more depth than most podcasts achieve.
One of the most thorough and interesting science/engineering podcasts out there. It does get fairly technical (even as an engineer I'll have the occasional problem following) but the host presents it in such a digestible and fascinating way that it is understandable for anyone with a passion for science.
As I go through the extensive back catalogue of Omega Tau I'm amazed by how the hosts, regardless of the topic, consistently manage to ask the right questions to both make the topic accessible and then go deep into the core issues and questions of that topic. Wonderful to listen to, very entertaining, keep up the great work!
If you’re looking for a good knowledge and facts based podcast involving aerospace, plasma physics, spy satellites, nuclear fusion and many other relevant and important topics, this is a must have. Audio quality is very good and content is generated from interviews with very qualified professional specialists.
As a component of my ongoing physics education, I fill all of my free listening time to science education audio. Omega Tau is a permanent part of my library and I reference old episodes regularly in between production of new English episodes. I learn valuable information from each episode Markus has produced.
The title sums it up (and it mentioned halfway through episode 241): if you're the right type of listener, you'll probably enjoy this show. I've had a hard time finding technical engineering/physics audio to listen and learn from, but omega tau nails it!
I am an aerospace engineer. This podcast is exactly what I was looking for. All the subjects are things I am truly interested in. There are also subtle nerdy jokes. Love the podcast.
Omega Tau consistently delivers high-quality interviews with leading science and engineering researchers and practitioners.
Markus does quite a bit of research before each podcast, resulting in fluid and interesting interviews.
This podcast is not simplified popular science, it attempts to engage with the material at a high enough level to understand the subtlety of the topic. As such, it may be helpful to have Wikipedia handy for some of the shows if you are less familiar with the subject.
This is probably the most well-done science and engineering podcast out there.
One of my favorite podcast. I very much appreciate the straight forward approach and insightful interview questions. Thank you for your excellent work.
The places that the podcast goes, disordered systems, LHC and background on the standard model for that, analog computers, as well as space flight, and high points of engineering, these places, the people interviewed, it makes for an experience that you want to focus on, go back to, think through. I am very grateful to Markus for crafting these episodes, thank you.
I have been listening to this podcast for a few years now and must say that it is one of the most consistent podcasts for in-depth conversations regarding topics in science in engineering. Markus does a great job in bringing knowledgeable people to the audience. From listening to the podcasts, it is clear that Markus works hard to research the topic and bring relevant questions. I especially like that the podcast tackles a variety of topics including particle physics, mathematics, space flight, biology, … One aspect that I find particularly unique about the podcast is that it often discusses the engineering challenges and accomplishments that are required so that this wonderful science can be discussed. I look forward to listening for many years to come!
Extremely interesting and well produced podcast focused on science, technology and engineering. I love the degree of depth that each interview is given. I especially love the space and aviation topics.
This is a must-listen for anyone interested in science and engineering. There is very little content of this quality in the podcast world when it comes to the sciences. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
I have looked for a podcast of this type for months and am glad to have found it. The topics are wide-ranging and engaging for those interested in various aspects of science and technology. There are some great podcasts on aviation, space, and atomic physics, for instance. Interviews are interesting and two-sided conversations rather than monologues; the interviewer never lets the guest speak too much before jumping in with a comment or another question. On a side note, as an American that has tried to learn two other languages, I must say that I am extremely impressed with the high level of conversational and technical fluency his guests have, though most are not native English speakers.
So good it makes me want to brush up on my high school German so I can listen to the non-English episodes. If you enjoy science and engineering this podcast is should be at the top of your list.
Details, Details, Details. That’s what I want! This podcast does it better than any other. I recently “discovered” this podcast, and I devoured all the older ones as soon as possible. This became my favorite podcast because it involves detailed information on theory followed by implementation often on the site itself. A definite winner that will always be at the top of my first to listen to podcasts.
Really well done podcast. Interviewer knows and prepares for the interviews as well as one can imagine. Extremely probing questioning, and the content itself is cutting edge. I am also very impressed by all the guests who are experts in their fields. Their presentation of the material is so well done, with just enough technical info so they don't lose the audience. I'll be sharing this podcast with many of my friends and family.
I heard about this podcast in passing in the Mostly Erlang podcast, under the context of something like “if you like science and math, you’ll like this podcast.” The topic of discussion was the standardization of shipping containers. I thought to myself, how could anyone talk for ~ an hour about shipping containers. Well, Markus doesn’t talk for an hour… he talks for 2+! And no, not a second of it was boring or uninformative. This podcast is fantastic, it’s well organized, the speakers they get are really great and are professionals in the industry, and they are always careful to explain industry jargon or, at worst, make a note out loud of when jargon might be used. The only thing that is not as good is that some of the older podcasts have music interruptions. They ceased doing this in more recent podcasts. The music wasn’t bad, but sometimes you want to listen to the talk and it’s hard to slide the little slider past the music while driving. But if listening to some tunes for a few minutes is the worst case… then obviously the whole thing is pretty darn good!
This podcast has remarkable content value per episode if compared to other science related options. You don't get a download every week (it seems) but when one is released the guy has clearly spent time making sure he asks deeper questions. You cannot expect to listen to this podcast while reading or multitasking something else too heavily or you're not going to enjoy it fully.
Markus Volter Does it again with a great 2 part on the Space Shuttle. Keep it up Markus. I am looking for a Naval Aviator for you to interview. Would love to hear an episode on sailplane folks who are working on diamonds and other records.
Markus Volter is a terrific interviewer--he's courteous, the questions are thoughtful, and at the end of the podcast the interviews feel complete. His perspective as a glider pilot really informs the 3 podcasts I've listened to so far: SR-71, U-2, and the Concordia sailplane. I've loaded up the iPod more episodes, both aviation-related and non-aviation, and I'm looking forward to listening to them. I've enjoyed these podcasts in English so much that I wish I was fluent in German to listen and understand the podcasts he's recorded in German. If you're interested in aviation, engineering, and science, subscribe to this podcast.
I am currently a student doing cancer research, and I listen to the podcast during the more monotonous aspects of my work. My specialty is in the biological sciences, but I love Markus's podcasts because they cover topics that I didn't even know I was interested in. I'm even considering brushing up on my German so I can listen to the rest of his podcasts!
I don't remember how I found this podcast, I just know that it sat on my iPod for awhile before I got around to listening. I am glad I did, this one of the best podcasts I have ever heard.
There are a lot of science and technology websites, but many are geared toward the "average layperson." This podcast is meant for people who are curious about science and technology and want in-depth, technical coverage of topics. Markus asks insightful questions that are clearly the result of his thorough preparation for each interview, and each interview is conducted with a world's expert in the field. I'm all about Omega Tau.
This podcast is a technical view of subjects. Each podcast gives u a wonderfully technical view of each subject. This is not done at a beginners level.
I just started listening about 1 month ago and I really enjoy the content, the level of the discussion and how Markus works with the guests. I am not looking for phd level discussions on the topics but I am beyond a beginner. These podcasts fearlessly dive into varied topics with somewhat the same geeky interest that I have in areas beyond my work.
It is also often interesting when Markus takes a topic like the SR71, the ISS, LHC / CERN ... etc and doesn't just get into the usual headline surface story on these areas. This gets into the engineering, how it flies or how they solved some problem.
Good job. I'm going through your back catalog.
On Omega Tau, Marcus simply finds the worlds best and greatest in science and and engineering, and interviews the scientist and researchers, asking the right questions.
It is refreshing, not a one sided PowerPoint presentation style, but a in depth interview of lead researchers.
