A Little Light Listening

• *Christmas Special* - The Surprising History of Christmas Lights

  In this special feature length episode we dive into the enchanting history of Christmas lights. We are joined by two incredibly distinguished guests: Dr. Niamh Wycherley, a medieval historian and Principal Investigator of a major Irish Research Council project on medieval Ireland, and Jamie Malanowski, a celebrated writer and editor with contributions to The New Yorker, Time, and Vanity Fair. Together, they explore the cultural, historical, and technological journey of Christmas lights—from their medieval symbolism to their transformation into dazzling modern displays. With expert insights, humour, and holiday charm, this episode promises a festive exploration of the lights that brighten our winters. Join our host David McGovern for this fun, Christmas special.

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• Shining a Light on Research with Dr. Mahrokh Avazpour

  Mahrokh Avazpour was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions co-fund Sparkle Fellowship in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Liam Barry. She is working in the Optical Communications laboratory in the School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University. Mahrokh’s current focus is on the generation of optical frequency comb using mode locked fibre laser. She has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Guanajuato campus Salamanca in Mexico, designing the passive mode locked laser to improve the soliton spectral compression. In 2020 she took up a lecturing position in the University of Oaxaca in Mexico. Mahrokh received an international gold medal for her research work on optical property on liquid crystals in Seoul International Invention Fair, Korea and 2 gold medals from ITEX and CITREX exhibitions in Malaysia 2013. Mahrokh obtained her Ph.D. from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico in 2019. Her primary research area is mode locked fibre lasers. During her Ph.D. she worked on generating soliton pulses and compression of spectrum using NOLM method. She received her Master of Science (M.Sc.) Physics from Mysore University, India and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Physics from Azad University of Mashhad, Iran.

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• Shining a Light on Research with Serene Pauly

  Serene is a final year Ph.D. candidate at Queen's University Belfast, specializing in the dynamic field of photonics and data storage. Serene`s research focuses on the intricate mapping of thermal variations on plasmonic nanostructures utilizing Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) techniques. Serene`s academic journey has been a diverse one, spanning continents and disciplines. With a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Glasgow and a Bachelor's in Biotechnology Engineering from India, Serene brings a unique blend of expertise to her research. This interdisciplinary background has equipped Serene with a holistic perspective, enabling her to tackle complex challenges at the nexus of science and technology.Beyond academia, Serene is deeply committed to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the scientific community. Serene actively engages in initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, believing in the power of diverse perspectives to drive innovation and progress.

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• Shining a Light on Research with Dr. Marcos Troncoso Costas

  Marcos joined the PhD program in Electronic Engineering with the Radio and Optical Communications Lab at Dublin City University, under the supervision of Prof. Liam Barry and Francisco Díaz in May 2020 graduating with his PhD in July 2024. His current research field includes spectrally efficient modulation for optical communications through fiber and free space. Marcos has also worked on Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs) and Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs).

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• Shining a Light on Research with Dr Hemalatha Muthuganesan

  "Someone considering a PhD? Yes definitely go for it. More than a technical degree I think it teaches a lot of things in life." Hemalatha is a researcher in photonics, currently part of the opto-team in the EP-ESE group at CERN, focussed on developing radiation-hard optical links for high-energy physics using silicon photonics. Hemalatha`s role involves designing and characterizating radiation-insensitive optoelectronic devices.

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